Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

It’s time for dessert for breakfast with these beautiful domed, bakery-style, Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins. Filled with chocolate chips and covered with a crunchy, chocolatey streusel topping… plus, all the tips for baking jumbo-sized domed muffins in regular a regular-sized muffin tin!

jumbo bakery-style muffin covered with chocolate chip streusel.

It’s no secret that I love muffins. Most of the time, I like normal-sized, fruit-filled muffins, perfectly appropriate for breakfast, like these Low Sugar Blueberry Muffins. Sometimes, I like normal-sized muffins with a few chocolate chips, like these Banana Bread Muffins or Cherry Chocolate Chunk Muffins.

But sometimes… sometimes you want the dessert-for-breakfast muffin.  The giant, domed, sugar-topped bakery-style muffin.  The kind of muffin you eat when you really want to treat yourself.

A big, beautiful, domed top. A crunchy, chocolatey streusel topping. Rich, chocolate chip filled muffin base.

When you’re in the mood for that kind of muffin, you want these chocolate chip streusel muffins.

Here’s the good news: these freeze beautifully.  So you can make a whole batch, without the temptation to eat them all at once.

Whether you call them dessert-for-breakfast or a legitimate dessert, chocolate chip streusel muffins are perfect for pretty much any occasion.  Bake sale?  Overnight guests?  Family brunch?  Because you’re in the mood for a delicious muffin?  Absolutely perfect.

multiple jumbo muffins cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Oil: Use any neutral oil, like vegetable oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil.
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk really adds to the flavor and texture of these muffins, as the acidity helps break down tough strands of gluten. Using real buttermilk – especially higher fat content buttermilk – results in better texture and flavor, but low-fat grocery store buttermilk also works.. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 3/4 cup of whole milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and use this in the recipe.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • All-Purpose Flour: To keep these muffins gluten-free, use a 1:1 direct substitute baking mix that includes xanthan gum.
  • Baking Powder: Yes, you’ll use 4 teaspoons – this is not a typo. Extra baking powder = extra lift!
  • Salt: Use either table salt or Morton’s kosher salt – if you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, decrease the amount as necessary.
  • Cinnamon: I love cinnamon in these muffins (and the streusel) but if you’re not a fan or sensitive, leave it out.
  • Chocolate Chips: I use full-sized chocolate chips in the muffins and miniature chocolate chips in the streusel. You can also use chopped chocolate – or substitute in chopped nuts or dried fruits, instead!
  • Butter: Either salted or unsalted butter works here, as long as it’s cold and cut into small pieces.
overhead photo showing all the ingredients needed to make chocolate chip muffins.

The Best Chocolate Chip Muffins

The muffin base for these is similar to these cranberry orange streusel muffins, which are always one of my most popular recipes in the fall and winter.

For extra moist muffins, we’ll use vegetable oil instead of butter. And for an extra tender crumb, we have buttermilk. Except instead of cranberry and orange… these muffins are all about the chocolate chips!

Regular sized chocolate chips in the muffins.  Mini chocolate chips in the streusel.  Yes, please!

Of course, one of the other requirements for dessert-for-breakfast, bakery-style muffins is the jumbo size, right?  But how many people actually have the jumbo muffin pans?  (I don’t.)

Fret not, there are some great ways to make big, domed muffins using your regular muffin pan!

step by step photos detailing how to mix together ingredients to make chocolate chip muffins.

Tips for Bakery Style Domed Muffins

These chocolate chip streusel muffins look jumbo thanks to the giant, crumbly tops.  But they’re actually baked in plain old regular sized muffin tins. 

So how did we get them so tall and big?  It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!

These muffins contain a high ratio of baking powder, a chemical leavener, to help provide the lift.  But the true secret to getting big domed tops: steam!

Kitchen Chemistry

For large domed muffins, start the muffins at high temperature for the first 5 minutes.  This initial high temperature heats the liquid ingredients enough to form steam, which helps to boost the height of the muffins.  The outside edges of the muffins, touching the hot muffin pan, start to bake and set while the middle is still batter and continues to expand upwards.

Just don’t forget to turn your oven down after the first 5 minutes – otherwise, the tops of the muffins will burn!

Fill Muffin Tins to the Top

The next tip for jumbo domed muffins? Fill your muffin tin all the way to the top!

These aren’t cupcakes where you want a flat surface for decorating.  Fill those cups right up to the very top so the batter spills up and over, creating the classic domed muffin shape.

And while you’re at it, skip the paper liners and just grease the muffin tins well and bake right in the tin.

Paper liners stick to the batter and hold the muffin down.  We want our batter to slip and slide right up the edge of the muffin tin.  Don’t forget to spray the top of the muffin pan too, so the domed part doesn’t stick when you try to turn out the muffins!

chocolate chip muffin cut in half showing the fluffy chocolate-chip filled interior
  • Muffin Tin: Despite their jumbo size, these muffins are made in a standard-size metal muffin tin!
  • Mixing Bowls: This set of glass mixing bowls is my favorite – the perfect sizes to mix the batter and the streusel, plus dishwasher and microwave-safe.
  • Whisk: This is my favorite whisk, sturdy enough for even thick batters!
  • Pastry Blender: A pastry blender is the easiest way to cut the butter into the flour for the streusel topping.
muffin with a bite taken out of it on a wire cooling rack next to a bowl of chocolate chips.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

  1. Proper Mixing Technique: Mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins. A few lumps are okay; it’s better than overmixing. I prefer to mix these muffins by hand rather than using a stand mixer to make sure the batter doesn’t get overmixed.
  2. Jumbo Muffin Tops: To achieve those beautiful domed tops, fill each muffin cup all the way to the top. You can use an ice cream scoop to ensure equal portions.
  3. Streusel Perfection: Prepare the streusel topping with cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to create a crumbly texture. Sprinkle generously over the muffin batter before baking.
  4. Avoid Overbaking: Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness. When it comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the muffins are done. Overbaking can make them dry.
  5. Cooling Properly: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t cool the muffins in the tin – this traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.
  6. Storage: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a resealable bag.
  7. Bake as Mini Muffins: This recipe makes 12 large muffins in a regular-sized muffin tin or can be used to make 24 miniature muffins. Bake mini muffins at 350 °F for 1-13 minutes (skip the initial 5-minute bake at 425 °F for mini muffins).
  8. Variations: Experiment with different types of chocolate chips (white, dark, milk), or add nuts, dried fruits, or a hint of cinnamon to the streusel for a unique twist on the classic recipe.

Enjoy your delightful Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins for breakfast or any time you’re craving a sweet treat!

More Chocolate Chip-Filled Recipes

2023 Muffin of the Month Recipe

chocolate chip muffin covered with chocolate chip streusel.

Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

It’s time for dessert for breakfast with these domed, bakery style, Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins. Filled with chocolate chips and covered with a crunchy, chocolatey streusel topping… plus, all the tips for baking jumbo-sized domed muffins.

Ingredients

For the Muffins:

  • 1/2 cup (99 grams) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (170 grams) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) chocolate chips

For the Streusel Topping:

  • 1/2 cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons (56.5 grams) cold butter, cut into half-inch size pieces
  • 1/2 cup (88.5 grams) miniature chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.  Spray the wells and top of a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Make the muffin batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix until just combined and no dry streaks of flour remain.  Fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups, filling to the top.
  3. Make the streusel topping. Combine the sugar, flour, and butter in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the streusel has the texture of clumpy, wet sand.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips.  Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops of the 12 muffins.
  4. Bake the muffins. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 375°F (do not open the oven door) and bake for another 13-15 minutes.  Cool muffins in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then run a sharp knife under just the edges of the muffin domes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  1. Whole milk can be substituted for buttermilk, although buttermilk will result in a more tender muffin.
  2. Muffins can be baked as 24 miniature muffins; bake at 350 °F for 12-13 minutes.
  3. Muffins can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days, or wrapped in foil and stored in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins: filled with chocolate chips and covered with a crunchy, chocolatey streusel topping, this easy recipe is the BEST!  Plus all the tips for baking perfect jumbo-sized bakery style muffins at home!