These soft & moist mini chocolate chip muffins are the perfect bite-sized treat! Keep a bag in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack on the go!
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Why I Love These Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
- Bite-sized: Just like the Little Bites muffins you can buy at the grocery store, these are the perfect snack to grab on the go.
- Perfectly sweet: I love this recipe because the batter has just the right amount of sweetness when paired with the chocolate chips. Not overly sugary but still flavorful.
- One Bowl: No need to split up the wet and dry ingredients; this is a simple recipe that you can make in one bowl.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
This mini muffin recipe is made without vegetable oil but still has a tender, moist, and fluffy texture! It uses basic ingredients & pantry staples so that you can whip them up in no time!
- Unsalted Butter: You want to use real butter and not margarine. If you use salted butter, simply omit the added salt.
- Sour Cream: The secret to the muffin's moist texture and tight crumb lies in the addition of sour cream. If you don't have it, you can substitute it for plain greek yogurt (don't use regular plain yogurt as it's not thick enough). The sour cream allows us to make these mini chocolate chip muffins without vegetable oil.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: You definitely want to use mini chocolate chips for these vs. regular chocolate chips, otherwise there will be too much chocolate per muffin.
- Mini Muffin Tin: I use an old Pampered Chef pan but this mini muffin tin from Wilton is similar.
How to Make Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Read through my visual step-by-step instructions below to learn how to make this mini chocolate chip muffin recipe.
Step 1: Make Batter
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) and granulated sugar (1 cup) for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add sour cream (½ cup), eggs (2 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (¼ teaspoon) and mix until just combined.
- Add baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons), baking soda (¼ teaspoon), and salt (½ teaspoon) and mix until combined.
- Slowly add all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups) and mix until just combined. The mixture will be thick.
- Add mini chocolate chips (1 cup) and mix for 5-10 seconds until just combined.
Step 2: Scoop into Mini Muffin Pan
- Line a mini muffin tin with mini paper cupcake liners.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter into each one. Even though the dough is thick and will stay in "mounds" when scooped, you do not need to spread it to be flat as it will melt down in the oven.
- Press extra mini chocolate chips on top of each muffin, if desired.
Step 3: Bake
- Bake at 350ºF for 11-12 minutes, or until centers are domed and no longer look wet in the center. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Allow to cool before removing from the wrapper (if you try to unwrap them while they're hot, they will likely stick).
Tips & Variations
- Use a cookie scoop: Because this is a thick batter, it's super helpful to use a small cookie scoop (I use a 1-tablespoon sized scoop).
- Freeze in individual bags: You can freeze these little muffins in a zip lock bag to pull out and put in a lunch box.
- Make my blueberry muffins: If you love this chocolate chip muffin recipe, make my blueberry muffins or my mini blueberry muffins! It uses the same base muffin batter but is adapted for a sweet blueberry flavor.
- Make into regular-sized muffins: Use regular chocolate chips and bake for 18-22 minutes.
Storage & Freezing
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze up to 1-2 months. For the best flavor, be sure to wrap the muffins in plastic wrap then place in an airtight container.
Looking for more easy muffin recipes?
I love making muffins because they're quick & easy baked goods that are easy to freeze. Here a few of my other favorite muffin recipes!
Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes: 48 mini muffins
These soft & moist mini chocolate chip muffins are the perfect bite-sized treat! Keep a bag in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack on the go!
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream ½ cup unsalted butter (i.e. 1 stick) and 1 cup granulated sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add ½ cup sour cream, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon almond extract and mix until just combined.
- Add 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt and mix until combined.
- Slowly add 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and mix until just combined. The mixture will be thick.
- Gently fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Line a mini muffin tin with mini paper cupcake liners.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop batter into each one. Even though the dough is thick and will stay in "mounds" when scooped, you do not need to spread it to be flat as it will melt down in the oven.
- Press extra mini chocolate chips on the top of each muffin, if desired.
- Bake at 350ºF for 11-12 minutes, or until centers are domed and no longer look wet in the center. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Allow to cool before removing from the wrapper (if you try to unwrap them while they're hot, they will likely stick).
- Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze up to 1-2 months.
Notes from Melissa
Mini Muffin Pan: I use an old Pampered Chef pan but this mini muffin tin from Wilton is similar.
Cupcake Liners: I use & recommend using these mini white cupcake liners for easy release and a neutral appearance.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Nutrition is based on 48 muffins.
Delicious and straightforward recipe! Much better than the processed boxed ones from the store. I accidentally overfilled my silicone mini muffin pan so they took slightly longer to bake through (14 minutes in the oven) and was less pretty, but still tasted great! My husband describes these as “a perfect mix of a muffin and a chocolate chip cookie”.
Made these as part of the August challenge, and it might be our family’s favorite recipe out of the entire breakfast series!
I forgot to say in my earlier review, that I am apart of the baking challenge for august!
The muffins were very moist and full of chocolate in each bite! Simple and tasty. These are a better version of Little Bites.
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Isabella!
My child loves the Lil bites. I decided to make these as a replacement and they are even better. We will keep them stocked in our freezer for snacks and lunches.
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Summer! I really appreciate it!
Just made these mini chocolate chip muffins for the first time and oh my gosh they are delicious! The perfect breakfast for my daughter’s first day of kindergarten. 🥺 Keep the recipes coming.
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Kennethia! Thank you so much for leaving a review, I really appreciate it!
Can I make muffin batter ahead and refrigerate overnight?
I haven't tested it overnight but I think it would be fine!
can i freeze them on a sheet pan after i bake them and then put in a ziplocbag after they are frozen?
Yes, absolutely!