Homemade chocolate chip mini muffins are soft, moist, and bite-sized versions of the classic muffins with plenty of chocolate chips! A healthier alternative to packaged snacks, they’re great for school lunches and can be made ahead and frozen for months!
The goal with these mini chocolate muffins was to find a homemade alternative to the pre-made, packaged Entenmann’s Little Bites or Little Debbie’s snacks that my kids love and I don’t.
I totally get the appeal, they’re small, portable, a way to pack extra snacks, or take in the car on the go, and kids love them.
However, I think they taste like the package they come in, and there are far too many preservatives in them for my liking. So, these copycat little bites muffins are the perfect option!
They’re just as easy to make as any classic chocolate chip muffin, but they’re mini, so there are more in a batch! My kids love them for breakfast, snacks, in their lunch boxes, and for car rides. They’re easily portable and freezer-friendly, so you can always double the amount and freeze half for later.
My apple donut mini muffins and peanut butter banana mini muffins are more you need to try!
Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Why you’ll love this recipe
- They’re freshly baked at home, giving them a far superior flavor than muffins from a box.
- Making a whole batch is much cheaper than buying them.
- You can customize them to your liking. Swap the chocolate chips or add a sprinkling of sugar on top.
- Using cream cheese gives them a slightly tangy flavor, extra moisture, and a soft crumb.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Baking staples: You’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream cheese: Set the block of cream cheese on your counter about 40 minutes ahead to give it enough time to soften at room temperature.
- Sugars: I use both white granulated sugar and brown sugar. I love the extra moisture and caramlized flavor brown sugar gives.
- Oil, milk, and egg: These add richness and moisture to the batter. The egg also helps to bind the muffins. I use 2% milk. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil can all be used.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips: Reserve some for topping as well!
How to make Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set that aside.
- Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugars and cream cheese together with an electric hand mixer for about a minute until smooth. Then, add in the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Continue to mix until smooth.
- Step Three: Use a spatula, to gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chips to ensure they’re evenly distributed throughout the muffin batter.
- Step Four: Scoop even portions of batter into the prepared muffin pan. It should work out to about 2 tsp per cup. Sprinkle the tops with additional chocolate chips.
- Step Five: Bake in a preheated 325℉ oven for 10 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Use unsweetened apple sauce or melted and cooled butter instead of oil. Just know the texture will be slightly different (ie, not as soft).
- I used a #60 cookie scoop to portion the batter. It’s not a must, but it does help ensure even amounts of batter for every mini muffin.
- Don’t forget to spray your muffin pan! I have great results using Baker’s Joy nonstick spray.
- Easily double the recipe for more!
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Copycat Little Bites muffins can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 days. They need to be kept in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
Freezing Instructions
Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and keep them in a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Need more muffin recipes? Try these:
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
Click here to view my entire collection of muffin recipes.
Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56 g) cream cheese softened to room temp
- 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup oil I use avocado oil
- ½ cup milk I use 2%
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ and spray a 24-well mini muffin pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- To a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and sugars and cream together with a hand mixer until smooth, approximately one minute.¼ cup cream cheese, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- Add in the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.¼ cup oil, ½ cup milk, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use a spatula to gradually stir in the flour mixture just until combined, then stir in the chocolate chips to evenly distribute.¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, approximately two tsp each.
- Sprinkle additional chocolate chips onto each and then bake for ten minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
- Vegetable, canola, or avocado oil can be used.
- Unsweetened applesauce, or melted and cooled butter can be used in place of oil, but texture will be slightly different.
- I used a #60 cookie scoop to portion the batter.
- I had great results using Baker’s Joy non-stick spray.
- This recipe can easily be doubled.
- Store leftover muffins covered at room temp for up to four days.
- Muffins will freeze well when wrapped tightly and stored in a freezer bag for up to three months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These are easy to make and so yummy! I love how few ingredients are in them – my 12yo approved.
Thank you, Katja!
Made this to take to a friend’s house tomorrow. My son loves them. He panicked and asked if I was taking them all. Fortunately I expected this and made a double batch. Thank you!!
Ha, love that. Good planning 🙂
Should have been 5 STARS on that other review. 4 days later and I’m making another double batch!
😜😜