Moist tender Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins that taste as good as store bought, but have a little extra nutrition? Sign. Me. Up. These muffins are seriously delicious and are a must-make if you have fans of Little Bites in your house!
Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Every time I go to our local big box store, I always walk by a giant stack of Little Bites muffin boxes. And while I almost never have the urge to do copycat recipes, this one stuck with me—because I just knew I could make an equally tender little muffin that the kids would love.
And with the inclusion of yogurt and a little less sugar, and a super simple method, these are exactly the kind of homemade snack that makes me excited. (Especially since I love to snack on these too!)
My three kids all adore these muffins. They’re a great preschool snack, after school snack, or snack to go with lunch.
You could even swap in blueberries for the chocolate chips if your kids prefer the Blueberry Little Bites Muffins!
TIP: Find more of my favorite Kid Food Recipes here.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- maple syrup
- plain Greek yogurt
- eggs
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips
TIP: See the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for allergy variations to make these without eggs, dairy, and gluten.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s the general process for making this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full how-to.
- Stir together the wet ingredients.
- Stir together the dry ingredients, then mix in the wet. Add the chocolate chips.
- Divide among a greased mini muffin pan.
- Bake!
TIP: These muffins bake quickly, so set that timer and avoid over baking for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store them, once cooled, in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. They hold well for up to 5 in the fridge, but you may want to warm them briefly to serve from the fridge as they firm up when cold.
They have less sugar, twice as much protein, and you have the ability to control more of the ingredients.
We usually have them for breakfast or snack with cut up fruit, though they’d also work with a smoothie, a cheese stick, and a smoothie—among other lunch snacks.
Best Tips for Success
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm slightly to serve from the fridge as they will firm up when cold.
- You can also freeze the muffins in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in 15 second increments in the microwave.
- I like using whole milk Greek yogurt in this recipe. You can use regular style yogurt if you prefer.
- You can use an equal amount of sugar instead of maple syrup if that’s what you have.
- Dairy-free: Use a nondairy Greek style yogurt like the plant-based options from Siggis and a neutral oil like canola in place of the butter.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs. Add ½ cup milk and use ¾ teaspoon baking soda.
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup gluten-free all purpose flour.
- Dice up as needed for younger eaters.
- Top with butter, nut butter, or jam as desired.
- Try blueberries instead of chocolate chips as a yummy alternative.
- You may also like Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins, Yogurt Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Mini Applesauce Muffins.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please rate and leave a comment below!
Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins (Little Bites Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (or sugar)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
- Gently stir the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling about to the edge. (You'll use about 1 ½ tablespoon in each mini muffin cup.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Do not over bake.
- Remove from oven, and let cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edges to loosen, if needed, then carefully transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool fully.
Video
Notes
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm slightly to serve from the fridge as they will firm up when cold.
- You can also freeze the muffins in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in 15 second increments in the microwave.
- I like using whole milk Greek yogurt in this recipe. You can use regular style yogurt if you prefer.
- I prefer mini chocolate chips since they are more evenly distributed through the muffins but you can use regular ones if you prefer. If you use regular size chocolate chips, I would use 1 cup.
- Dairy-free: Use a nondairy Greek style yogurt like the plant-based options from Siggis and a neutral oil like canola in place of the butter.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs. Add ½ cup milk and use ¾ teaspoon baking soda.
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup gluten-free all purpose flour.
- Dice up as needed for younger eaters.
- Try blueberries instead of chocolate chips as a yummy alternative.
Hi! Curious if I could use buttermilk instead of Greek Yogurt?
thanks!
Hi- I haven’t made them that way but I bet you could.
Delicious! My four year old spotted sprinkles little bites at the store this morning, but was excited about making them ourselves together. It’s an easy recipe for a preschooler to measure and mix. And they taste great! Thank you.
I haven’t made these yet… should I avoid using fat free greek yogurt?
They’re best with greek yogurt that has some fat in them. It will work the same, but they may not be quite as moist.
My kids loved these! Maybe I didn’t fill the muffin pans as much as I should have because the recipe made 40, but no complaints here! I used chopped chocolate because I can’t find chocolate chips in my country, and I added sprinkles to make them even more fun.
These are so yummy! I love all your recipes.
In case anyone makes the same “mistake”, I accidentally used vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain. I just halved the amount of vanilla and they came out perfect!
The texture on these is next level. Spongey and cloud like. I made them for my toddler and haven’t shared yet…but I promise I will…?
I fully support you enjoying as many as you want!
These came out perfect ! I love all your recipes because they are so easy with simple ingredients! My little guy loved them – the muffin itself is tender and delicious ! I plan to use it as a base for other muffins !
This is the best recipe! I’ve made this at least a dozen times. My kids now prefer these over the store bought versions.
Love these muffins. The first time I made with chocolate chips. Came out perfect. The second time I did blueberries instead. They tops were completely flat. They still taste amazing. No idea what I did wrong.
Mine came out deflated followed recipe to a T. What happened??
This just happened to me too! Not sure what happened either. They still taste delicious. I’ll try again.