If you love classic bakes, these chocolate chip cupcakes are a must. Soft vanilla cupcakes filled with melty chocolate chips and topped with sweet buttercream, they're a total crowd-pleaser and always the first to disappear.
And because I know we all love choices, you might also enjoy my easy Vanilla Cupcakes or Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream - guaranteed to please!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
🕒 Ready In: 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 24 mini cupcakes or 18 regular cupcakes
🍽 Calories: 271 per cupcake
🥣 Main Ingredients: butter, caster sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, chocolate chips and vanilla
📖 Dietary Info: vegetarian
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Soft, fluffy and packed with melty chocolate chips, these easy cupcakes are perfect for lunchboxes, birthday parties and quick baking with kids.
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Amazing versatile recipe - thank you - the kids loved them!
- Paula
Are you team chocolate or team vanilla? With these easy chocolate chip cupcakes, you don't have to choose - you get soft vanilla cupcakes packed with melty chocolate chips in every bite.
They're perfect for parties, afternoon tea or a simple "just because" bake. With easy steps and helpful tips, this is one of those recipes that turns out beautifully every single time.
For birthdays and celebrations, I often bake my easy Chocolate Cake or classic Butterfly Cakes - but when I need something quick, fun and guaranteed to be a hit, these chocolate chip cupcakes are always my go-to.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Simple pantry ingredients: No fancy extras - just everyday baking staples.
- Quick to make: Ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Soft and fluffy: Vanilla cupcakes loaded with melty chocolate chips in every bite.
- Perfect for special occasions: Great for parties, lunchboxes or last-minute treats that still impress.
- Easy to customise: Swap the chocolate chips, add fun toppings or use your favourite frosting.
- Thermomix-friendly: Thermomix instructions are included in the recipe card below.
Jump to:
Cupcake Ingredients
All you need is a handful of pantry staples and about 30 minutes to make these easy chocolate chip cupcakes.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter softened to room temperature so it creams easily. If using salted butter, simply omit the extra salt.
- Self-raising flour: This gives the cupcakes their lift. If you don't have any, you can make your own by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every 1 cup of plain flour.
- Chocolate chips: Regular-sized chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips both work well - a good-quality brand gives the best melty chocolate pockets.
- Icing sugar: Use soft icing sugar mixture rather than pure icing sugar for a smooth, creamy frosting.
Variations
These chocolate chip cupcakes are easy to customise - use what you have and have a bit of fun.
- Chocolate swap: Use white chocolate chips, or a mix of milk and white chocolate.
- Caramel swirl: Spoon a little soft caramel into the batter before baking.
- Berry boost: Add fresh raspberries or dried cranberries for a fruity twist.
- Chocolate and nut: Replace some of the chocolate chips with chopped walnuts for extra crunch.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free self-raising flour and check that the chocolate chips and icing sugar are gluten-free.
How To Make Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Preheat oven and line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. Beat butter with caster sugar and a good quality vanilla extract until light and fluffy (about 3-4 mins).
- Add Eggs - Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add Dry Ingredients - Sift in flour and chocolate chips, and gently fold through with a spoon.
- Mix Until Just Combined - Don't overmix or the texture will be dense and tough.
- Fill & Bake - Fill liners ~⅔ full. Bake 12-15 mins or until golden and springy. Let cupcakes cool before adding buttercream.
- Make Buttercream - Beat softened butter until pale and fluffy. Add icing sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy, then pipe or spread frosting, and add extra chocolate chips on top.
Recipe Tips
- Measure flour correctly: Too much flour will make cupcakes dense.
- Don't overmix: Once the dry ingredients are added, mix gently to keep the cupcakes soft and fluffy.
- Stop chips sinking: Toss the chocolate chips in a teaspoon of flour before folding them through the batter.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: They mix more evenly and help the cupcakes rise more evenly.
- Bake until just done: A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Storage: Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months (frosted for up to 2 months). Remove from the freezer, thaw and frost just before serving for best results.
Chocolate Chip Cupcakes FAQs
For the freshest cupcakes, bake them on the day. However, unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or frozen until required. It is best to frost cupcakes on the day of serving.
Classic vanilla buttercream works beautifully, but you can also try chocolate frosting or cream cheese frosting.
Every oven is slightly different, so keep a close eye on the cupcakes and take them out as soon as they are ready to prevent drying and browning around the edges. They are ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
More Cupcake Recipes
If you love these fun chocolate chip cupcakes, you'll also enjoy these other family favourites - perfect for kids to help bake, after-school treats, or birthday party celebrations!
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Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 200 g (1 ½ cup) self raising flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips extra for decorating
For the buttercream frosting
- 185 g butter softened
- 300 g (2 ¼ cups) icing sugar mixture
- 2 tbs milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place the butter, caster sugar, salt and vanilla extract into a bowl.
- Beat together with a stand-mixer or hand-held beaters until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat through.
- Sift in the self-raising flour, add the chocolate chips, and stir with a spoon until just combined (don't over mix).
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to ⅔ full.
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, reduce the cooking time slightly).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream frosting, beat the butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Slowly add the icing sugar mixture, milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
- Spread buttercream frosting over cupcakes when they have completely cooled and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place sugar and butter into the TM bowl and and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5.
- Add the eggs, salt, vanilla extract and self-raising flour and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then mix for a further 10 seconds, Speed 5.
- Stir through the chocolate chips.
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to ⅔ full.
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, they will need slightly less cooking time).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream frosting, place the icing sugar mixture into the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 9.
- Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on Speed 4.
- Spread buttercream frosting over cupcakes when they have completely cooled and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.
Notes
- Measure flour properly - Too much flour = dense cupcakes.
- Don't overmix once dry ingredients are added - overbeating = tough cupcakes.
- Keep chips from sinking by briefly tossing in a teaspoon of flour before folding in.
- Room temperature ingredients blend more evenly for better rise.
- Bake until just done - when a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, they're ready.
- Storage - Store unfrosted in an airtight container at room temp for 2-3 days, or in the fridge 3-4 days.
- Freezing - Freeze cupcakes unfrosted up to 3 months (frosted up to 2 months). Thaw then add fresh frosting for best results.
Paula says
Amazing versatile recipe - thank you -kids love them!
Emma says
My daughter made these cupcakes by her self and she did amazing
Thank you
Lucy says
How wonderful!!!