These homemade Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are moist and flavorful, with chocolate chips, brown sugar, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon.
If you love chocolate chip cookies, you’ll recognize the same warm, comforting flavor in these cupcakes.
Over the years we’ve shared several chocolate chip recipes — a scratch chocolate chip cake, an easy cake made from a box mix, and a chocolate chip pound cake. We’re excited to add a cupcake version that captures that beloved cookie-like flavor.
Why We Love It
These chocolate chip cupcakes are a favorite for many reasons:
- Moist, tender crumb
- Chocolate chip cookie–style flavor from brown sugar and vanilla
- Great for parties, school lunches, or an everyday treat
- Mini chocolate chips add even more chocolatey bites throughout
- Cupcakes are a convenient, portable dessert
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
The full printable ingredient list and step-by-step instructions appear in the recipe card below. Key ingredients include:
Cake flour creates a softer, more tender crumb thanks to its lower protein content. Light brown sugar gives that classic cookie flavor and adds moisture. We prefer mini chocolate chips so they stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking. A pinch of ground cinnamon adds warmth, and sour cream contributes richness and helps keep the batter moist without thinning it.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and line cupcake pans with liners.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine sour cream, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and milk; set aside.
- Cream softened unsalted butter on low to medium speed until smooth. Gradually add white and light brown sugar and beat on medium until the mixture lightens and becomes fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl as needed and mix just until blended.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Portion batter into prepared cupcake liners — about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake — and bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Chocolate Buttercream
These cupcakes are delicious topped with a simple chocolate buttercream made from softened butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla, and milk. The frosting is creamy, pipes beautifully, and complements the cookie-like cupcake base.
Decorating the Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
When cupcakes are completely cool, pipe swirls of chocolate buttercream using a 1M (large star) tip for a classic look. For a finishing touch, top each cupcake with a few mini chocolate chips or a small cookie for extra texture and visual appeal.
Recipe FAQs
Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container or under a cake dome for up to two days. After that, refrigerate to maintain freshness. If refrigerated, bring cupcakes to room temperature 1–2 hours before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Yes. Once cooled, arrange cupcakes on a stable surface, cover the tops with plastic wrap, then wrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. To thaw, move cupcakes to the counter and unwrap after 30 minutes; frost once fully thawed if not already frosted.
Mini chips are lighter and less likely to sink, resulting in an even distribution of chocolate throughout the cupcake.
Sour cream adds richness and moisture while keeping the batter thick, which helps suspend add-ins like chocolate chips and yields a tender crumb.
More Chocolate Chip Cakes
If you enjoy this cupcake recipe, try other chocolate chip desserts such as cannoli cake, cherry chocolate chip pound cake, or peanut butter chocolate chip pound cake for more variety and flavor combinations.
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake-
Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
-
Cannoli Cake Recipe
-
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Thanks for visiting — we hope you enjoy these Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Try different toppings or mix-ins to make them your own.
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) white granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream, full fat
- 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (121g) milk (whole or 2%)
- ⅓ cup (68g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups (690g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (70g) unsweetened cocoa powder, measured and sifted
- ⅓–½ cup (72g) milk, adjust for desired consistency
- 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
- Whisk cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- Combine sour cream, vanilla, oil, and milk in a separate bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter until smooth, then add sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- With mixer on low, add dry and wet ingredients alternately, starting and ending with dry. Mix just until combined.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Portion batter (about ¼ cup each) into prepared liners and bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Makes about 7.5–8 cups batter — enough for 28–30 cupcakes depending on fill size.
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat butter until smooth, add vanilla and blend.
- Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Add most of the milk and mix on low, increasing speed as ingredients incorporate. Continue adding milk or powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency and smoothness. Mixing may take 3–5 minutes.
Decorating the Cupcakes
- After cupcakes cool completely, pipe swirls of chocolate buttercream using a 1M tip and top with mini chocolate chips or a small cookie if desired.
Notes
Cake flour substitute: For each cup of cake flour, remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then sift.
Storing: Keep cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container or under a cake dome for up to two days; refrigerate after that. If chilled, bring to room temperature 1–2 hours before serving.