Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Forget about those store-bought bags of mini muffins. You know, the ones that taste so very good but are loaded with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Instead, create your own handheld mini chocolate chip muffins with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Enjoy homemade chocolate chip mini muffins that are soft and cakey, light and fluffy, sweet and satisfying—all in less than half an hour. Do you have an impromptu birthday party, a family get-together or a bake sale to prepare for? Or maybe you just want a grab-and-go breakfast that doesn’t take long to put together. You can whip up a quick batch of this mini chocolate chip muffins recipe whenever the need strikes.

Ingredients for Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

• Sugar: Granulated sugar gives the mini chocolate chip muffins recipe its sweetness.
• Shortening: Butter or shortening and other baking fats all contain different properties. Butter contains up to 20% water, but shortening is made from oil and is 100% pure fat. Shortening’s solid nature allows it to cream smoothly in batters. All that fat also keeps the muffins’ crumb moist and tender.
• Egg: Whenever your recipes call for room-temperature eggs, make sure you give the eggs enough time to get there—no longer than two hours, though, or you risk harmful bacterial growth.
• Milk: In these chocolate chip mini muffins, the milk helps keep the muffins tender and offers a bit of browning power.
• Vanilla extract: Is there a more classic muffin base than vanilla? It’s easy and accessible to keep the best vanilla extract on hand, and it’s guaranteed to add that special mmm to your treats.
• Flour mixture: A mixture of all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt makes up the dry part of this muffin batter. The flour provides structure and tenderness. Baking powder and baking soda act as leaveners to give the muffins rise. The salt enhances all the flavors.
• Miniature semisweet chocolate chips: Of course, you can opt for different mini chocolate chips: bittersweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, even peanut butter-chocolate. Go with what speaks to you most.

Directions

Step 1: Create the sugar mixture

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the milk and vanilla.

Step 2: Create the flour mixture

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Editor’s Tip: You can stir together the flour mixture with any spoon or spatula you like, but a whisk will work best for helping to break up any lumps hidden in the mix.

Step 3: Finish the batter

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, mixing just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Editor’s Tip: You can gently beat in the flour mixture here, but be careful with the speed and length of your mixing. Overbeating will develop the gluten in the flour and lead to dense, chewy muffins.

Step 4: Bake the mini muffins

Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each greased or paper-lined mini-muffin cup. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 13 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pans for five minutes. Transfer the muffins to wire racks, and serve warm.

Editor’s Tip: You can certainly let these cool completely before you enjoy your first bite!

Recipe Variations

• Add a crumb topping: For a wee bit more texture in your mini chocolate chip muffins recipe, add a simple crumb topping. It takes just three ingredients and a quick sprinkle over the unbaked muffins. Try the mixture from our cinnamon crumb muffins, either with or without the cinnamon in the crumb.
• Swap in blueberries and zest: For a morning-fresh, fruity muffin, replace the chocolate chips with fresh or frozen blueberries, and add a few grates of fresh citrus zest to the batter.
• Go with sprinkles: Aren’t desserts with sprinkles just so festive? To make your mini muffins for a birthday or other celebration, add sprinkles to the batter. Or, replace the chocolate chips completely with sprinkles for a fun confetti look.
• Make yours double chocolate: Transform your chocolate chip mini muffins into double chocolate chip muffins. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture. If the batter feels a bit too stiff, add a splash (just a teaspoon or two!) of milk to account for the added cocoa.

How to Store Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Your best bet for keeping your muffins fresh is to store them at room temperature or in the freezer. Muffins tend to dry out quickly in the fridge, so we avoid recommending that.

How long do mini chocolate chip muffins last?

Your chocolate chip mini muffins should last for three to seven days at room temperature. Let them cool completely, then wrap them and set them aside for later enjoyment.

Can you freeze mini chocolate chip muffins?

Yes, it’s simple to freeze muffins. Let the muffins cool completely, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the muffins are frozen. Transfer the frozen muffins to a freezer-safe bag or container, and store them in the freezer for two to three months.

When you’re ready to enjoy a frozen muffin, place it at room temperature until it’s thawed. If desired, you can then reheat it for a few minutes in a 350° oven.

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffin Tips

Can I use butter instead of shortening in muffins?

Yes, shortening is a classic butter alternative, and the two can be used interchangeably at a 1:1 ratio with only small differences in your muffins. The plus side of using butter is that your muffins will develop a creamier, richer flavor. The downside is that you’ll likely lose a bit of the fluffy rise that the shortening provides.

Why didn’t I get as many muffins out of this recipe?

This mini chocolate chip muffins recipe has been tested to make about three dozen mini muffins, using only around 1 tablespoon per muffin. If you fill your muffin cups with any more batter, you’ll end up with fewer muffins—they’ll be just as tasty, though.