By: Jill Mills Posted: May 9, 2025

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Chocolate Chip Cupcakes are incredibly moist vanilla cupcakes with mini chocolate chips and topped with a rich buttercream frosting.

If you haven’t made chocolate chip cupcakes from scratch, this recipe is the perfect one to try! They are delectably moist and tender with bites of chocolate throughout, so they aren’t overly sweet or rich. I love the sweet, buttery frosting on top. It takes the cupcakes up a notch!

I’ve served them at home for the family, as part of a spread of guests, and even at a couple of bake sales. Everyone gobbles them up faster than I can keep track, and there are never any leftovers. Kids and adults alike can’t get enough of them!

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Simple to make. This is a basic cupcake recipe that anyone can make. Baking delicious treats doesn’t have to be complicated. I love that this one is easy to follow but still yields a great cupcake.
Crowd favorite. Everyone I share these chocolate chip cupcakes with is always impressed. I’ve shared the recipe often, and I’m asked if I plan on bringing them to other functions, too.
Flavor. These have the perfect amount of richness and sweetness without being over the top. If you love desserts that aren’t cloyingly sweet, this is the recipe for you.

A whole chocolate chip cupcake unwrapped, decorated with swirls of vanilla frosting, mini chocolate chips, and a mini cookie on top.

What You’ll Need

Below are the ingredients needed for the chocolate chip cupcakes and the homemade buttercream frosting. I separated them into categories to make it much easier to follow (get the full amounts in the recipe box below).

For the cupcakes

Butter: You may use salted or unsalted butter. I prefer unsalted because there’s added salt in the cupcake batter. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature before you get started to get the perfect texture.
Granulated Sugar
Eggs: room temperature is best.
Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract where possible for the most authentic vanilla flavor. It’s a little more pricey than imitation, but I promise it’s worth it. I like to get a slightly larger bottle at a better value so it lasts longer!
Dry ingredients: All-purpose, baking soda and salt.
Milk: Whole milk is best, but 2% is fine.
Chocolate chips: Use any kind of chocolate chips, based on your preference. I like semi-sweet best, but dark or milk chocolate are great choices, too.

For the frosting

Butter: unsalted softened butter for best results.
Vanilla: pure vanilla extract is best.
Powdered Sugar and Salt

Overhead view of individual cupcake ingredients in bowls, including flour, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract, arranged on a rustic wood surface.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Here are the steps needed to make a successful batch of homemade chocolate chip cupcakes. I like to start by gathering all of the ingredients and measuring them to make it a quick and easy process.

Prep the oven and cupcake pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and add paper liners to your muffin tin. You’ll likely need 2 (12-count) muffin pans for 24 cupcakes.
Cream butter and sugar. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture with the electric mixer. Then, pour in the vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a separate mixing bowl and whisk until well mixed.

Cupcake batter in a mixing bowl with flour on top, ready to be mixed with milk and dry ingredients shown nearby.

A glass mixing bowl filled with cupcake batter and a pile of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top, ready to be folded in.

Alternate with milk and flour mixture. Alternate with ⅓ of the flour mixture and then ½ of the milk, and add them to the butter mixture. Repeat until all of the ingredients are combined.
Fold in chocolate chips. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

Chocolate chip cupcake batter being scooped into a lined muffin tin, with a bowl of batter nearby.

A tray of chocolate chip cupcakes still in the muffin pan and ready for decoration.

Scoop and bake. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill them ¾ full, and you should be able to fill 24. Place the pans into the oven and bake them for 15-17 minutes. The cupcakes will be soft and springy to the touch when they are fully baked.
Prepare the frosting. While the cupcakes cool, combine all of the frosting ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture on low until all the powdered sugar is combined. Then, switch it to medium-high for 5-7 minutes or until it’s light and fluffy.
Decorate and serve. Scoop the frosting into a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Don’t overmix the batter. If you want light and fluffy cupcakes, don’t overmix the batter. Once the ingredients are well combined, your work is done. Overmixing can cause the baked cupcakes to become dense.
Let the cupcakes cool completely. Ensure your cupcakes have plenty of time to completely cool before you pipe the frosting. If you make it and the cupcakes are still warm, pop the bowl into the refrigerator for a few minutes. You don’t want the icing to slide off the cupcakes or melt!
Use a scoop for the batter. I like to use a cookie or ice cream scoop for the batter. This ensures even amounts, and it prevents a mess that is typical of a regular spoon. You don’t want to waste any of that delicious cake batter.
Swirl like a Pro. If you “Love” the look of the frosted cupcake pictured, use a large piping bag with a large drop flower tip. Starting from the outside of the cupcake and piping continually over the next layer in a circular motion moving towards the middle in a spiral motion. Finish with a small “flower” squeeze on top and in the center. For this method, double the frosting. A single batch will frost about a ½” layer on top of the cupcake using an offset spatula or butter knife.

A tray of unfrosted chocolate chip cupcakes fresh out of the oven, displayed in a 12-cup muffin pan on a rustic wooden surface.

Proper Storage

Store your chocolate chip cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You may freeze the cupcakes without frosting for about 2 weeks in a freezer-safe container.

Common Questions

Can I make a larger cupcake? Yes, you can use larger sized cupcake liners and cupcake pan to achieve a more “bakery” style cupcake. This will probably require about 4-6 minutes additional baking time, but always trust the toothpick method to tell doneness.
Can I add other “mix-ins” or other toppings? Yes, if you want to use white chocolate chips to achieve a certain look you can. You could add walnuts as well if you like a chocolate chip cookie that has walnuts. Maybe think of adding some toffee bits for a bit of crunch. Other frostings are great as well like chocolate buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.