Basic Muffin Recipe

soft and fluffy muffin cut open on wrapper to show texture

5 from 13 votes

A scratch base muffin recipe that handles fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, citrus zest, and warm spices without changing anything else in the formula. Bakery-style tall domed tops with a tender, slightly tangy buttermilk crumb. Use this as a foundation for any muffin flavor you can dream up.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: muffins

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Liz Marek

Ingredients

4 ounces unsalted butter (½ cup) softened
5 ounces granulated sugar (¾ cup)
2 large eggs room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 ounces cake flour (2 cups)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces buttermilk (1 cup) room temperature
3 Tablespoons sanding sugar (optional for sprinkling on top)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or parchment liners. Make sure your eggs, butter, and buttermilk are at room temperature.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale. Scrape the bowl once or twice.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium until each is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix until pale and fluffy.
With the mixer on low, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ⅓ of the buttermilk. Repeat two more times until just combined. Do not overmix. Stop the second the flour streaks disappear.
Fold in your mix-ins by hand with a spatula. Toss heavier mix-ins (chocolate chips, fresh berries) in a teaspoon of the cake flour first to help them suspend evenly.
Fill each muffin liner all the way to the top using a large cookie scoop or a ⅓ cup measure. Sprinkle the tops with extra mix-ins and a pinch of sanding sugar.
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, drop the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake another 13 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Video

Notes

Mix-in rules

Up to 1 cup of dry mix-ins (chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, toasted coconut).
Up to ½ cup of wet mix-ins (fresh berries, chopped fresh fruit).
Toss heavier mix-ins in a teaspoon of cake flour before folding in to keep them suspended.
Optional flavor adds: 1 to 2 teaspoons of any spice (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc.), 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh citrus zest, or ½ teaspoon almond extract.

Ingredient notes

Cake flour is the key to the tender bakery-style crumb. If you must substitute, use 9 ounces all-purpose flour plus 1 ounce cornstarch sifted together (for muffins only, not for the vanilla cake recipe).
Real buttermilk is best. In a pinch, whole milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice (let stand 10 minutes) works.
Bring all refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before starting. Cold ingredients break the butter emulsion and give you a denser, less risen muffin.

Pan options

Jumbo muffin pan: 6 muffins, 5 minutes at 425°F then 22 to 25 minutes at 375°F.
Mini muffin pan: 24 muffins, skip the temperature drop and bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Make-ahead and storage

Plain or dry-mix-in muffins: airtight container at room temperature, 3 to 4 days.
Muffins with fresh fruit: refrigerate, up to 1 week.
Freezer: zip-top bag, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or microwave 20 to 30 seconds.

Critical do-nots

Don't underfill the liners. Tall bakery domes need batter filled all the way to the top.
Don't overmix once the flour goes in. Stop the second the streaks disappear.
Don't open the oven door during the first 10 minutes of baking. The dome will collapse.
Don't substitute all-purpose flour without the cornstarch swap. Straight all-purpose gives a tougher, drier crumb.
Don't skip the temperature drop. The two-stage bake is what gives you a tall dome that doesn't burn.
Don't add more than 1 cup of dry or ½ cup of wet mix-ins. The dome collapses past that.

Nutrition