Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
I had so much fun sharing my Nutella banana nut muffins last week, I wanted to share another muffin recipe. I mean, who can say no to freshly baked chocolate chip muffins? And the best part is that this recipe is for small batch chocolate chip muffins.
In this recipe, small batch means that this recipe makes 6 muffins. I love small batch recipes, but if you want to make a full dozen you can always double this recipe.
What is a Muffin?
This might sound like a silly question, but I make loads of cupcakes and cakes. What ratio of ingredients makes this a muffin?
Muffins fall into the quick bread category because they don’t use yeast to rise. They bake up thanks to leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder.
Traditionally they’re also baked in a muffin pan! Some recipes bake them in liners, others have you grease the pan and bake them right in each little muffin cup.
I prefer making them in muffin liners, because it makes for an easier clean up.
But if you don’t have liners on hand, you can grease your muffin tin and bake these muffins right in the pan.
The traditional ratio for a quick bread or muffin recipe is 2 parts flour, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg, 1 part butter.
This recipe is similar to that, but uses a few extra ingredients to give these muffins a tender, fluffy and light texture.
What is the Muffin Method??
Another trademark of a muffin recipe is the way in which the batter is mixed.
The muffin method mixes together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
The dry ingredients are then folded into the wet and mixed until the batter just comes together.
In fact, you should still be able to see a few chunks, and the batter shouldn’t be perfectly smooth. If it is, you have over-mixed the batter!!
Do your best to avoid over mixing your muffin batter, as it can lead to dense, tough muffins.
Getting This Recipe Just Right
When working on this recipe, I began with the basic ratio of a muffin. But I wasn’t happy with the texture.
When I eat a muffin, I want it to be just as moist and tender as the giant Costco muffins I grew up eating. Yes, that is the benchmark I hold all muffins to!!
I absolutely love Costco muffins. I used to eat one every morning with a giant glass of milk before school.
I’d heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them up, then savor each bite. They were heaven.
Those muffins always left a bit of oil on my fingers and I think they used more oil and/or butter than a classic quick bread recipe. I also remember them tasting sweeter.
Several batches of muffins later, I finally was happy with this chocolate chip muffin recipe.
I played around with the baking temperature, bake time, different amounts of baking powder, butter vs. oil, adding in sour cream, and milk vs buttermilk.
After taste testing each batch, I think it’s safe to say I’ve had my fill of muffins for the next few months 😛
In the end, I found I liked the texture of these chocolate chip muffins best with a little extra baking powder, buttermilk, a bit of sour cream, and all oil.
Chocolate Chip Muffin Substitutions & Swaps
While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some people have different preferences!
Or you might not have all of these ingredients on hand! If you find yourself in either of these situations, below I share the purpose of each ingredient along with swaps and variations that can be made.
All Purpose Flour
I prefer these muffins with good ol’ all purpose flour. However, you can use a gluten free flour blend in place of the AP flour in this recipe (cup for cup).
Just be sure to stir the batter really well to help give it structure. It needs extra help since it doesn’t have any gluten.
Also let the batter sit for 30 minutes before baking the muffins (helps the flour absorb moisture from the batter)
Granulated Sugar
A little bit of sugar gives these muffins the perfect touch of sweetness, and helps create that tender texture.
You don’t need a ton because the chocolate is also sweet, but I wouldn’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe or it will negatively affect the texture.
Baking Powder
My leavening agent of choice in these muffins is baking powder!
It’s less potent than baking soda, and gives them the perfect rise to create light, fluffy muffins.
Buttermilk or Whole Milk
These muffins can be made with whole milk or buttermilk. I’ve tested the recipe with both and they taste great either way.
Buttermilk gives the muffins a bit of a tang and adds a touch more moisture. If you’re used to baking with and eating baked goods with buttermilk, I recommend using it!
If you’re not used to the tang of buttermilk, I recommend using whole milk! It makes fluffy, light muffins that taste exactly how a classic muffin would taste.
You can also use alternative dairy milk (almond, soy, oat, etc.) in this recipe if you are lactose intolerant or dairy free.
Sour Cream
Adding in a bit of sour cream makes these muffins more moist. They bake up a bit dry without it!
If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can also use full fat yogurt or additional milk or buttermilk in its place.
Use dairy free yogurt to replace the sour cream in this recipe if you want to make dairy free chocolate chip muffins.
Vegetable Oil
I tested this recipe with all oil, all butter, and a mix of the two.
While I usually am a fan of baking with butter, I really feel like muffin recipes taste best with oil! Oil gives these muffins a lighter texture.
You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, canola, vegetable, sunflower oil, etc.
You also can use butter to replace part or all of the oil if that’s what you have on hand, or if you just prefer your muffins with it.
1 Large Egg
The egg helps give this recipe structure, and brings the batter together.
If you don’t have any eggs on hand or want to make egg free chocolate chip muffins, don’t worry!
Use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of the egg and add an additional 1/4 tsp of baking powder.
Chocolate Chips
This part is up to you! I like these best with chopped up milk chocolate chunks, but you can use milk, dark, or even white chocolate! Chocolate chips or chunks both work great.
Coarse Sugar or Sanding Sugar
Adding extra sugar to the top of these muffins is also optional, but it gives them the most irresistible crunchy top!!
I am a huge fan of muffin tops, and have been known to rip them right off my muffins. They’re my favorite part of a muffin, and I think they’re best with that sprinkle of sanding sugar.
It also gives them a gorgeous, sparkly look once they’re baked.
Tips for Making the Best Small Batch of Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Don’t over-mix your batter! Mix until the flour has just been incorporated; there should still be some small chunks in the batter, and it shouldn’t be all the way smooth.
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better, so be sure you set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Use a cookie scoop to easily fill your muffin liners.
- Sprinkle additional granulated sugar or coarse/sanding sugar on top of your muffins to give them a perfectly crunchy muffin top.
- One batch of batter can be used to make about 18 mini chocolate chip muffins. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 3 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 350 F and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- To make gluten free muffins, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
Making These Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins in Advance & Storage Tips
Make your muffins in advance! If stored in an airtight container, they can last for 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for small batch chocolate chip muffins or any variation of it, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 125g
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder 7g
- 1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature 75g
- 2 Tbsp full-fat sour cream, room temperature 32g
- 6 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 80g
- 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 2/3 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, tossed with 1 tsp of flour 110g
- 2 Tbsp coarse sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F / 218°C and line a muffin pan with 6 paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, oil, egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula, and mix until just combined (DO NOT OVER-MIX YOUR BATTER!). Your batter should not be all the way smooth, and it's ok if there are still some small chunks in it.
- Gently mix the flour-tossed bits of chocolate into the batter until they're evenly distributed.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 6 muffin cups, filling them to the top of the liner.
- If desired, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar and a few extra pieces of chocolate on the top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 6 minutes at 425°F/ 218°C to give the muffins a nice rise and a domed, golden brown top, then (keeping the muffins in the oven) reduce the oven temperature to 350°F / 175°C. Continue to bake for an additional 22-25 minutes.
- Let the muffins sit in the pan for 10 minutes to cool, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
One batch of batter can be used to make about 18 mini chocolate chip muffins. Fill a lined muffin pan with batter and bake in a preheated 425°F/ 218°C oven for 3 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 350°F / 175°C and bake for 12-14 minutes.
It was amazing… the recipe was perfect and so easy to follow… Thank you so much…
Mashallah it’s amazing ?
So happy to hear that Fathoum!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Delicious! We used some unicorn morsels, instead to chocolate chip! My daughter (7) loves your page!! We finally had some time to make something! 🙂
Omg I love that Jamie!! That’s such a fun idea 🙂
I’m so bummed to say that these did not turn out well for me at all! I used to weight measurements and, based on how the muffins turned out, it seemed like there was way too much oil! I thought they were raw, so after testing one after the 10 minute cool, I put them back in and they came out just the same another 5 and 10 minutes later. I wish I could attach a picture, because I have no idea what would have happened! And I’m a reasonably skilled baker..
Hi Kelly,
I am so sorry to hear that!! Hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out together. What type of oil were you using? Did you make any other substitutions? were your leavening agents still active/good??
I tried this last night and I can now say that I have found the perfect muffin recipe! These are delicious and are even better than store bought!
So happy to hear that Sharmin!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
So delicious! I doubled recipe, added one ripe banana and subtracted 2 tsp of oil and it came out perfectly moist!
So happy to hear that Stephanie 🙂
115 grams of chocolate including the chocolate u put on the top or excluding that?
Hi Suman,
That does not include the chocolate I add on top! I add additional chocolate for that 🙂 But i love lots of chocolate in my muffins!!
I found this recipe from your TikTok and I had to try it. I have tried many other recipes and have yet to find that perfect fluffy chocolate chip muffin. I have be to honest this one was super delicious. I substituted the sour cream for vanilla greek yogurt and deleted the vanilla extract. I would HIGHLY recommend. One thing I did notice is that my muffins were done after 6 minute on 425 and 15 minutes on 350. Thanks so much:)
So happy to hear that Katy, I love TikTok!!
That sounds like wonderful swap, I’ll have to try that!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
The muffins were awesome! They were very moist and tasty. It is easy to make this recipe and well worth it. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
So happy to hear that Emma! 🙂 Thanks!!
Have you tired changing the chocolate chips to blueberries? Im looking for a bluberry muffin recipe, but this one has gotten rave reviews!
Funny you ask Alexandra, I’m actually sharing a lemon blueberry muffin recipe in a week! Stay tuned 🙂
These were so good, thank you for sharing this recipe! I am wanting to make some jumbo size muffins next time. Would the temperature remain the same and increase the time?
Also, do you have a blueberry muffin recipe?
Hi Hannah,
So funny you ask, I’m actually sharing a lemon blueberry muffin recipe in a week! Stay tuned 🙂
I definitely will! But would blueberries work in this recipe as a substitution for the chocolate chips??
Hi Alexandra,
You can! Just be sure to dust them in flour before adding if you’re using fresh blueberries. You can also use frozen blueberries, just be sure NOT to thaw them before adding them! Also frozen blueberries can color your batter purple as you stir them in – FYI!
Hope that helps, happy baking!
I love your recipes! However I was a bit disappointed with how these turned out. I made the jumbo ones and they don’t look nearly as large as yours – they did not dome over the top at all. And they were totally overcooked and came out so dry! Instead of the 22-25 minutes I only did 18 just to check on them and they were so dark. Any suggestions?
Hi Jackie,
I am so sorry to hear that Jackie! What do you mean when you say jumbo muffins??
This muffin recipe only makes 6 regular sized muffins (using a standard cupcake pan), which are the size of the muffins in my pictures. I haven’t tested this recipe out as jumbo muffins, so sadly I don’t know much about troubleshooting for that! But I’d think that you’d be able make many jumbo muffins with this amount of batter. The bake time and at each temp would be different too! How many jumbo muffins did you try to make with this amount of batter? Hopefully we’ll be able to figure this out together!
Do you have a easy cinnamon roll recipe
I do! Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2020/02/20/quick-yeast-cinnamon-rolls/
Hi can I use a cupcake pan to make these muffins?
Hi Val,
For sure! That’s what I use!!
Hi Chelsweets. You said to not over mix the batter. I’m worried that i’ll over mix it or not mix it enough. So how long to I mix it for pls? Anyway this looks delicious and I hope it works!
Hi Elyssia,
There’s no set amount of time sadly! It can vary based on what you’re using to make the muffins (hand mixer, stand mixer, etc.) and the speed you mix it at. I’d suggest mixing just until the ingredients look like they’ve been fully combined and the batter is smooth. It gets easy to know the right amount of mixing the more you make recipes like this <3
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsea I’m writing from Uruguay. I found your Instagram page through search I randomly did and got to your blog from there. I made the recipe for the muffins and it came out great! The texture, crumbles,taste, smell.. Everything as if it were store bought, so glad to have found it! Gotta say here we dont use some ingredients you are used to use, therefore instead of buttermilk I used regular milk and instead of sour cream I used non fat lactoseless yogurt because I always have it and since it doesn’t have any flavor, doesn’t affect the final result. It was a big plus to find a recipe that used oil instead of butter, I bake everything with that switch because it’s lighter (we dont do diets in this house ?, but we try and eat the best we can). Again thank you and thanks for those testing muffins you did before sharing so you could get to this one! Love from Uruguay, stay healthy ??
Hi Paula,
So happy to hear that your muffins turned out great, and that you found me through insta 🙂 Very happy you were able to modify the recipe to make it work with the ingredients you love to use, happy baking!!
They were so good, yet so easy to make. Thanks for sharing!!! These are now a go to recipe. Highly recommend.
I love hearing that Victoria!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Do you convection bake or regular?
Hi Monica,
I have a super old gas stove, so convection isn’t an option for me!! Haha I wish!! all my recipes are baked regularly <3
Theses muffins are delicious my family and I love them. I have made them 3 times now. I follow you on tictok I love you and your baking so much ?
Aw that’s awesome Lily! I am so happy to hear that, and thank you for following me on TikTok!!
These muffins look so good! When I went to make them though they turned out dry 🙁 both times. What do you think I could’ve done wrong? I followed the recipe to the tee.
Thanks!
Hi Samantha,
If your muffins turned out dry, it could be a few different things! the first could be that they’re over-baked! The muffins will continue to bake a bit more once they’re out of the oven. The other thing that could cause that is if you are over mixing your batter, or if you aren’t properly fluffing and leveling your flour. Hopefully it’s one of those, and it’s an easy fix. Hope that helps!
I was so excited to try this recipe, but my muffins turned out dry- both times. I followed the recipe exactly, what is something I could be doing wrong?
LOVE THESE MUFFINS!! Today I made almond poppy seed muffins out of this recipe( minus the chocolate chips and added almond extract and poppy seeds 🙂 my husband LOVES them!! So soft and moist!!!
Sounds delicious Kimberly!! Now I want to try that variation!!!! ? Thank you for sharing, and happy baking!
Hi Chetsweets, I tried this recipe today and they look amazing. However I see the choco chips on the top of muffins to be dry. Will that be the same way or did I do any mistake? am confused.
Hands down, this was the best muffin batch I ever made. I think the sprinkling of sugar on top was part of its success. I did 22 minutes. I used the recipe pretty much as-is with yogurt instead of sour cream, and 1% milk because that’s what I have. The yogurt was the acid needed to help the baking powder rise up.
Delicious! And very quick and simple to make. I loved how the top of the muffins was crunchy and the inside was soft. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This recipe is perfect! Moist on the inside but has that little crunch on the outside! So glad I tired! I’ll have to try some more of your recipes! Thankyou!
The first time I made these, as I was putting them in the oven, the muffin tin tipped over and the batter fell all over the oven. I couldn’t save a single muffin. The next day, I made them again, and they were great! I am planning on making them again tomorrow.
My oven is waiting for parts/repair and I only have a toaster oven right now (and it was my grandmother’s and it’s over 30 years old) but I do have a six muffin pan that I can use in it. Googled recipe for six chocolate chip muffins and found these. Baked them right up! YUM. I was out of sour cream and yogurt, but I used 2 TBS of mayo and it worked great. Thanks for a delicious recipe for a tiny oven.
Made these today and they were so good! Will definitely be making again.
I made these as jumbo muffins today! I doubled the recipe and it made 6. I baked them for 15 minutes at 425 then 15 on 350. The tops were perfect golden and the right little crunch. The inside was light and fluffy and just perfect!
First time I’ve fully read the narrative before an online recipe. You had me at costco muffin…! 🙂
Delicious! My girls, ages 3 & 5 enjoyed making and eating these muffins. Thank you for a small batch recipe.
Can I add mayonnaise instead of sour cream? If so then what changes might happen and how much should I add?
Wonderful muffins I was a little worried that the oil was gonna be too much but they come out perfect and very delicious ?
Absolutely the best chocolate chip muffin recipe around! Easy enough recipe to follow with the kids helping and the end product was so delicious.
We absolutely love these! I make them almost every week for my daughter!! Great recipe; easy to make. Thanks !
These Are the best muffins! So tender and fluffy. I don’t think i will be using butter in my muffins again. ?
Holy cow talk about useless information I didn’t know I was going to have to read your life history & the history of every ingredient to make a muffin why don’t people just share the damn recipe already any more ??
So frustrating
I could have been eating those muffins by the time I even got to the recipe but what ever I guess you get paid by how long we scroll on your site
First ever muffins I made were with this recipe. Instant hit for a birthday party! I got so many compliments and people were very protective of their muffins and reluctant to share ?
I am so happy to hear that!! 🙂
the muffins were amazing!! However, every time I make muffins somehow come out in a spongey consistency. Any advice?
Hi Lucia,
So happy to hear that!! Hmm, it could be that you’re adding in a bit of extra flour (make sure you’re fluffing it then spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it, or use a scale), or that that ingredients aren’t fully at room temperature? Those would be my first two guesses!! Is there a chance it’s one of those? Hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out together!
I just made these and usually I hardly ever follow any recipe exactly but because of how you described it I made exactly this recipe. I was very sceptical because I didn’t like the raw batter and normally I like the batter better than the finished product. The batter tasted really oily. The muffins turned out ok, but I wouldn’t do it with oil again. I just don’t like the taste that much. I really liked their looks and the consistency though. But what really disappointed me was that the chocolate chunks all sank to the ground even though I covered them in flour. The batter doesn’t seem to be strong enough to carry them. That’s one of the most important part when it comes to Muffins with chocolate chips or fruits etc. My batter was really runny as well. Is it supposed to be like that? I really don’t know what I did wrong because on your pictures the chocolate doesn’t seem to be on the ground. I made a muffin without the chocolate chips and that one turned out perfect in shape and consistency but without chocolate I don’t really like the taste.
I have been making these frequently since 2020- love this recipe! It makes the perfect amount of muffins, chocolate-y, and delicious!
Hi Jen,
I am so happy to hear that 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!!
I have been making this recipe for about three years now and it never misses! I always double or triple the recipe and the muffins are gone within 48 hours! Such a delicious recipe, thanks chelsweets!
Hi Sofia,
Yay!! So happy to hear that, thank you for sharing 🙂
This recipe was perfect,and I’m excited it’s one I’ll keep! Also, I used the chocolate w/flour tip and it didn’t do anything different?
Hi Emma,
So happy to hear that! If you didn’t notice a difference between the flour dusted chocolate chips and just tossing in regular chocolate chips, you can omit that step. Sometimes people struggle with the chocolate chips sinking as the muffins bake, but if you aren’t having an issue with it then you can skip that bit. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Made this and they are delicious I added half butter and half oil since I ran out of oil. Made them in the betty crocker mini muffin magic maker and they came out amazing. It made 21 mini muffins
Hi Karla,
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 They sound delicious!!
They came out perfectly delicious, only modification was adding 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to buttermilk because all US buttermilk is either fat free or reduced fat.
Definitely use the decorators sugar on top, pretty and adds an extra crunch.
yesssss! I am so happy to hear that Ginger 🙂 I absolutely LOVE the crunch from the decorators sugar on the top too!