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Why I Love These Chocolate Muffins
Growing up, if there was a chocolate chip muffin as an option, it was my first choice. But as adults, we typically think of a chocolate chip muffin as boring. Enter these chocolate chunk muffins!
When you choose to make this muffin, you’re choosing anything but boring! They’re full of chocolate chunks and have a soft and buttery texture.
I also love how sturdy and rich this batter is. Sour cream keeps the muffins moist, but still dense enough to stand up to all those big pieces of chocolate. The profile of the chocolate can be customized with darker chocolate for more intensity or lighter chocolate for more sweetness. And to amp up the texture and give these a bakery-style finish, the muffins are sprinkled with turbinado sugar. During baking, the sugar maintains texture and creates a beautiful crackly crust.
Why you’ll love these chocolate chunk muffins:
- A bakery-style muffin with a sour cream batter that results in a tall, domed, crackly top.
- High ratio of chopped chocolate for big pockets in each bite.
- All mixed together in one single bowl with a mixer.
- Perfect make-ahead recipe to pull out of the freezer when needed.
Chocolate Chunk Muffins Ingredients
This recipe uses simple pantry baking ingredients:
- Unsalted butter and granulated sugar – Creamed together to create a light and sweet batter.
- Eggs – Added one at a time for some structure and richness.
- Sour cream – Keeps the muffins moist and dense in the best way, so they can handle lots of chocolate chunks.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the batter structure.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Give the muffins a tall rise with a tender crumb texture.
- Kosher salt and vanilla extract – Two ways to enhance the flavor of the muffins.
- Chocolate – Adds bold chocolate flavor and big pieces that melt when baked. You can customize the type of chocolate used (dark, semi-sweet, milk), but I would suggest semi-sweet chocolate for balance.
- Turbinado sugar – Sprinkled on top to get a crisp, crackly muffin top.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
Bonus Tip
Tips Regarding Chocolate
Chocolate chunks are what make this muffin stand out against other muffins that only use chocolate chips. Chocolate chips have added stabilizers that help them hold their shape even after baking. That’s why I always recommend using chocolate bars. Cutting up bars of chocolate will provide thick, rich ribbons throughout the muffin, adding even more flavor.
Trust me: cut the chocolate into large, irregular pieces, and the result will make you wonder why you ever used chips.
How to Make Chocolate Chunk Muffins
There are 4 steps to making this easy muffin recipe:
Step 1: Prepare the wet ingredients – Add the butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl and beat together using a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients – In the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low just until the dry ingredients are just incorporated with a few dry streaks remaining.
Step 3: Add the chocolate – Using a serrated knife, make large shards of chocolate. Then, fold the chopped chocolate into the batter, making sure not to overmix.
Step 4: Bake the muffins – Use a scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly among the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners. Sprinkle the top of each portion with turbinado sugar. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25-35 minutes until the muffins are risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (melted chocolate is fine). Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes so they set, then transfer to a rack to cool.
Recipe Tips
- Start with room-temperature butter – Soft butter creams more easily with sugar and traps air, which gives you lighter, taller muffins.
- Add eggs one at a time – Let each egg fully incorporate before adding the next so the batter stays smooth.
- Do not overmix the batter – Once the flour is in, mix only until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the muffins tough.
- Use chopped chocolate instead of chips – Chopped baking chocolate melts into irregular pockets and ribbons, giving you better chocolate coverage than uniform chips.
Follow These Tips
Serving & Storage
To serve – Serve the muffins slightly warm so the chocolate is soft and melty, alongside milk, coffee, or tea. They’re great as an indulgent breakfast, perfect for a brunch spread, or even served as dessert.
To store – Store cooled muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Alternatively, place the cooled muffins in a freezer bag or an airtight container and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
More Muffin Recipes
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars (I use Ghirardelli)
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Using a handheld mixer, cream until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each incorporates. Then mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients: To the wet ingredients, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine until just a few dry streaks remain.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Add the chocolate: With a serrated knife, make large shards of chocolate and fold them into the batter by hand.12 oz semi-sweet chocolate bars (I use Ghirardelli)
- Bake: Portion the batter into the prepared 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the muffins are golden, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and finish cooling on a rack.2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson
These muffins were a hit at my house. The chopped chocolate really does make a difference!
Wonderful recipe, I will make again.
Hi Kaleb, I really like your recipe. I also am looking for pre-order form for your cookbook that’s coming out. Can’t seem to find it so could you help me with that thank you. 🦋 Sincerely Wanda
Hi Wanda! You can find the pre-order for my cook at this link. I hope that helps!
Literally better than any go-to baked good I’ve ever made!
Wonderful recipe! Very fluffy and moist. My 11 year old son (not a big sweets eater) was so sad when they were gone. Making another batch tonight!
I’m looking for a good chocolate chelate chip muffin. Recipe. Do you have one? Can u alter this o e?
Outstanding and delicious recipe! The turbinado sugar is a crowning touch.
Thanks for sharing the recipe, Kaleb.