Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix Mini Muffins
These chocolate chip pancake mix mini muffins are the easiest way to enjoy fresh, warm muffins for breakfast! With pancake mix muffins, there’s no need to measure flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
We love smart kitchen shortcuts that help make homemade eats and treats a little bit easier, and pancake mix is a multitasker in this department. Naturally, you can use it to make pancakes, but did you know you can also use it as a base for muffins?
These chocolate chip pancake mix mini muffins start with a basic pancake mix—the kind you buy at the grocery store that you add water to. Instead of water, add the standard wet ingredients for muffins, with a little extra sugar and chocolate chips, and you’ve got fluffy, soft muffins lickety-split!
If you love chocolate chip pancakes, these chocolate chip pancake mix mini muffins are going to be a new favorite.
About this pancake mix muffin recipe
Pancake mix is a great staple to have on hand in the kitchen. It’s made with flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, which means you can use it as a base for a number of baked goods that begin with those ingredients.
The best thing about pancake mix muffins is that you don’t have to measure all those dry ingredients and wash a bunch of measuring cups and spoons afterwards!
We love these chocolate chip pancake mix mini muffins for breakfast (maybe topped with some orange honey butter?), tucked into lunchboxes for a sweet treat, or for a little afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee.
What you need
- Pancake mix – You’ll need the kind that says “just add water” on the package.
- Whole milk – Whole milk makes for a tender crumb, but reduced-fat (2%) milk can be used instead.
- Vegetable oil – Or another neutral-flavored oil like canola.
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar – Because muffins are sweeter than pancakes, you’ll need to add some extra sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Essential for that classic chocolate chip muffin flavor!
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips – Mini chips mean more chocolate in every bite since they’ll be more evenly distributed in the batter.
How to make them
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and coat two mini muffin pans with nonstick spray.
Tip: This recipe makes about 50 muffins. If you only have one muffin pan, you’ll need to bake the muffins in batches.
Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the pancake mix, milk, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a wooden spoon.
Fold in a cup of mini chocolate chips.
Fill the pans. Use a scoop or tablespoon to divide the batter into the muffin pans, filling each cup about halfway full. Top each muffin with a few mini chocolate chips.
Bake. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges and tops are golden brown.
Tip: The muffins will continue to bake after taking them out of the oven. If your oven runs hot, you may want to check them a minute or two earlier than suggested just to make sure they don’t over-bake.
Cool completely, then remove the muffins from the pans.
FAQs
No, muffin mix and pancake mix aren’t exactly the same. Although they have many of the same ingredients, they have different proportions. This is why pancake mix muffins require extra sugar.
Very carefully! Use a small spoon or scoop to fill the cups in your muffin pan; if you use a scoop or measuring cup, one with a small spout helps.
You don’t need muffin liners for these mini pancake muffins, but if you’d like to use them, you can.
How to make these chocolate chip pancake mix mini muffins your own
Here are some fun ways to customize your pancake mix muffins!
- Make them fruity. Swap the chocolate chips with diced strawberries or small blueberries (frozen wild blueberries are the perfect size for mini muffins!).
- Add some zest. Freshly grated orange zest is a delicious addition to chocolate chip muffins!
- Make them bakery-style. Sprinkle Demerara or another coarse sugar over the tops of the muffins before baking.
- Make them bigger. To make standard-size muffins with this recipe, line a regular muffin tin with paper liners and fill each well about two-thirds full. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. You should get 16 to 17 full-size muffins from this recipe.
Make Ahead Ideas
These pancake mix muffins can be made in advance and frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Storage Suggestions
Freshly baked pancake mix muffins will last 1 to 2 days when stored in a covered container at room temperature. The muffins will last about 5 to 7 days when refrigerated. If you do refrigerate them, place a paper towel on the bottom of the container to absorb excess moisture.
Reheating Tips
You can let frozen pancake mix muffins thaw at room temperature, or you can warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until they’re heated through.
More chocolate chip breakfast recipes
- Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
- Mocha Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups pancake mix (add water only variety)
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray mini muffin tins (for 50 mini muffins) with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pancake mix, milk, oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Don't overmix.
- Fold in 1 cup of the mini chocolate chips.
- Using a scoop or tablespoon, spoon batter into muffin pans, filling about half full. Top the muffins with a few mini chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges and tops are lightly browned. Cool completely in pans before removing and serving or storing.
Notes
- Makes about 50 mini muffins.
- IMPORTANT: The pancake mix used in this recipe is the Just Add Water version. It is often labeled “complete” on the box. It includes the leavening agents needed to make the muffins rise.
- Keep in mind that the muffins continue to bake being removed from the oven. Checking them for a minute or so before the 1st suggested time helps them not to overbake.
- Overfilling the wells of the muffin tin will result in the muffin spilling out and spreading. I used a one tablespoon scoop. However, since mini muffin tins vary, we would recommend filling each well no more than halfway.
- To make regular size muffins with this recipe, line a regular muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each well about two-thirds full. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. It will make 16 to 17 standard size muffins.