why do my muffins taste like ..?!
Answers:
muffin recipes do tend to be more dense. If you want it more cupcake like, compare a cake recipe with your muffin recipe and check out what the differences are.
Also, don't try to make it low fat by cutting out the oil. I tried that once and...well, not so good, not even with the applesauce trick. Just use the fat.
The chocolate chips are not the problem, for sure. but you may try coating them with a bit of flour to prevent them from sinking.
Add more liquid. Namely eggs (they make 'em cakier) and oil for moisture, though too much oil will make them spread out too much.
How about a muffins cook book om the idea.