These bakery-style red velvet muffins are loaded with white chocolate chips for a gooey breakfast treat or a sweet afternoon snack. Made from scratch with buttermilk and a hint of cocoa powder, this muffin recipe comes together in about 10 minutes with a few simple ingredients.
For more red velvet-flavored goodies, try our no-bake red velvet cookie dough, cream cheese-frosted red velvet loaf, and red velvet banana pudding.

The best red velvet chocolate chip muffins
Calling all red velvet fans! You’ll love sinking your teeth into these moist, gooey red velvet muffins.
Enjoyed warm, the white chocolate chips and buttermilk give the muffins a delicious fudgy taste and rich texture.
The recipe is super simple. 2 bowls, a whisk, a muffin pan, and some paper liners are all the essentials you need to whip up this decadent red velvet recipe.
When I shared them with my family, they were gone in minutes. I bet they’ll be a hit at your house as well!
Garnish the muffin tops with coarse sugar and extra chocolate chips for good measure, and you get a bakery-style treat in the comfort of your own kitchen.
The prefect treat with a tall glass of cold milk or a steaming cup of coffee.
If warm muffins are your favorite food to grab in the morning, you’ll have to try our vanilla muffins, Bisquick chocolate chip muffins, and dried cranberry muffins.

Ingredients
These chewy, sweet red velvet muffins come together easy with a handful of simple ingredients. It makes whipping up a batch so easy! Please see the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Natural cocoa powder: These moist red velvet muffins get their rich flavor from a touch of cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk adds richness to the recipe and creates a tender crumb.
- Vinegar: A splash of white vinegar reacts with the baking soda and gives the muffins a mile-high rise. It also contributes to the tangy flavor and red color.
- White chocolate chips: Plenty of white chocolate makes the muffins ooey-gooey inside. Remember to sprinkle some on top for a truly decadent bite.
- Red food coloring enhances the red color of the muffins.
- All-purpose flour gives the muffins structure and chew. For best results, always measure the flour with a kitchen scale or use the spoon-and-swipe technique.
- Baking powder is essential to give the muffins a light, fluffy texture.
- Granulated sugar provides sweetness and creates a tender crumb and light texture. You can also use light brown sugar for a richer taste.
- Melted butter keeps the muffins moist and adds delicious flavor. I like to use salted butter, but you can also use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Eggs help bind the ingredients together and add structure to the muffins.
- Turbinado sugar (optional): Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar onto the muffins before baking to create those crunchy, bakery-style muffin tops.
How to make red velvet muffins
Making homemade red velvet muffins is so easy! The muffins only take 10 minutes to mix and 20 minutes to bake, making them the perfect sweet treat.

1. Combine dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.

2. Mix wet ingredients
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar, red food coloring, and vanilla extract.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vinegar, and whisk until smooth and well combined.

3. Create muffin batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold in the white chocolate chips.

4. Fill the muffin pan
- Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each muffin cup almost to the top.
- Sprinkle additional chocolate chips and coarse sugar on top of each muffin.

5. Bake & cool
- Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. A few crumbs are fine, but if you see liquid batter, continue baking the muffins a bit longer.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes. Serve them warm or transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Baker’s tips
- Go easy on the mixing: The secret to perfect muffins is to barely mix the batter. You want the ingredients to come together, but a few lumps are okay. This way, they turn out moist and tender.
- Garnish the muffin tops with extra chocolate chips and coarse sugar. This creates a crispy topping that contrasts beautifully with a soft, fluffy interior.
- Check for doneness: To see if your red velvet muffins are ready to be removed from the oven, insert a toothpick or skewer and ensure it comes out clean. Avoid cooking them for too long, or they might dry out.
Variations & mix-ins
It’s so easy to customize the recipe with delicious mix-ins, a tasty topping, or by baking them in another size. Check out these ideas:
- Swap the chocolate: Try a different chocolate flavor or a combination. For example, add 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or 1 cup of ruby chocolate chips.
- Dust with powdered sugar: Instead of topping the muffins with powdered sugar and chocolate chips, dust your muffins with powdered sugar.
- Cream cheese swirl: To make cream cheese red velvet muffins, skip eth chocolate chips. Instead, mix together 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter. Then, bake the muffins as directed.
- Frosted muffins: Use this simple cream cheese icing to frost the muffins with a decadent frosting.
- Jumbo red velvet muffins: Instead of a regular-size tin, bake the recipe in jumbo muffin pans for a bakery-size treat. Just be sure to increase the baking time to 30 to 35 minutes for jumbo muffins.
- Mini red velvet muffins: You can also opt for a mini muffin pan. Mini red velvet muffins will bake much faster and only need approximately 12 to 15 minutes in the oven.

How to serve red velvet muffins
So you’ve made a batch of red velvet muffins, now what? Here are a few ideas you can enjoy them:
- Breakfast: I love serving the muffins as a quick grab-and-go breakfast on busy mornings. It’s so easy to pull one from the freezer and reheat it in seconds.
- Brunch: Pile the muffins into a basket as part of a special brunch and offer them with French toast, pancakes, and fruit salad.
- Afternoon snack: The muffins are also perfect for a tasty afternoon. Offer them with cold milk for a kid-friendly treat.
- Dessert: Red velvet white chocolate muffins can even pass for dessert for Valentine’s Day or romantic dinner, maybe with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce on the side.
- Tip: Muffins are tasty at room temperature and even better served warm.

Storage instructions
How to store red velvet muffins
Let your muffins cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or a large Ziploc bag.
They will stay good at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheat red velvet muffins
For fudgy red velvet muffins, enjoy them warm! If your muffins are frozen, let them sit at room on the counter for a couple of minutes as you preheat the oven to 350°F.
Frozen muffins need 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. Room temperature muffins only require 5 minutes to warm through.
Alternatively, microwave one muffin at a time for 20 to 30 seconds until just warm.
More muffin recipes to try
Homemade muffins are always a good idea! If you crave more, here are a few more delicious muffin recipes to try!
- Pistachio Muffins
- Butter Rum Muffins
- Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins
- Brown Sugar Muffins
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Blackberry Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Egg Muffins
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins by A Paige of Positivity

Red Velvet Muffins Recipe
These bakery-style red velvet muffins are loaded with white chocolate chips for a gooey breakfast treat or a sweet afternoon snack. Made from scratch with buttermilk and a hint of cocoa powder, this muffin recipe comes together in about 10 minutes with a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups / 240 g / 8.5 oz all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup / 100 g / 3.5 oz white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup / 1 stick / 115 g / 4 oz salted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup / 180 ml / 6 fl oz buttermilk
- 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- red food coloring
- 1 1/2 cups / 250 g / 9 oz white chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp Turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Prepare for baking. Adjust a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Line a standard 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, sugar, and red food coloring. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vinegar, and whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Create muffin batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin pan. Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, filling each muffin cup almost to the top. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips and coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake. Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. A few crumbs are fine, but if you see liquid batter, continue baking the muffins a bit longer.
- Cool. Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes. Serve them warm or transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Notes
- Go easy on the mixing: The secret to perfect muffins is to barely mix the batter. You want the ingredients to come together, but a few lumps are okay. This way, they turn out moist and tender.
- Garnish the muffin tops with extra chocolate chips and coarse sugar. This creates a crispy topping that contrasts beautifully with a soft, fluffy interior.
- Check for doneness: To see if your red velvet muffins are ready to be removed from the oven, insert a toothpick or skewer and ensure it comes out clean. Avoid cooking them for too long, or they might dry out.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 5g
FAQ
What’s the difference between red velvet muffins and red velvet cupcakes?
While they do taste similar, red velvet muffins are different from cupcakes in a couple of ways.
For one, red velvet cupcakes is usually have a smooth, light, and fluffy texture.
Red velvet muffins have a denser texture, and a more rustic appearance. I also added white chocolate chips to my muffins.
Red velvet cupcakes typically get a nice, thick swirl of cream cheese frosting on top, while muffins do not.
Instead, I finished my big, domed muffin tops with a sprinkle of coarse sugar and an extra sprinkle of white chocolate chips.
Nai
Monday 27th of May 2024
how much red food coloring do you use and is that gel coloring that you include?
Irena | Country Hill Cottage
Wednesday 29th of May 2024
Hi Nai! Yes, I used red food coloring, probably 1/4 to 1/4 teaspoon, depending on how strong your colorant is and how red you want the batter. Happy baking!
Helen
Saturday 3rd of February 2024
Ummmm…. There’s no vanilla extract on the ingredients list but it’s mentioned in the instructions ?
Irena | Country Hill Cottage
Monday 5th of February 2024
Thank you for catching that, Helen! These don't have vanilla extract, but you can add 1 teaspoon if you'd like. Happy baking!