Desserts/TreatsCopycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mr. CBB
By Mr. CBB
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Homemade copycat Tim Hortons chocolate chip muffins
Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins – Homemade Muffin Photo
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Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

These homemade Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins have golden, high tops, a moist centre, and plenty of chocolate chips. Here’s how I make our bakery-style version at home.

Make a batch to enjoy fresh or freeze the cooled muffins 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.

These muffins are a family favourite, along with my chocolate chip cookies.

It’s rewarding when a homemade recipe becomes a family favourite.

Homemade Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

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.

Why Make Tim Hortons-Style Muffins at Home?

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.

One of the biggest vacation money gobblers is eating out, and if you can save a portion of those expenses, you’re further ahead.

Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe Tips

I center on 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.

How to Bake High-Top Chocolate Chip Muffins

I try to make a sizeable, fluffy chocolate chip muffin, as you would find at any Canadian 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 90s, Mrs. CBB taught me a secret to making high-top chocolate chip muffins.

How to make high-top muffins is easy if you follow these tips.

Choosing Jumbo Muffin Liners

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

For our updated test batch, we greased the jumbo muffin cups with butter and inserted brown paper tulip liners. A standard 12-cup muffin pan will make smaller muffins and needs a shorter baking time. We use an extra-large muffin pan for the jumbo version.

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.

Homemade chocolate chip muffins in a jumbo muffin baking pan

The High-Top Baking Method

Freshly baked homemade chocolate chip muffins

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

For my October 2026 jumbo-muffin test, I baked at 400°F for 5 minutes, reduced the heat to 350°F, and baked for another 20 minutes. I loosely tented the muffins with foil from minutes 15–20 of the total baking time, then removed the foil and rotated the pan for the final 5 minutes. Test for doneness; oven times may vary.

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.

A loose foil tent helps limit further browning while the muffins continue to bake; it does not stop the tops from cooking.

The finished muffins have lightly crisp tops and a soft, moist centre, with plenty of chocolate chips throughout.

Freshly baked jumbo chocolate chip muffins in brown tulip liners

Choosing 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.

Illustration of a glass bowl filled with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for homemade muffins
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for baking (illustrative image).

Using Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips

The original Tim Hortons-style muffin recipe uses regular semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, not sugar-free chips. If you prefer, you can substitute sugar-free chocolate chips for the regular chips. I’ve tried the brands below, and Krisda is my favourite for flavour, although its chips are regular-sized rather than mini. Note: Using sugar-free chocolate chips does not make the whole muffin sugar-free because the batter still contains granulated sugar.

Here are the sugar-free or no-sugar-added chocolate chips I’ve tried. Krisda is my top pick; the others are alternatives if you prefer a different brand.

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

How to Make Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

The photographs throughout this post show our homemade chocolate chip muffins from the updated recipe test.

The tested batch made six jumbo muffins plus one additional muffin baked separately. Smaller muffin pans will give a different yield and require a shorter baking time.

For a convenient version to save or print, use the recipe card below.

  • Recipe Type: Dessert
  • Author: Mr.CBB
  • Prep time: 10 mins
  • Tested jumbo-muffin bake time: 25 mins
  • Approximate total time for tested jumbo muffins: 45 mins, including 10 mins preparation and 10 mins cooling
  • Yield: Approximately 7 jumbo muffins (six in the jumbo tin plus one baked separately); smaller muffin yields vary

Below are the ingredients and method for my homemade bakery-style chocolate chip muffins. The printable recipe card follows.

Chocolate Chip Muffin Ingredients 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease the cups of a jumbo muffin tin with butter (or lard, if preferred), then insert paper muffin liners. For the October 2026 batch, I used butter and tulip liners.
  2. Melt butter in a microwave.
  3. Measure the flour, then take a little from that measured amount to lightly toss with the 2 cups of mini chocolate chips going into the batter. This can help reduce sinking; reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of chips for the muffin tops. Combine the flour, flour-dusted chocolate chips, baking soda, and baking powder in 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. Divide the batter among the prepared jumbo muffin liners, filling each to the top for a tall bakery-style muffin. Evenly sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips over the tops of all the muffins before they go into the oven, as Mrs. CBB remembers from her Tim Hortons baking days.
  7. For jumbo muffins, bake uncovered at 400°F for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, tent loosely with foil for 5 minutes, then remove the foil, rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake uncovered for a final 5 minutes (25 minutes total). Test with a toothpick in the cake portion, avoiding melted chocolate; bake longer if wet batter remains. (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. Let the muffins cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then enjoy them warm or cold. Freeze completely cooled muffins for up to 3 months.

Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips give a more even distribution throughout the muffins. Regular semi-sweet chips also work if mini chips are unavailable.

Homemade jumbo chocolate chip muffin baked with chocolate chips
Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

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.

Six photo steps for making homemade chocolate chip muffins, from lining the tin and mixing batter to baking and serving
How to make homemade chocolate chip muffins in six steps.
Homemade copycat Tim Hortons chocolate chip muffins with golden tops
Yield: Approximately 7 jumbo muffins

Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Homemade copycat Tim Hortons chocolate chip muffins with tall, crispy tops and pillowy, moist centres. This tested jumbo batch makes six full jumbo muffins plus enough batter for one more.

No Ratings

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups of mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
  • 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of granulated white sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 Tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup salted melted butter
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of buttermilk or (2% milk with 1 Tbsp white vinegar until it curdles)
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt or sour cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease the cups of a jumbo muffin tin with butter or lard, then insert paper muffin liners.
  2. Melt the salted butter. Measure the flour, then use a little of that measured flour to lightly coat the 2 cups of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for the batter; this can help reduce sinking. Combine the flour, flour-dusted chocolate chips, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of chips for topping.
  3. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Gently fold in the Greek yogurt or sour cream.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold just until combined. A slightly lumpy batter is fine; do not overmix.
  5. Fill the jumbo muffin liners to the top and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips over the batter. This batch yielded six jumbo muffins and enough extra batter for one more baked separately in a small foil tin.
  6. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) without removing the muffins.
  7. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 10 minutes more. At 15 minutes of total baking time, loosely tent the muffins with foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
  8. At 20 minutes total, remove the foil and rotate the muffin pan 180 degrees. Bake uncovered for the final 5 minutes, for 25 minutes total.
  9. Test the centre of a muffin with a toothpick, avoiding melted chocolate chips. If wet batter remains, continue baking until done. Baking times vary with muffin size and oven.
  10. Let the muffins cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Enjoy warm or cooled. Freeze completely cooled muffins for up to 3 months.

Notes

October 2026 tested yield: six jumbo muffins plus one extra baked in a small foil tin; both baked for 25 minutes. The 25-minute schedule is for jumbo muffins, not smaller muffins. I used butter to grease the tin beneath the tulip liners; lard is optional. For the nostalgic Tim Hortons crunchy top, coarse sparkling or sanding sugar may be sprinkled on before baking, but this variation was not tested in this batch.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Mr. CBB

More Copycat and Muffin Recipes You’ll Love

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

  1. Theses look mighty good!!! The only time I hit Timmies is at the hospital for appointments with hubby. As he is currently doing so much better than two years ago even that isn’t often. The muffin there I really like is the pumpkin spice muffin they have in the fall……so good!!!!
    I’ll have to try this recipe soon!!! I need to stock up on baking supplies at the bulk store!!!!!

    • I tend to go when I’m on the road or out for a long time. Going on road trips I pretty much go for certain and that’s when I might grab that chocolate chip muffin. My wife LOVES the pumpkin spice muffin but my pumpkin cake that is on the blog is better! If you love pumpkin pie the cake is like a slice of pie and I told her I could put a white icing like Timmies has on their muffin but on the cake. You should try it sometime!! THanks for commenting Christine.

    • Well let me know what you think. The only reason I would not get the same results when following recipes is my oven is different in terms of temps or the ingredients I use are not as high quality or different.

  3. Just made these and they are absolutely delicious!! Moist and fluffy like Tim’s and the taste I’d better. I was suprised by how little sugar you needed and I am curious to try 1/4 cup next time to see if there is much of a difference I. Sweetness. The chocolate chips take care of the rest of the sweetness. I used parchment baking cups and they just peel off the muffin perfectly. Definitely keeping this one in my recipe book!!

    Thank you for the great recipe!

  4. I just made these on the weekend and normally I don’t leave comments but our daughter loves them and so do we.
    Ever since Covid-19 it’s been hard getting out of the house so we are doing more at home. Thanks, Mr.CBB for such a great recipe and for the tips to make them just like Tim Hortons.

    • Hi Elisa,
      Well thank you for taking the time to leave a review on my recipe. I’m glad she liked it. Our son adores these Tim Horton Copy Cat chocolate chip muffins and I’m glad because they are far cheaper to make than buy.

      • The instructions are poor
        First you say “add all the DRY ingredients together”
        Then you say “add the milk SUGAR…blah bah blah” but I already add the DRY sugar to the DRY ingrediants – Hope this doesn’t mess it up – cause I made a double batch that would be a costly waste
        Maybe a change to the directions is in order….

        • Hi Sarah,
          Before you attempt any recipe it’s advised to read it in full as some recipe authors do make mistakes.
          Sugar is not really a wet ingredient, it’s just treated as one in certain types of baking (i.e. cakes and muffins).
          In this instance, since it’s a cake sugar is not a dry ingredient as it is mixed with eggs. This is common practice when baking cakes and muffins. 🙂
          Saying that, let me know how it turns out for you.
          P.S – I’ve noted the dry ingredients as flour, baking soda and baking powder along with the added chocolate chips (this is obviously an extra). This way the next person won’t add sugar to the dry ingredients. I hope that helps.

  6. Unfortunately didn’t come out like the timmies muffins at all 🙁
    I was looking for those crispy delicious muffin tops
    They were Ok, consistency inside fluffy and nice but lacked a bit of sweetness. Think I’d need to add a bit more sugar next time
    Trying to think how to make those crispy muffin tops come out as they’re the best part and what I miss so much about tim Hortons muffins!

    • Hi Jen,
      You can definitely add more sugar if you didn’t find them sweet enough. Did you hike the oven up to 400 degrees? I think that’s what I have in the post. My wife used to work at Tim Hortons back when she baked the muffins and that’s how they got the big muffin tops then lowered the heat to finish cooking in the inside. Every oven is different which is sad. Try it again and see. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂

  7. Hi Mr.CBB
    I made a batch this weekend using the small chipits and they turned out great. Putting them on high heat and lowering it did the trick. Yay. It’s way better than having to go buy them at Tim’s, especially during Covid-19.

  8. Wow. Just wow
    I made them with milk chocolat chips and they turned out spectacular thank you. The thing i do every morning will having my coffee is look at pinteress to see what i could make today and i do not regret today

  9. I have to agree with Jen R. They were nothing like a tim Hortons muffin. Not at all sweet, and I had the oven up to 400 for seven minutes and they were still super flat. The consistency was decent though. That’s the only thing that was good. Very disappointed

  10. These tasted just as they are at Tim Hortons but without the fancy brown muffin liners. I used mini chocolate chips and the trick of boosting the top by turning the oven to 400 worked. Smart. Overall my family over them and I know every ingredient I used. Thanks
    Oh, I found the sweet enough white the chocolate chips.
    Mya Broderick

  11. Only thing I didn’t like was the taste…just not quite sweet enough in comparison to Tim’s. I used milk chocolate chips…next time I think I will try minis and double the sugar…they did taste good…once I dipped the tops in sugar.
    Good recipe..just needs some tweaks…could just be my taste buds ;). Thank you.

  12. I have a mild addiction to Timmy’s chocolate chip muffins. I cringe a little every time I see the 420 calories, not to mention the price. After reading the recipe & the comments I came up with some changes. Sugars are liquids. One cup of white sugar…I split half & half white sugar & stievia. Then come the fats…butter, Greek yogurt, & buttermilk. This time I tried, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup of fat free Greek yogurt & 3/4 cup skimmed milk with 1tbsp lemon juice. I added an instant pudding mix to the dry ingredients. I would still like to reduce the fats a little more…perhaps next time. Hand mixing muffins is best. It way to easy to over mix. Each muffin was topped with a portion of the mini chippits & white sugar crystals. Good batch of muffins though.

    • Wow, you really did switch it up. That’s awesome thanks for sharing. When Mrs. CBB worked as the muffin baker at Tim Hortons this was the recipe and process she followed. THey used a massive mixer to mix the muffins but I have heard many people like to hand mix small batches. Thanks for sharing.

  13. Love Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip muffins and would really like to make these. What would be the weight of the flour added in grams?

  14. I made these with my 4 year old twin girls and they are delicious…I used mayo instead of sour cream or yogurt, and milk chocolate chips but they came out great…this is definitely a recipe we will make again for our famiky

    • Hi Christina,
      Thanks for your feedback. Our son loves muffins from Tim Horton’s so I really tried to come up with something similar that he would eat. He loves these. Phew. I love how you substituted the sour cream for the mayo. I’ve done that in the past for recipes or added yogurt. Thanks for stopping by. Mr.CBB

  15. I didn’t see how much butter to add? Ingredient list doesn’t show it. Just in thrle directions says to melt butter in microwave.

  16. I wish I had found this recipe sooner, I have made these twice now, both times they were light, fluffy, sweet and delicious!
    I find the recipe easy to follow and they do look and taste like Timmy’s.
    Thanks so much for this great little recipe!

  17. Well mine were a complete disaster. Overflowed the full muffin tin cups and now all over my oven. I followed the instructions to a tee. Any suggestions?

  18. I’ve made your Copycat Tim Hortons Chocolate Chip muffins 4 times and my family loves them. I don’t normally comment on recipes but this one saves us money and taste just like the real deal. I live how fluffy and moist they are too. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe. P.S I may or may not add extra chocolate chips. Yum!

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