Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins, Life in canada

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Indulge in these mouthwatering chocolate chip muffins, just like the famous ones from Tim Hortons. This copycat recipe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Discover a simple Copycat recipe for Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Bake them at home and store them in the freezer for up to three months.

Stopping at Tim Hortons can quickly eat into my allowance, so I’ve decided to make a copycat version.

Let me show you how I make my Copycat version of Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip muffins.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Muffins Are The Best

Nothing beats baking homemade bakery items at home vs. buying them at the shops.

I’ve tried making this recipe many times and settled on this for our best muffin version.

Even our seven-year-old son approved the muffins, which means they are delicious.

He has autism and is a very picky eater, and he loves these muffins and my Cookies.

It’s a proud father moment for me because he eats a limited diet and has never had candy.

I enjoy a moist, high muffin top (the best part of the muffin) and loads of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips.

Although I may never nail the Tim Hortons recipe, I try duplicating it as closely as possible.

Granted, this muffin recipe I’m sharing is not what you would call healthy chocolate chip muffins.

I consider them “once in a while” muffins.

If I make a batch, I freeze or share it with our friends when they come around.

Tim Hortons Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was on a mission to learn how to make chocolate chip muffins to save money in my allowance fund.

When we go on a road trip, we pack a lunch, including snacks and these muffins.

Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe Tips

I center around these two “must-have” rules in creating a muffin recipe.

1. Easy chocolate chip muffins (meaning I don’t want a million steps)
2. Moist chocolate chip muffins, which you can do by adding yogurt or sour cream

Always dust the chips with flour or incorporate the chocolate chips before adding the wet ingredients.

The chocolate chips are dusted because they don’t all end up at the bottom of your muffin.

I also do this when I make muffins or cakes with berries.

Baking High-Top Muffins

I try to make a sizeable fluffy chocolate chip muffin, as you would find at Tim Hortons.

I’m not too fond of a flat muffin top, and it took me a few tries to get it right.

As a Tim Hortons baker in the 90’s, Mrs. CBB taught me a secret to making high-top chocolate chip muffins.

Fill the muffin tins with batter up to the top, leaving no room in the cup or liner.

Types Of Muffin Liners

I’ve used a paper muffin liner in a 12-cup pan and no liner in the extra-large pans.

Tim Hortons uses fancy bakery-style muffin liners, which are pretty and suitable for high-top muffins.

Either way works well, although if you use the larger muffin pan, you will achieve a more realistic muffin than Tim Hortons.

Check the Dollar Store, as you might find different varieties of muffin liners.

Secret To Creating High-Top Muffins

After filling the muffin cups to the top, bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes to raise the batter so it sets.

Finally, lower the temperature to 350 degrees to cook the inside for 15 minutes.

I have a simple solution if the muffins are browning too fast at the top.

Add a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper to the top by lightly setting it over the muffins.

Covering the muffin tray will stop baking on the top, but bake in the middle.

Our son is a die-hard Tim Hortons chocolate chip muffin lover, so I’ve made a copycat version.

Varieties Of Chocolate Chips

We used the large chocolate chips as the shop didn’t have the mini chips.

If you want to keep the muffin original to Tim Hortons, use the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

If not, you can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips as I did, and they work just as well.

Using Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips

For anyone who would like less sugar, use sugar-free chocolate chips.

Below are our favourite sugar-free chocolate chips in our keto recipes.

Buy the mini chocolate chips if the texture is essential to get the full Tim Hortons muffin effect.

How To Make Copy Cat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

You’ll notice I have two different types of photos of my Tim Hortons muffins on this page.

I made one batch in the jumbo muffin tin and the other in the 12-cup; both are delicious.

Printable Version Below

• Recipe Type: Dessert
• Author: Mr.CBB
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 20 mins
• Total time: 30 mins
• Serves: 6 or 12, depending on the muffin tin used

If you are looking for an easy chocolate chip muffin recipe similar to what you would find at a Tim Hortons, Bakery, or grocery store.

Chocolate Chip Muffin Ingredients 

Step By Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 6-cup jumbo chocolate chip muffin tin or a 12-cup large muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a microwave.
3. Add these dry ingredients (flour, 2 cups of chocolate chips, baking soda, and baking powder) into a bowl.
4. Add melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in a second bowl, and mix until combined (do not over-mix as this will produce a dense muffin). Gently fold in the yogurt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold just until combined. It’s ok if the batter is lumpy.
6. Pour batter into muffin tins. I like to fill mine right to the top to create a sizeable top muffin. Add the leftover 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin before baking. 
7. Bake the muffin at 400 for 3-5 minutes until you see your muffin top expand, then lower the oven temperature to 350 for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (if the toothpick is full of chocolate, this does not indicate the muffin is done. You can touch the top of the muffin, and if it springs back, it is likely done. If you see your tops browning too fast, add a piece of parchment paper over the top to cover lightly for the rest of the baking.
8. Enjoy these chocolate chip muffins hot or cold or freeze.

Use either mini-chocolate chips or if you can’t find them, use regular size but buy a good brand. 

Make 6 Jumbo Muffins or 12 Large Muffins

You can make 12 large muffins if you prefer them over the jumbo.

Get fancy using the same type of muffin liners that Tim Hortons uses for a reasonable price.

I bought a pack of 200 from Amazon and will share photos here once I make them again.

Perhaps you don’t like either muffin; you can make mini chocolate chip muffins.

All you need is a 24-cup mini muffin tray which you can buy on Amazon Canada.

Remember that the baking time will differ when you change the size of the muffin tins.

Always keep an eye on the muffins to ensure they aren’t burning.

All my recipes, including keto and gluten-free, are in my free recipe depot drop-down box.

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