Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Tall, domed muffins with a crisp sugar-crunch top, a tender moist crumb and plenty of melty chocolate chips. A short high-heat start gives the bakery-style dome, and oil keeps them soft for days.
- Prep
- 16 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 8 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs, milk and sour cream out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so the batter mixes smoothly and evenly.
- Position an oven rack in the center and start preheating to 425°F (220°C) before you mix; it will finish heating during mixing and the batter rest.
- Lightly grease the top surface of the muffin pan too, since tall domes spill over the rim of the cups.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or use the gram weight, to avoid dry muffins.
Start preheat, prep panOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and set it to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease each cup and the top of the pan well with oil or baking spray.
- The oven will finish heating while you mix and rest the batter.
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Ready when: Pan is lined or greased and the oven is heating
Tip: Make sure the oven is fully at 425°F (220°C) before baking; the initial blast of heat is what lifts the domes.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar for 20 seconds until evenly combined and no lumps of baking soda remain.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniform with no lumps
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until streaky, then whisk in the milk, oil, sour cream and vanilla for about 30 seconds until smooth and fully blended.
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Ready when: Liquid is smooth with no streaks of sour cream
Tip: Cold dairy can make the oil clump, so use room-temperature ingredients.
Combine and fold
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture.
- Fold with a rubber spatula for about 12 strokes, just until most of the flour disappears.
- Add 1⅓ cups (225 g) of the chocolate chips and fold 3 to 4 more times.
- A few small floury streaks are fine; the batter will be thick and lumpy.
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Ready when: No large dry pockets remain; batter is thick and lumpy
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough and tunneled.
Rest the batter
- Let the batter sit in the bowl, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- The flour hydrates and the batter thickens so it holds a tall dome.
- The oven finishes preheating during this time.
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Ready when: Batter is noticeably thicker and scoops in mounds
Tip: You can use this time to wash up and pour a coffee.
Fill the cups
- Scoop the batter with a large scoop or ⅓-cup (80 ml) measure, heaping it slightly, into the 12 cups so each is filled to the very top.
- Scatter the remaining chocolate chips (about 30 g) over the tops, then sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon of the coarse sugar.
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Ready when: Cups are mounded full, with chips and sugar on top
Tip: Filling to the brim is intentional; it creates the bakery-style muffin top.
Bake at high heatOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the pan in the oven and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes without opening the door.
- The tops will begin to rise and set.
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Ready when: Domes have risen above the rim
Tip: Don't open the door; it drops the temperature and flattens the lift.
Lower heat and finishOven 350°F / 175°C
- Without removing the pan, reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 15 to 17 minutes more, rotating the pan once at the 10-minute mark.
- Muffins are done when the tops are deep golden and spring back when pressed.
- A toothpick inserted into cake (not a chocolate chip) should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
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Ready when: Golden tops that spring back; toothpick has no wet batter
Tip: If tops brown too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
Cool in pan
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes so they firm up enough to lift out, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Cool at least 10 more minutes before eating; the chocolate chips will be molten at first.
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Ready when: Muffins lift out cleanly and feel warm, not hot
Tip: Leaving them in the pan too long traps steam and makes the sides soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Rest the batter for 15 minutes; it is the single biggest contributor to tall bakery domes.
- Toss the chips in 1 teaspoon of the flour measure before folding if you want to reduce sinking, especially with larger chips.
- Use an ice cream scoop for even muffins that bake at the same rate.
- Check for doneness at 20 minutes total, as ovens vary and overbaking dries the crumb.
Make ahead
Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately the night before; cover the wet mixture and refrigerate, and keep the dry covered at room temperature. Let the wet mixture sit out 30 minutes, then combine, rest and bake as directed. Baked muffins can also be frozen up to 3 months.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: store in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 3 days. Fridge: up to 5 days, though they may dry slightly. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat from room temperature for 10 seconds in the microwave, or from frozen for 30 to 40 seconds, or warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Substitutions
- whole milk → buttermilk. Use the same amount for a slightly tangier, more tender crumb; baking soda already accounts for the acidity.
- sour cream or plain yogurt → plain whole-milk yogurt. Use equal amounts; avoid Greek yogurt unless you thin it with a tablespoon of milk.
- semisweet chocolate chips → chopped dark chocolate bar or mini chocolate chips. Use the same weight; mini chips distribute more evenly through the crumb.
- vegetable oil → melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Gives a buttery flavor but a slightly firmer crumb that stales faster.
