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Craving a coffee shop muffin at home? These chocolate chip coffee cake muffins bake up tall and moist with a cinnamon streusel on top. The melty chocolate chips in every bite are a sweet bonus. These muffins call for easy ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! Cozy, simple, and perfect for a make-ahead breakfast or sweet afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter/ oil: room temp butter creams lighter; oil yields extra moisture
- Sugar: light brown adds caramel notes that play nicely with cinnamon.
- Sour Cream/ Greek Yogurt: keeps the muffin moist
- Flour: measure by weight or fluff-spoon-level to avoid dense muffins.
- Chocolate: mini chips distribute evenly; chunks make gooey pockets.
- Streusel: mix so that it forms clumps, consider chilling in the fridge before sprinkling on the muffin mix
Tieghan’s Technique Tips
Mixing: Cream fat and sugar well; once dry ingredients go in, mix just until combined to avoid toughness. Don’t over mix!
Fill level: For bakery-style height, fill the muffin cup or muffin liner to the brim
Layering: Better, then streusel, then more batter, then with remaining streusel
Doneness: Muffin tops spring back to a gentle touch; test with a toothpick or fork to see if it’s clean once, streusel should look golden and set
The story behind my bakery-style muffins
It’s been pretty snowy, dreary, and grey here this week and the cozy weather has been my inspiration for these extra cozy (and extra delicious) muffins. I’ve also recently been interested in sharing more chocolate recipes.
As you can probably guess, I really do not get out to bakeries often. In fact, I think the last time I stepped foot in one was way back in the fall when I was in NYC. (I’m heading to NYC again in a couple of months and would love to know your favorite bakeries so I can check them out!)
People always ask me where my favorite places to eat at are. It’s so hard for me to answer because I prefer to cook rather than to go out. For one, I’m a total homebody, so if I have the choice to go out or stay in and cook, I am one hundred percent staying in. Two, cooking is just what I love and what I do, so I only ever go out to eat when I am traveling. Point is, I don’t have a lot of favorites when it comes to eating out, but I do love a good New York style bakery muffin. I can enjoy blueberry, but what I really love is a bakery muffin loaded with chocolate chips and topped with a crumbly, buttery topping.
SO GOOD.
Since I live very far from NYC, I decided I needed to make some bakery style muffins at home. Not going to lie, it was the best idea I had all week. And that’s the truth. These muffins are that good.
Just like most muffins recipes, these start with the basics: flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. To make my muffins stand out, I like to use plain greek yogurt and a combo of both maple syrup and brown sugar. These ingredients not only add incredible flavor, but incredible moisture too.
I decided to make these an all butter muffin. This not only enhances the flavor immensely, but the texture is extra flaky, light and airy.
But what’s the real secret to these muffins?
Cinnamon streusel and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Yum, yes, and YUM. I mean, with those two things in one recipe?! You know they’re going to be good.
I took some notes from traditional coffee cakes and added a ripple of sweet cinnamon streusel to my chocolate chip muffins. You wouldn’t think something so simple could make such a difference, but trust me, it does.
The streusel adds a layer of sweet buttery flavor to the middle of each muffin that’s the most delicious thing to taste, bite after bite. Especially when the streusel is paired with chocolate chips.
Again, so good.
Each and every bite is “roll your eyes back good”. If you’re looking for a Tuesday treat, these muffins need to be it. If you don’t have time in your day, save these for Saturday or Sunday morning brunch. But be sure to double the recipe. That way you can have extras on hand for snacking on throughout the week. Trust me, you’ll be so happy for the leftovers come Monday afternoon.
Also? These are great warm or at room temperature, but please, have at least one warm, right out of the oven. It’s truly just the best thing ever.
A side of coffee would be great too…
And that’s my Tuesday night plan. Well, minus the coffee and + a nice cold glass of goat milk.
Do coffee cake muffins have coffee in them?
Usually, no. “Coffee cake” typically means a cinnamon streusel style that’s perfect when paired with coffee.
How do I get tall, bakery style domes when baking these muffins?
Start with a fully pre-heated oven. Fill the paper muffin cups generously according to the recipe and avoid over mixing so the batter lifts well.
Can I make these without sour cream or Greek yogurt?
If your recipe uses it, swap a similar thick dairy (like full-fat yogurt) for comparable moisture.
How do I keep the streusel from melting into the batter?
Use cool, clumpy streusel and sprinkle it on right before baking; chilling it briefly helps it hold definition.
Looking for more muffin recipes to try? Check these out:
- Blueberry Swirl Coffee Cake Muffins
- Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Bakery Blueberry Vanilla Crunch Muffins
- The Essentials : Everything you need to consider for baking!
Lastly, if you make these coffee cake muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Better Than the Bakery Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Muffins
Servings: 16 muffins
Calories Per Serving: 291 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Muffins
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12-16 muffin tins with paper liners. 2. To make the streusel: In a small bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix together with your hands until you have a crumbly mixture. Set aside.3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, maple syrup, vanilla, buttermilk, greek yogurt, and eggs until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 4. Divide half the batter among the prepared pan. Evenly sprinkle about 1/3 of the streusel over the batter. Add the remaining batter and then top evenly with the remaining streusel. Place the muffins on a baking pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Breakfast? Dessert? Both? YESS!
This post was originally published on April 10, 2018
These were absolutely delicious!!! How should I store the leftover muffins, on the counter or in the fridge? Thanks so much! My 12 year old son and I loved our first ones right out of the oven this morning!
Thanks so much, Melissa! Love to hear these muffins were enjoyed! You can leave them on the counter in an airtight container. xx
I’m a fan of HBH recipes, I tried this one and the muffin tastes more on the blah side and didn’t have that flavor kick I was expecting, they were also not that sweet. I probably would add more maple syrup or do a half combo with sugar next time to give it more sweetness. I usually don’t like things too sweet so this is just my opinion. Also, I’d probably try browning the butter a bit to give it a different flavor profile to it! Just a thought for those trying it out for the first time! I do however fact that their is no processed sugar in the muffins so yay for that, if that’s the case these are great muffins and will just be aware to add more maple syrup or even coconut sugar!
Hey Ally,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you didn’t love them! x
Once a month my family has muffin and a movie night. (It started during the covid quarantine when we challenged ourselves to bake/cook every day.) Now, it has spread to the friends of my teens where we vote on the movie and the muffin and everyone shows up in their pajamas. This week we chose this muffin and it is now my new favorite muffin. Every single one was eaten and I even received complaints that I didn’t triple the recipe. 🙂
Hey Nicole,
How fun is that?! Thanks so much for sharing your new tradition and choosing to make this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! xT
I made these with my daughter and was so excited for that high-quality bakery taste. I love all the other HBH recipes I’ve tried but this one was underwhelming. Very basic flavor, texture was spongy, and just didn’t have the wow factor I was anticipating. Again, I love HBH recipes but this one fell short unfortunately.
Hi Sasha,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
I 100% agree. It definitely was overwhelming to make with my daughter. Very spongey texture and the flavor wasn’t amazing. My daughter only ate half of her muffin because she wasn’t a fan. HBH recipes are great but this one missed the mark.
I made these as is and was disappointed. The maple syrup made them taste like pancakes. I wish I had used sugar instead. They also came out super greasy on bottom and a bit spongey like the previous comments remarked. I bake a lot and wonder if maybe the use of all the liquids and extra butter in the crumble was the problem?? The chocolate chips were interesting but not really “coffee cake” and maybe were gratuitous. Sadly, these are a pass for me. Bummer!
Hi Rachael,
Thanks for trying these muffins and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear they were not enjoyed! Did you use real maple syrup? I just wanted a muffin recipe with less highly processed cane sugar:) Again, my apologies that it didn’t work for you! xx
Yes. As a New Englander, always Vermont’s finest. But I had the same problem with the cinnamon crunch bread. The yogurt, maple syrup, oil combo doesn’t work for me. This combo is too much liquid for baking. I think I will stick to recipes with butter and sugar for baking. Thanks though.
Just made these…gluten free…and they were fantastic! Definitely got 15 full muffins out of your recipe. Made as written with just subbing a 1:1 gluten free flour and letting the batter rest 15 minutes before scooping into muffin tins. Did take full 39 minutes to bake. Really excellent treat…going into the regular rotation!
Hi Beth,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that these turned out well for you, thanks for giving them a try! xT
Hi! Can you make these with a jumbo muffin pan? (My pan makes 6 muffins)
Hi Raquel! Yes, that should be fine! I would just add a few mins to the baking time! xT
If I do not have greek yogurt on hand, could I leave it out or replace with milk?
Hi Whitney,
You can use sour cream in place of the greek yogurt. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I would like to make these but I do not want to buy buttermilk. Can I use something else?
Thanks
Vickie
Hi Vickie,
Sorry, I’ve only tested these with buttermilk, you could try making your own or just using some milk. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
You can make “fake” buttermilk by putting 1 T lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup and filling with milk to the 1 cup mark. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and it’s ready.
Great muffins! I was hesitant about the topping because of the amount and I debated if I should add all of it. Ended up added all of it and glad you mentioned to put the muffin tin on a cookie sheet. Brought them to a work potluck breakfast and they were a great hit with the crowd! They all loved the topping! Thank you
Hi Lucy,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I made these muffins but was disappointed that they seemed to have spongy texture not what I am used to in a muffin…. I double checked ingredients and checked date on my baking powder so I am wondering if the texture is like this due to yogurt/buttermilk combo?
Hmmmm….any suggestions?
Hey Kathy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear about the texture. What kind of flour did you use? xT
Thanks for replying
I used all purpose flour
Btw, I have tried other recipes from your website, all to rave reviews 😁
A bakery near me makes muffins like these but I was told they use cottage cheese (by one of their employees). I subbed greek yogurt with cottage cheese, added a little extra buttermilk and it was PERFECT. These were delicious and easy to make!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xT
Awesome muffins. I did use sour cream instead of yogurt. So yummy. Hubby loved. Your recipes are always a hit. Ok boy recipes I seem to make lately. ?
Hi Kathy,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a hit! xxT
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have Greek Yogurt so I used sour cream. Added the chocolate chips with the flour and folded into the wet ingredients gently so that they would be covered in flour and wouldn’t sink. Worked like a dream. The crumble on this is so yummy. Everything about them is perfect. Highly recommend. I made a total of 17. My daughter actually used them to “pay” her ride home from work – so good enough to use as tender!! LOL!!
Hey Lia,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I am glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
I made this recipe using substituting with oat milk, added orange zest and juice, dropped the chocolate chips. Also added a bunch more cinnamon to streusel along with orange zest. Very happy with the results.
Hey Jackie,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! xxTieghan