Muffin Basics – Homemade Muffin Recipes
Homemade Muffins are very easy to make. Mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and hand stir lightly. Usually, you only need to stir them about 12-15 times. The batter will be very lumpy but that is the way it should be. Homemade muffins are one thing you don’t want to over-mix. Pour them into greased muffin cups about 2/3 full. If you don’t have enough batter to fill all of the cups in the pan, you can fill the empty ones with water if you like. I do this sometimes but not always.
- If you are adding nuts or fruit, mix them in with the dry ingredients before you add the liquids. This keeps them from all falling to the bottom of the muffin.
- Your muffins should come out with rounded tops and a light fluffy texture. If they don’t, there could be a couple of things you are doing wrong:
- Flat heavy muffins with tunnels may mean your oven temperature is too low.
- If the muffin has a lopsided or misshapen peak, the oven temperature could be too high.
- Knobs and peaks on top and long tunnels can also be caused by over-mixing.
Here is a basic homemade muffin mix recipe from Dining on A Dime:
Basic Muffins
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
Mix ingredients together. Spoon into greased muffin cups, 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 12-15 muffins.
Add these ingredients to a basic muffin mix or recipe to liven up your muffins:
- Bacon or Ham – Reduce sugar to 2 Tbsp. and add 1/2 cup chopped bacon or ham
- Blueberries – 1 cup
- Cherries or cranberries – 2/3 cup of cherries or cranberries, mixed with 2 Tbsp. of sugar first
- Dried fruit – 1/2 cup apricots, currants, peaches, figs, prunes, raisins or dates
- Nuts – 1/3 cup chopped
- Cheese – 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/8 tsp. paprika
- Cornmeal – 1 cup cornmeal and 1 cup flour
- Whole wheat – 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup flour. This is especially good with crumbled bacon.
The sky is the limit with what you can add to a muffin mix if you have a hand full of many different things. For example a little leftover corn would be good in a cornmeal muffin, a few chocolate chips would spruce up lots of different muffins, etc.
-Jill
Photo By: norwichnuts
I love muffins and these ideas are great!
I wanted to tell you Jill that I made muffins using this formula the other day. I used 1-1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup oatmeal and 1 cup pineapple chunks, along with the rest of the recipe and made Pineapple Oatmeal Muffins. I wanted to use up some pineapple I had in the refrigerator and added the oatmeal for some fiber, and they came out great. I also made that soup recipe you had on the blog with contains tomato juice, hot sauce, potatoes and a bag of frozen vegetables to have a meatless supper for Lent. Thanks for the recipes. Very good.
Bea that is another new one for me. I have never had pineapple muffins before but they sound good. I wonder if you could add some coconut and nuts. Yum.
I think coconut, or nuts, or both, would be good too. The pineapple I used were canned chunks, and it was nice to bite into a muffin and have a nice whole chunk of pineapple there. Yummy. What I like about the muffin formula is you can add whatever hits your fancy or whatever you want to use up. Did you ever hear of pumpkin blueberry muffins? I found a recipe for that and want to try that combo too.
No Bea I haven’t but like you say the combinations are endless.
hello,
I make muffins very frequently and found that instead of the 1/4 c. oil you can substitute 1/4 c.applesauce. Cuts down on calories and tastes wonderful. Enjoy
i often wondered about this myself gertrud .. i know when i bake a cake i use the applesauce instead of the oil .. but i never used it for the muffins .. i will have to try that ..
and bea .. great idea’s on different kinds of muffins .. yummy
I use buttermilk in my muffins and they have a more moist texture. I use a variety of dried fruits and NO sugar and they turn out wonderful each time.
Jill, Did you ever add choc chips to your banana bread recipe from your cookbook? I want to make the banana bread recipe tonight as MUFFINS as you suggested, and I will add cinnamon chips I have. I have made banana bread in the past with chocolate chips and it is real good.
Bea I haven’t tried the chocolate chips but I know others who have and who love it. I have never heard of cinnamon chips before. I bet those would be good in many things.
Jill, I found the cinnamon chips at a store that sells discounted products and foods. It’s called Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. They have stores in 10 states. It has wonderful things in it. Even discounted Christian books. The cinnamon chips are great. They are real good in sugar cookies and quick breads, so I’m anxious to try them in the Banana Muffins.
My daughter likes to bake so I am putting this on the inside of my pantry door. Thank you! This is great!
These are so easy and very good
Potato Muffins
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups mashed potatoes (prepared with milk and butter)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture just until moistened. Fold in potatoes and parsley. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees 30-35 minutes. When done let sit 5 minutes before removing from pan. Good with soup.
Can’t wait to try some of these ideas! I sometimes use Christy’s Zucchini Bread recipe from southernplate.com to make yummy muffins. I use golden raisins instead of regular raisins-a little more expensive but well worth the difference, and I sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar. The result is a fabulous tasting, fancy looking muffin treat. I usually bake these for my husband’s classes at the end of the semester and they are always a hit!
Have a great day, everyone!
my three favorite muffin recipes are buttermilk muffins, cinnamon sugar muffins and moms sweet muffins. these never last at my house.
I was looking for a basic muffin mix and came across your site. after putting them in the oven I came across a lot more almost all said to add an egg, hope these turn out without the egg?
This recipe here did say to add one egg. I didn’t know if you over looked it or just didn’t have an egg. They will probably be eatable just will have a different texture.
I was browsing and looked up home made muffins and came across this sight. It was so timely because I’m hosting a Communion Breakfast at my church next Sat. and I was trying to decide what to have to go with a baked omlet & sausage and fresh fruit. Different kinds of muffins will work just fine. Thank you.
Not sure what you mean?
I’m not sure what your question is Harriet?