These small batch chocolate chip muffins are easy to make, using basic ingredients you likely already have on hand. With just six muffins, this is a great recipe to bring or serve for smaller gatherings of friends and family. And no mixer needed to make a batch - break out your mixing bowls and whisk for this one!
What I love most about this small batch of chocolate chip muffins is the simplicity of them, yet you end up with a really yummy treat.
For more easy recipes like it, give my chocolate chip oatmeal banana bread a try; whip up this wholesome pear and blueberry crisp; or make these mini apple cakes. All simple, delicious, cozy options.
And if you're ISO of something similar but more dessert-y, these small batch chocolate chip cookies are a hit every time I take them to parties and events!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Recipe
- 📋 Ingredients for these Muffins
- Substitutions and Variations
- 📖 Steps for Making this Easy Recipe from Scratch
- More Tips for Making Perfect Muffins
- Best Results: Baking in Grams
- 💭 Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- More Recipes like These Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Perfect for Small Batch Recipes: This recipe makes just six muffins, ideal for smaller gatherings or indulging without many leftover muffins.
Light and Fluffy Muffins: The combination of canola oil, melted butter, whole milk, and full-fat Greek yogurt ensures a tender muffin with moist crumbs. These breakfast treats are so soft and fluffy, people will be impressed you made them yourself!
Easy to Mix and Bake: With no mixer needed, you can simply whisk the flour and wet ingredients together in a large bowl, making this an easy recipe for any skill level.
Bakery-Style Muffins at Home: Baking at a high temperature initially ensures high bakery-style muffin tops with plenty of melty chocolate chips in every bite.
Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether you're making these muffins for breakfast, brunch, or a quick dessert, you won't have leftovers. You can also adapt this recipe to create mini muffins or even double the batch if you're feeding a larger crowd (or make my chocolate chip blueberry muffins for a recipe made for 12).
Quick and Freezer-Friendly: Another great part of this chocolate chip muffin recipe is how easily it freezes. You can make a small batch in advance and freeze any leftover muffins, ensuring you always have a fresh muffin ready for busy mornings or last-minute gatherings. Pair them with a hot cup of coffee or tea, and you have a cozy treat in no time.
📋 Ingredients for these Muffins
The full list of simple ingredients is in the recipe card below, but I'm calling out some of the noteworthy ones for making these small-batch chocolate chip muffins:
- Melted butter - Butter is a true MVP of baked goods. As a fat, it brings rich flavor and texture. And unlike a stick of butter, the melted form mixes so easily into your batter, making it possible for you to whip this recipe by hand. Plus, you don't need to wait for it to reach room temperature, saving you time and getting these muffins ready faster.
- Canola oil - Similar to butter, this flavorless oil (or another of your choice) helps keep these muffins moist for days!
- Cinnamon and nutmeg - A hint of these two spices helps amp up the cozy aspect of this recipe.
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips - Mini chocolate chips aren't necessary, but they're great because they spread more throughout the batter. That means you'll have more bits of chocolate in every bite! Regular-sized chips will work okay, too, if that's all you have on hand or can find at the store.
- Full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream - Like oil and butter, this ingredient is key in creating a soft, fluffy muffin. Full fat is best, too, for added flavor and moisture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute Greek yogurt with sour cream for a similar tangy flavor and moisture.
- Add mix-ins like chopped nuts or dried fruit.
- Experiment with other chocolates by using white chocolate, dark chocolate, or even throwing some peanut butter chips into your batter. The base of this recipe is forgiving and flexible so that you can make whatever flavor muffin you'd like best.
- Create texture (and a pretty look) for these muffins by sprinkling coarse sugar (I did this here) on top of the muffins right before placing them in the oven. You can typically find this ingredient in the baking aisle of the grocery store, around the section with sprinkles.
📖 Steps for Making this Easy Recipe from Scratch
1. Preheat and Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour a jumbo 6-count muffin tin or insert paper liners. Set aside.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Combine Sugars and Butter: In a larger bowl, whisk sugars, vanilla extract, and melted unsalted butter for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add oil and egg, mixing until combined.
4. Add Dairy: Mix in sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk, blending well.
5. Fold in Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips: With a wooden or rubber spatula, gently fold dry mixture of ingredients into the wet ones until just combined. The muffin batter will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Fill, Bake, and Cool: Fill each of the muffin cups to the top (and add turbinado or sprinkling sugar if desired). Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then (without opening the door) reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 12-13 more minutes until golden.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
More Tips for Making Perfect Muffins
Oil is key! It gives the muffins a more lightweight texture. It also helps them stay fresh longer.
One big secret to making good muffins is to not over-mix the batter! This mistake can lead to the creation of gluten in the batter and create a more dense muffin.
Over-mixing can yield tough muffins that also bake unevenly.
Liquids like oil, butter (melted or not), milk, eggs, and Greek yogurt help tenderize and moisten muffins.
Brown sugar, with its molasses content, adds even more moisture.
Baking muffins at a higher temperature for a few minutes before then lowering the temperature helps give them rise.
Here, you'll distribute batter evenly into each muffin cup and fill it to the top.
You'll bake these muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the temperature to 375°F.
Continue baking for 12-13 more minutes. You'll know they're done when the tops are a light golden brown.
Best Results: Baking in Grams
If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.
While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
💭 Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
Room Temperature - If you plan to eat these fluffy chocolate chip muffins within 3-4 days, store them at room temperature in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Freezing - For longer storage, freeze muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Before serving, let them come to room temperature or warm them in the microwave.
Reheating - The muffins will taste best with a little heat added to them. Warm them in the microwave on a lower setting.
Check if they feel warm every 15-20 seconds.
I like to heat them to the point where the chips are *just* beginning to be a little melty on top.
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More Recipes like These Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins
If you liked these muffins, you may also want to try my white chocolate raspberry loaf cake or mini lemon Bundt cakes. They're great for sharing with a crowd, and everyone gets to enjoy his or her own mini cake!
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Muffins
These small batch chocolate chip muffins are a great dessert to bring to gatherings with friends and family for breakfast or brunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 jumbo-sized muffins 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 and ⅓ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 T (55 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 T canola oil
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60g) full-fat sour cream or greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 T full-fat milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (130g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep Pan: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease and flour a jumbo 6-count muffin pan or line with muffin liners. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Combine Sugars and Butter: In a larger bowl, whisk sugars, vanilla extract, and melted butter for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add oil and egg, mixing until combined.
- Add Dairy: Mix in sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk, blending well.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill, Bake, and Cool: Fill each muffin cup to the top. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake for 12-13 more minutes until golden. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For any leftovers (hard to imagine you'll have much of these, though 😉 ), they can last at room temperature for about 2-3 days or a week in the refrigerator. They also freeze well for 2-3 months. Thaw before serving.
- The nutritional values are approximate values and can vary slightly based on ingredient brands or exact measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 412 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 20.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.5 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
Nicole
This recipe is flawless. Love the little cholate chips. Nice and even in each bite. Thank you!!
Susan
The mini chips really are perfect for a recipe like this. Glad to see that you agree!
Jean
What's not to love? Classic recipe. Buttery and soft. They came out just right.
Susan
Yes!! That's exactly what I want in a muffin recipe, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it, too!