Chocolate Chip Muffins

February 17, 2022

Although cupcakes are typically off limits until at least the second half of the day, it is perfectly acceptable to start your day with a muffin… even a muffin full of mini chocolate chips…

Yes, these muffins are full of tiny little chocolate chips, but that is only one of the amazing things about them. They are also super light and airy with an almost angel food like texture to them. The light texture, the comforting buttery, vanilla flavor and all those chocolate chips create one very amazing muffin that I know you are going to love.

Let’s get started…

Begin by combining 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup of cake flour (or 3 total cups of all purpose flour), 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl and set it aside for now.

Note: If you do not have cake flour, you can use a total of 3 cups all purpose flour instead, but the cake flour does help create that really light, delicate texture that make these muffins so wonderful… and yes, this recipe does call for a full tablespoon of baking powder.

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of softened butter and 1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar. Use an electric hand mixer or a stiff whisk to whisk vigorously until fully combined and creamy. If you did not plan ahead and set some butter out a few hours ago, for these particular muffins, it is ok to microwave cold butter for 15-20 seconds to slightly soften it. Do not melt the butter, but the consistency of the butter in these muffins is not as important as it is in other recipes.

Add 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and whisk to incorporate.

Next, add 1/3 cup of sour cream, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and 1 cup of buttermilk (full fat is preferred, but low fat will work) and whisk until everything is combined and creamy.

Now add about half of the dry ingredients we combined earlier and gently whisk until they are just incorporated. All of the baking powder and the baking soda will start to bubble a bit and this is what will give you light, airy muffins later on, so be gentle and do your best to not interrupt this process.

Swap your whisk out for a silicone spatula and add the remaining flour mixture and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. Mix gently until you no longer see dry flour in the batter and the chocolate chips seem evenly distributed.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the batter sit at room temperature for about an hour. The reaction you saw when the baking powder and baking soda first was added into the batter will continue to do its thing while this batter rests.

Can you bake these muffins right away? Absolutely, but they will be just a little less light and fluffy than they are after a nice nap… more like a traditional muffin, but still very delicious.

Fill greased or lined muffin tins to the top and sprinkle the tops of each muffin with granulated sugar and a few extra chocolate chips. Bake the muffins in a 425 degree oven for 8 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees without opening the oven door.

The remaining baking time will depend on how large your muffins are. If you are baking mini muffins, you may only need to leave them in for another minute or two. If you are baking standard sized muffins, they will take another 10 minutes or so and if you are baking jumbo muffins, another 14-16 minutes.

The muffins are done when a toothpick will come out of the center of a muffin clean. If you don’t have any toothpicks on hand, just gently touch the center of the muffin and if it feels slightly springy then your muffins are baked and ready to be transferred onto a cooling rack.

The beautiful thing about muffins is that you can enjoy them right out of the oven while they are still warm and wonderful. A freshly baked muffin could be the ultimate way to start your day…

Sprinkling granulated sugar over the muffins before they are baked creates a beautifully crunchy topping that I just love. Using miniature chocolate chips in this recipe ensures that each bite has some chocolatey goodness because they are not heavy enough to sink to the bottom. I love mini chocolate chips…

These muffins are so light and fluffy with great flavor and the chocolate chips and crunchy topping… it all comes together in the most comforting and delicious way. Give these muffins a try! You are going to love them!

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