Basic Plain Muffin Recipe

This post is dedicated to my dear daughter who requested a basic pain muffin recipe she could change up with different flavors. As someone with hundreds of muffin recipes, I was suddenly overwhelmed and not sure which one to give her! I needed an off-the-cuff, no-fail muffin recipe that was truly moist and could be modified easily.

This is the recipe I gave her. It is easy to memorize and calls for basic pantry ingredients. Plus you can make many substitutions. Out of sour cream? Use yogurt. No oil? Melted butter will work. And the flavor combinations are endless. I made yesterday's batch with blueberries, then made a second small batch using Bailey's Irish Cream in place of half the milk and some mini chocolate chips.

Lining Muffin Tins With Parchment

Another thing I love about this recipe is the muffins are large, thanks to the use of 5-inch parchment squares rather than traditional cupcake liners. The trick is to wet them before squishing them into the muffin pans. Just wet them, crinkle into a ball, and press them into the tins. It looks like a bit of a mess at first, but the parchment holds the batter well. The tall sides act as tall walls so the muffins can be filled with more batter and are taller. The parchment also gives the muffins shiny sides, which I like.

And next, the batter. This is an easy one where you just mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet and fold everything together with your choice of add-ins. I used blueberry because I had some frozen blueberries, then made a batch with chocolate chips and Bailey's Irish Cream in place of half of the milk. Again, these are versatile!

While you can use melted butter in place of oil, I've found that using neutral sunflower oil and adding LorAnn butter flavored emulsion offers the best of both world. The LorAnn is a pretty good tasting butter flavor, compared to some others, and works beautifully here. It is optional, but worth picking up at a craft store or ordering.

Sweet and Savory

These muffins lean sweet, but aren't as sweet as cupcakes. To me they're the perfect level for a sweet fruit or chocolate chip muffin. These are muffins I'd share at a party or serve on a special occasion. If you want to go with a more savory muffin to serve alongside chili or maybe a slightly healthier small batch recipe, here are a few other suggestions.

All Purpose Streusel Topping

I realized I didn't put the recipe for streusel topping with the muffins. This is an optional all-purpose streusel topping you can make ahead and store in the refrigerator. It's the crumbly white kind best used in small amounts for texture, so it's understated and just there for accent unlike bolder brown sugar and nut streusels.  

Streusel: Mix ½ cup (65 grams) of flour with 3 tablespoons (36 grams) sugar. Add 2 ½ tablespoons (36 grams) of very soft, cooled, best quality you can get your hands on salted butter and stir until crumbly. Add a pinch of salt. If you used unsalted butter, use more salt.   If you want to spice it up or warm up the flavor you can incorporate a little brown sugar. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer and use small amounts as needed.

• Small Batch Cottage Cheese Muffins -- Extra protein, still sweet
• White Chocolate Raspberry -- Rich muffins
• Egg-Free Muffins -- These are vegan, but can also me modified
• Chipotle Corn Muffins -- One of my few savory muffin recipes
• Cooked Oatmeal Muffins -- Less sweet, made with prepared oatmeal

Recipe