I’ve got a son who is always begging me to buy the Little Bites muffins at the store. Where we live, they are $4.52 for a box with five small bags of muffins in it. I just can’t bring myself to buy them knowing I can make them for much less, and the homemade version will have better ingredients. Little Bites also makes a blueberry version. This blueberry muffin recipe baked in a mini muffin tin would be a great knock-off.
The buttermilk in this recipe creates a light and fluffy texture that is absolute perfection! If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t worry. You can still make these by creating a buttermilk substitute. I list a few different versions of that in the frequently asked questions section below.
The child I mentioned above is my pickiest child, the one who is the skinniest, and the one who gets HANGRY when he doesn’t eat. It’s a great combination. As much as I try not to cater to pickiness, I also try not to make my life harder than it needs to be. Avoiding hangry children is one of my priorities. When it comes to snack time at school, there are very few things that both fall into the suggested “Healthy Snack” list the teacher gave out, and are also on the “my kids will actually eat it” list. Yogurt sticks, a very perfect banana, dried mango, and these little muffins are things I know he will eat every bite of. I do my best to keep those things on hand. I make a batch of these mini-muffins every couple of weeks and put three in a bag, freeze the bags, and pull one out in the morning to throw in his backpack.
It’s amazing to me how much having his favorite snack at snack time keeps his morale up and his personality in check. He always begs to have more when he gets home, but I keep them as a special school snack and have him pick something else when he is home.
I typically make these as mini-muffins to use in the snack capacity, but they are also totally awesome as regular-sized muffins. They can even get real fancy if you sprinkle some coarse sugar on top before baking. Yum! These Chocolate Chip Muffins are delicious. Next time you feel like baking, whip up a quick batch. You’ll love them!
My Kids’ Very Favorite Muffin Recipes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Whole Wheat Grape Nut Banana Muffins
- Amazing Fresh Peach Muffins
- Refrigerator Bran Muffins
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Toddler Muffins
Step-by-step pictures for how to make Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Frequently Asked Questions about how to make Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Do these muffins taste like the packs of Little BItes Muffins you can buy at the store?
That’s actually the reason I decided to make these. My son is always begging for those, and they aren’t even very good, AND they are full of preservatives. These muffins are definitely more delicious and so fresh and fluffy. They freeze super well, too, so it’s fun to keep them on hand in the freezer in ziplock bags to throw in school lunches.
Will these muffins still work out okay if I use regular-sized CHOCOLATE chips instead of mini chocolate chips?
Yes. The mini chocolate chips are just to make them look more like a copycat of Little Bites Chocolate Chip Muffins, but regular will work just fine.
If I use this recipe to make regular-size muffins, how many muffins will it make?
This recipe should make about 24 regular-sized muffins, depending on how full you fill the liners. If you make them really big, it will probably make more like 18 muffins. This recipe makes about 48 mini muffins.
What is a good substitute for Buttermilk if I don’t have any?
There are a couple of great substitutes for buttermilk you can use when baking. One is to add 1 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Another is to mix 1/3 cup plain yogurt with 2/3 cup milk.
If I don’t want to use cupcake liners do I need to do anything special to the pan so my muffins will come out easily?
The best thing to do is to use a nonstick mini-muffin tin, and then spray it with cooking spray. I really like my mini-muffin pan from Pampered Chef.
baker’s tools:
Healthy Snack Cakes for School Lunches
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder (Yes, 1 tbsp.)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a mini-muffin tin with liners or cooking spray. I prefer to use a 24-slot mini-muffin tin.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. (Make sure to add the buttermilk first to cool down the melted butter before adding the eggs.)
- Mix those wet ingredients well, and then pour in the dry ingredients that you set aside. Mix until just about combined, and then add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate chips are distributed.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, fill each mini-muffin liner.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
- You will have enough batter to make a second pan of muffins.
- Enjoy!
Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
I have made these multiple times for my kids and friends and they love them! #Party
I know I’m late to the party lol but wanted to thank you for yummy, easy to follow recipe – teaching my 6 year old granddaughter how to bake. She loves helping then devouring freshly baked chocolate chip muffins even more! 😉
Happy Baking!
Thanks so much! We love to hear this at Real Life Dinner! You are making great memories.
This is by far the best recipe I have tried! (Over 10 attempted!)
Have you ever tried with wheat/gluten free flour?
Hi, Molly. Thank you! Glad you like it! We have not tried it with gluten-free flour. If you do, let us know how it turns out.