There’s nothing better than freshly baked muffins to chase away the winter blues or lift up your spirits after a failed exam, a meeting gone wrong, a fight with your BFF, or a broken heart. It’s a delicious reward to celebrate your achievements, or a quick and yummy snack for your coffee break. It’s always a good time to have a muffin.
Nothing fixes a bad day (or makes a good one better!) better than a delicious treat. Pick a tasty muffin, which reasonable size will curb you desire to overindulge in your guilty pleasure. Whatever the reason that made you want to bake, here’s a list of muffins you just simply have to try.
1. Banana Crumb Muffins
Serves: 10
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 bananas, mashed
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Lightly grease the muffin tray or separate muffin cups (or line with muffin liners).
In a large bowl, mix 1½ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together the egg, melted butter, bananas, and sugar. Add the banana-egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it’s well moistened. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups and fill two-thirds of each.
In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add a tablespoon of butter and mix until the mixture resembles polenta. Sprinkle on top of the muffins.
Bake for about 20 minutes (to make sure the muffins are baked through, insert a toothpick and see if it comes out clean).
2. Blueberry Muffins
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups flour
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup butter, cubed
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Method:
For the muffins:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease the muffin tray or separate muffin cups (or line with muffin liners).
In a bowl, mix the baking powder, 1½ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar and half a spoon salt. In a measuring cup, put vegetable oil and fill one-third of it, add the egg and milk to fill the cup. Add this to flour mixture and fold in the blueberries.
Fill muffin cups to the very top, and sprinkle with some crumb topping mixture.
Bake for about 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.
For the Crumb Topping:
Mix the ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup butter, ⅓ cup flour add 1½ teaspoons cinnamon. Use a fork to mix it, and sprinkle the mixture over muffins before baking.
3. Cappuccino Muffins
Serves: 14
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
For the espresso spread:
- 120g cream cheese, cubed
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- ¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
In a food processor, mix the espresso spread ingredients, cover and process until well combined. Place the mixture in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate it until serving.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine milk and instant coffee granules, and leave until coffee is dissolved. Add the egg, butter and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture making sure it’s well moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill two-thirds of paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Bake at 190°C for about 20 minutes (insert a toothpick in the centre and see if it comes out clean). Serve warm with topped with espresso spread.
4. Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Serves: 18
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the streusel topping:
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190°C degrees.
In a bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Add the eggs mixture into the flour mixture and mix until it’s well moistened.
Spoon the batter into paper-lined or greased muffin cups. Divide the batter to make 18 muffins, filling two-thirds of the cups.
In a small bowl, put the butter in with the flour and sugar and cut it with a knife or fork in small pieces. Mix until it resembles crumbs.
Sprinkle the streusel over the unbaked dough.
Bake the muffins for about 15 minutes (the cupcakes should rise and if a toothpick is inserted in the centre of the muffin it comes out clean).
Allow the muffins to cool and sift powdered sugar over top.
5. Morning Glory Muffins
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1¼ cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut
flakes - 1 apple – peeled, cored and shredded
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 175°C. Lightly grease the muffin tray or 12 separate muffin cups (or line with muffin liners).
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the carrot, nuts, apple, raisins and coconut.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla, and oil. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and mix just until well moistened. Scoop batter into the muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean).
6. Mashed Potatoes Muffins
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 cup mashed potato
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped
- ¼ cup minced green onion
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Method:
Grease the muffin tray or separate muffin cups, and set aside. In large bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, and oregano.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and mashed potatoes and stir into flour mixture. Add red pepper and green onion, and stir just until well combined. Spoon into the muffin cups.
Bake in the oven at 200°C for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
A kitchen filled with the rich smell of baking pastry can brighten up your day. These flavourful muffins, make great breakfast or brunch, are very easy to make and they’re sure to put a smile on your face.
Happy baking!
