Chocolate Chip Muffins

These chocolate chip muffins are little fluffy bites of heaven. Super easy to make and so light you can't believe it. There is no better use of chocolate chips that I can think of.

This recipe borrows my Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake recipe in it's entirety. It's no bother we're all friends here.

The only thing that truly matters is that they are light, fluffy and heavy on the vanilla.

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card.*

Recipe

It's absolutely not hard, seriously. I make them in a saucepan with no more than a wooden spoon. Muffin boom. They're so easy it's almost plain wrong.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Self Raising Flour - You can use plain flour here too but add a tsp of baking powder. Gluten free flour will work here but add  2 tbsp of milk to the recipe.

Sugar - Caster sugar (refined or unrefined) is preferable but granulated is fine too.

Butter - Unsalted butter is preferable but I have also substituted baking spread and it was still good.

Eggs - Large

Sour Cream - Sour cream is my chosen ingredients as I always have a pot in the fridge but yoghurt will substitute very well.

Salt - Salt brings out the flavours but it is optional. I use table salt.

Vanilla Extract - Extract is what I always use as it is stronger than vanilla essence. If you only have essence then add twice as much.

Milk Chocolate Chips - I advise using baking chocolate chips because they are easy to simply tip out of the package and don't melt away in the cake mix when baked. You could substitute dark chocolate chips if you would prefer.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C Fan)/350 F/Gas Mark 4
• I like to get all my ingredients weighed out and ready when baking any cakes, even these easypeasy muffins. It pays to be square here.
• Half melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over a gentle heat and remove before it is all melted. Set it aside for a couple of minutes until all the butter has melted.
• Add the sour cream, egg, sugar and vanilla extract and stir until everything is completely mixed in.

• Add in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

• Mix well and thoroughly until the batter is smooth and lump free.
• Add the chocolate chips and mix through until evenly distributed.

• I use an ice cream scoop to measure even batter into the paper cases. It makes about 12 muffins. I fill them almost to the top.

• Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and a cocktail stick or similar comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

• Allow to cool for ten minutes before placing on a cooling rack until completely cold.
• I keep these muffins under a cake dome but any way of storing that is airtight and cool will do. They will keep well for a couple of days.

How do you keep chocolate chips from sinking?

By coating them in a little flour usually but don't worry this recipe has a thick enough batter to prevent them sinking anyway. I have never had that problem here.

You can use this same trick though in other cakes with raisins, mixed fruit and nuts. Anything really that you want to float.

Tips

• Use an independent oven thermometer to make sure your temperature is correct and remains constant. I was gobsmacked at the reality of my oven temperature compared to the temperature I had set.
• Substitute plain yoghurt (full fat) for sour cream.
• If you forget to remove your butter when it is only half melted leave it for five minutes to cool back down.
• Make sure you mix the batter until the lumps have disappeared. If you are feeling organised you could sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the saucepan.
• These muffins will freeze well for a month if wrapped in a layer of cling film/plastic wrap and then a double layer of silver foil. Thaw at room temperature still wrapped.

If you like my chocolate chip muffins recipe then you might love these too.

Double Chocolate Muffins

Strawberry Muffins

Savoury Muffins