Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

These bakery-style gluten-free chocolate chip muffins are light, fluffy, and packed with mini chocolate chips. They’re a perfect brunch favorite!

I’m just going to say it: this gluten-free muffin recipe is EPIC.

We’re talking gluten-free bakery-style chocolate chip muffins with super tall domed tops, fluffy, soft middles, and chocolate chips in every bite. They look incredible, they taste even better, and they’re perfect for weekend brunch, afternoon tea, or a special breakfast.

They’re EVERYTHING I was looking for when I got this idea in my head.

Here’s what you need to make this easy gluten-free muffin recipe…

Here’s What You Need To Make These Bakery-Style Muffins:

• Gluten-Free Flour. We’re keeping things simple by using a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend. We highly recommend this one from King Arthur for the best texture and taste. If you use another blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum or your muffins won’t turn out properly.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda. We use plenty of leaveners in this recipe so they get that super tall rise and light fluffy texture. Be sure your baking powder & baking soda are fresh with this quick test!
• Kosher Salt. To balance those flavors. If you use table salt, you may prefer to use a little less.
• Melted Butter. I love the flavor butter adds. Since we’re not relying on spices or fruit, we need the muffin base to taste great, and butter helps!
• Sugar. Granulated sugar (white sugar) provides sweetness and helps the muffins brown beautifully.
• Eggs. Room temperature eggs blend best and will help preserve your melted butter. If you use cold eggs, your butter might seize and get chunky. Get your eggs to room temperature fast with this trick!
• Sour Cream. The tang and acidity in the sour cream helps create a great balance of flavors, as well as producing a reaction with the leaveners to give the muffins a light, fluffy texture.
• Heavy Cream. Might sound crazy, but it works! Using cream (which is higher in fat than milk), gives the muffins GREAT texture and flavor. If you use milk instead, the muffins will be more dry and crumbly unless you add more fat. Using cream does this more easily and gives better results.
• Vanilla. Plenty of vanilla extract gives this chocolate chip muffin recipe such great flavor!
• Mini Chocolate Chips. I use mini chocolate chips because they distribute more evenly and make it so every bite has chocolate in it! I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips here.
• Coarse Sugar & More Chocolate Chips. To make them pretty. Trust me!

How To Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins, Step By Step

1. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combing gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk to combine well and set aside.
2. Combine Butter & Sugar. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter and sugar.
3. Add Eggs & Vanilla. Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Mix in the vanilla extract.
4. Mix In Sour Cream & Heavy Cream Next, mix in the sour cream until fully combined. Mix in the heavy cream, and stir until well combined.
5. Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients. Gently mix the dry ingredients in until just a few dry, floury patches remain.
6. Mix In The Chocolate Chips. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and fold them in until the batter is smooth (no more dry patches!), and the chocolate chips are well distributed.
7. Let The Batter Rest. This step is important! Let the batter rest for at least 1 hour (up to 2 hours at room temperature or even overnight in the fridge) before scooping. The batter will aerate and get fluffier and thicker. Try not to disturb it, so that it keeps all that lovely air and rise.
8. Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. While the muffin batter is resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment paper liners.
9. Scoop The Muffins & Top With Sugar. The batter will be a bit fluffy and thick. Try not to disturb it as you use a large scoop (a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop) to scoop muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups. The batter should fill the muffin cups completely and generously. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 teaspoon extra mini chocolate chips and some coarse sugar (turbinado sugar or demerara sugar).
10. Bake The Muffins. Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake another 10-12 minutes, or until the muffins are light golden and baked through. (A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter). You do NOT need to wait for the oven temperature to reach 350 degrees, just adjust the temperature and keep baking.
11. Cool The Muffins 2-3 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Bakery-Style Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins.

One of the big secrets to bakery-style muffins is their light, fluffy texture and sky-high rise. So how do you get muffins to rise really high? Let talk about it.

Let The Batter Rest

Allowing the batter to rest for at least 1 hour helps hydrate the flour, develop the flavor, and give the leavening agents more time to react with the batter. This will give you a much taller rise in the end! I recommend 1 hour at room temperature. You can let the batter rest up to 2 hours at room temperature, or in the refrigerator overnight. If you chill the batter, bring it back up to room temperature before baking for best results.

Adjust The Temperature

Next, starting the muffins at a higher temperature helps encourage them to rise higher more quickly. Then, we reduce the temperature for the rest of the bake to help the muffins finish cooking through more evenly.

Choose The BEST Muffin Pan & Muffin Liners

A light metal baking pan will help your muffins bake more evenly, Dark pans can scorch the outside before the insides are done through, while a silicone pan won’t give you the same golden exterior. Then, I LOVE these parchment liners because they’re as nonstick as it gets!

Make Them Pretty

Lastly, to get that gorgeous bakery-style look, top the muffins with more mini chocolate chips before baking. (I recommend a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips or so per muffin), then sprinkle with coarse sugar, like turbinado sugar or demerara sugar. (Learn about different types of sugar here). You can also dust them with a touch of powdered sugar right before serving if you like!

♥ Leave a star review below when you try our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think!

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