30-Minute Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins
These homemade chocolate chip muffins are soft, moist, and rise with tall bakery-style tops. Made with simple ingredients like eggs, butter, and chocolate chips, they’re a quick and satisfying treat for breakfast, snack, or brunch.
Equipment
- 1 × 12-cup muffin pan
- 1 × Mixing bowl (medium)
- 1 × Mixing bowl (large)
- 1 × whisk
- 1 × Large Spoon or Spatula
- 1 × measuring cups and spoons
- Optional: Muffin Liners
Ingredients
- 2½ cups 300 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup 100 g granulated sugar
- ½ cup 100 g packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup 115 g / 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup 240 mL buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice as substitute)
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup 170 g / 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- Optional: sea salt flakes for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Your Pan: Begin by setting your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it reaches the perfect temperature while you prepare the batter. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, making sure each cup is fully covered. This step helps the muffins release easily after baking and keeps them from sticking, while also giving them a professional bakery-style appearance.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these ingredients thoroughly to ensure they are evenly distributed. Properly mixing the dry ingredients ensures that each muffin rises evenly and develops a tender texture, avoiding clumps of baking powder or uneven saltiness.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them lightly to break the yolks. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk or stir until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and fully combined. The buttermilk adds a gentle tang and reacts with the baking soda to create light, airy muffins, while the butter contributes to flavor and tenderness.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula or large spoon, fold the ingredients together gently. It’s important to mix just until no dry flour remains; small lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing at this stage can develop gluten, which may result in dense, tough muffins rather than the light, fluffy texture we want.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Add the chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks) to the batter. Gently fold them in with a spatula, making sure they are evenly distributed without overworking the batter. This ensures that each muffin has a generous, consistent amount of chocolate without sinking to the bottom.
- Portion Batter into Muffin Pan: Use a large spoon or a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Fill each cup all the way to the top to achieve the signature tall, bakery-style muffin tops. Level the tops slightly with the back of a spoon if needed, to ensure uniform baking and presentation.
- Initial High-Temperature Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake at 400°F (200°C) for the first 10 minutes. This high heat jump-starts the rise, giving the muffins their tall domed tops. Avoid opening the oven during this period, as sudden temperature changes can cause the muffins to collapse.
- Reduce Heat and Continue Baking: After the initial 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for an additional 8–10 minutes. Insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of a muffin after 8 minutes to check for doneness. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the muffins are ready. This two-stage baking ensures the perfect balance of golden exterior and soft interior.
- Cooling and Optional Topping: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool slightly in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack if desired to prevent condensation and sogginess. For a gourmet touch, sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top while the muffins are still warm; the salt enhances the sweetness of the chocolate and adds a subtle flavor contrast.
- Serve and Enjoy: Chocolate chip muffins are best enjoyed fresh and slightly warm. Serve them for breakfast, as a snack, or with a cup of coffee or tea. They also freeze well for future use: simply wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to two months. Reheat gently before serving to restore their tender, fluffy texture.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and slightly cooled melted butter for smoother batter and better rise.
- Both light and dark brown sugar work; dark brown sugar gives a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
- Buttermilk makes the muffins extra tender; substitute milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice if needed.
- Do not overmix the batter—lumps are normal and essential for a fluffy texture.
- Chocolate chunks create pockets of melted chocolate, while chips give uniform distribution.
- Sprinkle sea salt on top for a balanced sweet-salty flavor.
- Muffins taste best fresh but can be frozen for later use.
