These bakery-style chocolate chip muffins have a crisp, sugary muffin top, a soft and fluffy inside, and plenty of chocolate in every bite. If you need an easy muffin recipe that turns out perfectly every time, this recipe is for you!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy muffin tops: Coarse sugar gives the top of each muffin a light crunch.
- Soft and fluffy inside: Buttermilk, melted butter, and brown sugar create a tender crumb.
- Chocolate in every bite: Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips spread evenly throughout the muffin batter.
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What Makes a Great Chocolate Chip Muffin?
A great muffin recipe should be easy to follow and give you great results everytime. This muffin recipe is just that. I like to use buttermilk in my muffin batter for a light and fluffy inside. To get the classic domed muffin top, I add coarse sugar to the top just before baking for the perfect contrast of light and fluffy insidee, and crispy, cookie like muffin top.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All-Purpose Flour- All-purpose flour gives the muffins enough structure to rise while keeping the inside soft. For the best results, weigh the flour if you can.
Granulated Sugar- Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins and helps the tops turn golden brown.
Light Brown Sugar- Brown sugar helps keep the muffins soft.
Baking Powder-Gives the muffins their lift and helps create a tall muffin top.
Fine Salt- Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the vanilla and chocolate.
Buttermilk-Buttermilk helps create a moist crumb and tender texture.
Melted Butter-Melted butter is easier to combine. Just be sure to let it cool before mixing.
Eggs- Give the muffins structure and help hold the tender crumb together.
Vanilla Extract- Adds warmth and brings out the chocolate flavor.
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips-spread throughout the batter more evenly than large chips.
Coarse Sugar-My favorite is Sugar in the Raw. The individual packets are easy to find in most grocery stores, and three or four packets are usually enough for a batch of muffins.
How to Make Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prepare the Oven and Muffin Tin
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place an oven rack in the center position. This allows the tops and centers of the muffins to bake evenly.
Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
The oven temperature is important for acheiving nice domed muffin tops. Make sure the oven has fully preheated before placing the muffin tin inside.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
The butter may firm up slightly when it touches the other wet ingredients. That is fine. Just make sure the mixture is well combined.
Mix the Muffin Batter
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir gently. Stop when a few streaks of flour remain.
The batter should be thick and scoopable. It does not need to be completely smooth. The remaining streaks of flour will disappear when you fold in the chocolate chips.
Add the Chocolate Chips
Reserve a small handful of mini chocolate chips for the tops.
Gently fold the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips into the muffin batter. Stop mixing as soon as they are evenly distributed and no dry flour remains.
Fill the Muffin Cups
You can use tall or fluted parchment muffin liners, or standard cupcake liners. This recipe makes enough batter for 12 standard sized muffins.
Divide the batter evenly among all 12 muffin cups.
An ice cream scoop makes this easier and helps keep the muffins a consistent size.
Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top of the muffins. Finish each with a light sprinkle of coarse sugar.
Bake the Muffins
Bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes, then turn down to 400°F for the remaining 15 minutes.
The high heat instantly activates the baking powder for a burst of steam and lift. It also quickly sets the outer edge of the muffin top, forcing the remaining rising batter straight upward through the center.
Dropping the temperature allows the interior of the muffin to cook through fully without burning the top.
The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the Muffins
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for about five minutes.
Transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool for at least 20 minutes.
Can I Pre-Mix and Refrigerate Muffin Batter?
Yes. This muffin batter does well when it is mixed and refrigerated before baking.
Can I Make Jumbo Muffins?
Yes. You can use this muffin batter to make jumbo muffins. I like to use tulip muffin liners that extend beyond the top of the muffin tin, and fill them with about 6 oz of batter using this scoop. Jumbo muffins bake longer than standard muffins. Begin checking them after 25 minutes.
Can I Make Mini Muffins?
Yes, you can use this batter to make mini muffins. Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin liners and fill each muffin cup with about ½ oz of batter.
Mini muffins bake quicker than standard muffins. Begin checking them after 8-10 minutes.
How to Store Chocolate Chip Muffins
Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing them.
Place the homemade muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to three days.
You can place a folded paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb excess moisture.
Don'tt seal warm muffins in an airtight container. Trapped steam can make the tops sticky.
Can Chocolate Chip Muffins Be Frozen?
Yes. These muffins freeze well. Once they are completely cool, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to three months.
Are These Dunkin’ Donuts Chocolate Chip Muffins?
This is not the official Dunkin’ Donuts chocolate chip muffin recipe. However, these bakery-style chocolate chip muffins have a similar soft center, tall muffin top, and generous amount of chocolate.
Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 285 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- Coarse or turbinado sugar for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place an oven rack in the center position. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Reserve a small handful of mini chocolate chips for the tops. Fold the remaining chocolate chips into the muffin batter just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among all 12 muffin cups. An ice cream scoop works well for portioning the batter.
- Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips and a little coarse sugar over the top of each muffin.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then turn oven down to 400°F for about 15 more minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown, the centers spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for five minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
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