These chocolate chip muffins are a huge hit with my family! They rise into beautiful, tall domes and are wonderfully moist and tender. The sour cream in the recipe is the key to their perfectly soft texture. You’ll absolutely love them!
These chocolate chip muffins are a family favorite for a reason! Thanks to the sour cream in the batter, they’re quick, simple, and incredibly moist. I love the sour cream in this recipe, but you should know I’ve used plain, thick yogurt (like Greek yogurt) and was super happy! Both achieve the same results: big, tall, fluffy, moist, and delicious chocolate chip muffins.
These are perfect for beginners and busy families! I’ve served them on weekends for breakfast instead of pancakes and have even made them for a sweet treat! If you love these, I bet you will also love oursee our highly rated blueberry muffins, these banana muffins with chocolate chips, or these strawberry chocolate muffins!
Key Ingredients
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but these muffins work with whole wheat flour, spelt flour, and even an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill).
- Sugar and Vanilla: I use brown sugar to keep these muffins super moist inside. It also adds a toasty caramel flavor, enhanced even more with a generous amount of vanilla extract.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: This muffin batter is thick, so we need a good amount of leavener. That’s why I use both baking powder and baking soda in this recipe.
- Oil: I love how oil makes muffins nice and light in the middle. Vegetable or avocado oil is great, but olive oil also works nicely.
- Egg: Adds structure and flavor to our muffins. If you do not eat eggs, use one flax egg.
- Milk: I usually use whole milk, but reduced-fat milk works fine, too. If you are making these non-dairy, you can substitute your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Sour Cream: As I mentioned above, sour cream or a thick plain yogurt is the secret to the best chocolate chip muffins. I slightly prefer sour cream over yogurt, but both make really delicious muffins! To make this dairy-free, use a plant-based yogurt or sour cream.
- Chocolate Chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use what you love. If you have them, a combination of mini chips and regular chips is amazing. I use this combination when making our chocolate chip banana muffins as well as in our chocolate chip banana bread, and love how the mini chips melt into the batter.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Muffins
Once you try this easy chocolate chip muffin recipe, you’ll want to make them again and again! Just like so many of our muffin recipes, the batter is easy. Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Then, mix vegetable oil, one egg, milk, and vanilla extract for the wet ingredients. Stir them and the sour cream into the dry ingredients, add chocolate chips, and you’re done. I told you it was easy!
I bake my chocolate chip muffins at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The higher oven temperature helps them rise quickly, activating the baking powder in the batter. If you want that perfect looking top, push a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin before baking. They won’t sink and will stay on top, giving you that perfect look!
Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This chocolate chip muffin recipe is super easy to make and makes 10 muffins. Since most standard muffin tins have 12 cups, you will have two empty cups. Alternatively, you can divide the batter between 12 muffin cups and get 12 smaller muffins with smaller tops.
You Will Need
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150g) lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil, safflower oil, or avocado oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup (80ml) milk, use more as needed
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (113g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup (127g) chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons more for tops
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 10 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners.
2Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until well blended.
3Choose a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup. Add the oil to the jug, and then crack in the egg. Pour in enough milk to reach the 1-cup line on the jug (this should be about 1/3 cup of milk). Add the vanilla extract and whisk until everything is combined.
4Add the milk mixture and sour cream to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the batter comes together. The batter will be on the thicker side, but if it is hard to stir, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.
5Fold in the chocolate chips.
6Divide the batter between the muffin cups. (The batter will reach the tops of the paper liners.) Press 3 to 4 extra chocolate chips into the top of each muffin.
7Bake muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Place cooled muffins in a plastic bag, seal them, and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or place into freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Measuring your flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams).
- For mini muffin: Baking time will be less — keep an eye on them while they bake and expect them to take 9 to 11 minutes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I tried this recipe last night. They were delicious and so moist as I was hoping. Thank you. I will try next your easy blueberry muffin recipe.
Can I use coconut oil
Yep, but keep in mind it will add a light coconut flavor to the muffins.
Made them in a silicon pan. 4 blueberry walnut. 6 dark chocolate chip walnut. Bringing as a gift.
Will substituting apple sauce for the vegetable oil change the texture of the muffin? Thanks in advance!
Hi Stacey, The oil keeps these muffins moist. Substituting with apple sauce will definitely change things, but you may still enjoy them. I just cannot say for sure since I’ve always made these per the recipe ingredients listed.
Hi Stacey! Curious if you tried them with the applesauce? How did they turn out? Thanks!!