EASY Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins (Soft & Moist!)

PIN JUMP TO RECIPE VIDEO

Try these simple and delicious chocolate chip peanut butter muffins if you have extra peanut butter in your pantry! It’ll be a quick & easy snack for you and your family to boost energy for the day.☀️

chocolate chip peanut butter muffins on a wire rack

chocolate chip peanut butter muffins with diced peanuts on top of them

Jump to:

Ingredients to make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins
What type of peanut butter should I use for this recipe?
Basic tools you'll need to make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins
7 Steps to Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins
Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Cupcake & Muffin recipes
VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
Printable Recipe
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

Calling for peanut butter lovers! This recipe is for you if you want to try peanut butter differently, rather than just a typical peanut butter sandwich.

I have peanut butter almost always at home to make sandwiches for my daughter, but I hadn't developed any dessert recipe with it. Well, it's time for a change!

I'd struggled to keep it very moist and soft while tasting peanut butter enough. I went through 3 large containers of peanut butter until I felt like, "This is it!"

The muffins are a perfect breakfast treat, like my banana pancakes and yogurt pancakes.

the texture of peanut butter chocolate chip muffins

Ingredients to make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

The dry ingredients

All-purpose flour: It is necessary to sustain the body of muffins and create a bouncy texture.
Granulated sugar: I recommend white sugar to keep the muffin soft and light against the heaviness of peanut butter.
Baking powder: Baking powder reacts to moisture and heat and helps to create a fluffier texture.
Baking soda: Baking soda reacts to acid and helps to create a fluffier cake.
Salt: The salt flavor is almost necessary to enhance the peanut butter flavor. You may feel like adding more, depending on the sodium level in the peanut butter.

The wet ingredients

Peanut butter: I recommend using non-natural creamy peanut butter for the best texture. Check below to learn the details.
Oil: I used olive oil as a healthier option. You can also use regular oils, such as vegetable oil and canola oil.
Egg: It plays a huge role in pushing the cake up in the oven and creating a softer texture along with the baking powder and baking soda.
Honey: Honey adds richer sweetness than white sugar, which goes well with peanut butter. It also helps to keep the muffins moist.
Milk: Use whole-fat milk for the best result.
Chocolate chips: You can omit it if you are not a fan of chocolate. I do not recommend adding more amount than the recipe since too much chocolate overpowers the peanut butter flavor.

The topping

Salted roasted peanuts (diced)(optional): The topping is my personal favorite. I love the crunchiness and saltiness of the soft muffins! I highly recommend salted roasted peanuts for the best result.
Sea salt: Some sprinkles (optional): You can also sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt if you are not adding peanuts on top. The little bit of saltiness goes well with the peanut butter.
Chocolate chips

ingredients to make peanut butter chocolate chip muffins

What type of peanut butter should I use for this recipe?

Creamy peanut butter

For this recipe, please use creamy peanut butter to get an accurate result. The texture and flavor of the muffins won't be the same using peanut butter with crunch since it contains less paste. I recommend sprinkling the diced toasted peanuts on top of the muffins if you like to add the crunchiness!

Natural peanut butter

Among the creamy peanut butter, there are natural ones and non-natural ones. Natural peanut butter usually contains only peanuts and sometimes a little bit of salt. The peanut oil and paste are often separated in the container. Always mix them well before use.

Non-natural peanut butter

The container doesn't say "non-natural" but, rather, just does not say "natural." Non-natural creamy peanut butter is usually thicker, and it contains more additional ingredients. I tried the recipe with both natural and non-natural creamy peanut butter and surprisingly, the muffins tasted better with non-natural creamy peanut butter. It felt a little bit more moist and softer.

I used one of the most popular brands (Jif), but you can also use any "non-natural" creamy peanut butter.

Basic tools you'll need to make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

Muffin tin: I used a regular-size cupcake pan.
Cupcake/muffin liners
Bowl
Whisk
Spatula
(Ice cream scoop)

Is a cupcake pan and a muffin pan the same?

In the States, a cupcake pan and a muffin pan are normally the same, but this also depends on the brand. The one I used this time was sold as a "muffin pan," but it is the same size as a regular cupcake pan. I see some muffin pans are bigger than regular cupcake pans when I search online. I recommend always checking the size of the pan in the recipe and seeing if you need to adjust the baking time.

7 Steps to Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

Whisk the dry ingredients together: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, mix the wet ingredients except milk: Peanut butter, oil, eggs, and honey with a whisk until it looks smooth.

peanut butter, oil, egg, and honey in a bowl

Add milk: Add ⅓ - ½ of the milk and mix until smooth. Add the remaining milk and mix until it's evenly blended.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Switch to a spatula and clean the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure it's evenly incorporated.

adding milk to the peanut butter mixture

adding milk to the peanut butter mixture to make muffins

adding flour to the peanut butter mixture to make muffins

the cake batter in a bowl for peanut butter muffins

Set aside about 3 tablespoon of chocolate chips for topping and add the rest to the cake batter. Mix.
Divide the cake batter into 18 muffin cups using an ice cream scoop. You can fill it up to the height of the paper liners to create big domes on the muffin tops. Top them with the diced peanuts (optional) and the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake at 355ºF (180ºC) for about 20 minutes until it bounces back gently when you touch it. Take them out of the pans with a small cake spatula while they are hot and cool them in a wire rack.

peanut butter chocolate chip muffin cake batter in a bowl

peanut butter muffin cake batter in cupcake pans before baking them

Now, enjoy! The muffin is a great match with a cup of milk.

a homemade chocolate chip peanut butter muffin on a white plate

Expert Tips

The cake batter will look lumpy in the beginning after adding flour. Continue mixing it until it looks smooth so that you won't end up finding the lumps of flour in the finished muffins!
Be careful not to overbake them to avoid dry muffins. Bake just until the top bounces back very gently. Adjust the baking time and oven temperature accordingly, depending on the oven, the size and amount, etc.
The melted chocolate is very, very hot right after the muffins are baked. Be careful not to touch them directly. (I screamed a couple of times doing it.)

freshly made chocolate chip peanut butter muffins cooling on a wire rack

homemade peanut butter muffins with diced peanuts and chocolate on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store the chocolate chip peanut butter muffins?

Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and ideally put them in a ziplock or airtight container to prevent them from getting dry. You can store it for a day at room temperature, 3 - 4 days in the fridge, or a few months in the freezer. But! It tastes the best when it's just made - Over time, it's going to feel a little bit drier. I recommend consuming it right away or at least within that day. Heat them in the microwave after storing them in the fridge.

Can I bake the half batch?

Yes, you can! You can make half or double the amount as you like.

Can I make the peanut butter muffins without chocolate chips?

Yes, you can omit it if you like!

Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?

Yes. The texture was slightly heavier with light brown sugar, but it still tasted great!

More Cupcake & Muffin recipes

If you love these delicious muffins, try other simple cakes!

VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!

Watch the video to learn how to make these homemade muffins visually and get a deeper understanding of all the processes.

Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it 😉

Printable Recipe

💬 Did you try this recipe? I'd like to hear your feedback! I also love hearing how you enjoyed it for your special occasion. If you have a question, leave it in the comment section below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!