Anything But Basic Muffin Recipe (with 9 variations!)

Oh boy, do I have a post for you. I’ve spent the last two days perfecting a basic muffin recipe that’s so good, Alex and I ate about 1/4 of them in one night. 

But basic doesn’t describe these muffins well. Because this is anything but a basic muffin recipe. It’s moist, flavorful, and like the most versatile muffin recipe I’ve ever made. So versatile that I created 9 different versions for you all.

So let’s break it down.

Blueberry Muffins

I mean, duh. Blueberry muffins are, like, the king of muffins. Simple and pure, with those lovely juicy blueberry jewels inside.

Banana Nut Muffins

Another classic. This banana nut muffin variation is perfect for a crowd. Who can resist a banana muffin, especially when it’s chock full of roasted walnuts?!

Gluten-free Muffins

(Not pictured). My gluten-free version of these muffins was AWESOME. I used a gluten-free 1:1 flour from Bob’s Red Mill, and highly recommend it!

Cornmeal Muffins

The underdog of the group, this might actually be my favorite variation. You omit a portion of the all-purpose flour in place of cornmeal, and top it with honey. These would be fantastic warm with butter.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

These were awesome. I mean, anything with chocolate in it is a winner in my book.

Vegan Muffins

(Not pictured). I made a vegan version of my muffin base, and was very pleased with the result. To vegan-ize these muffins, I used a flax egg, almond milk, and oil. It was nearly indistinguishable from the control base!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

This was another frontrunner for me. The hint of warmth with the cinnamon, combined with the sweet raisins, was fantastic. I used quick rolled oats, but you can also use old fashioned oats for more texture. I topped these with a cream cheese glaze, but this is totally optional- they were awesome without the glaze, too.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

To get the lemony-est taste, I used both lemon juice and lemon zest in this variation. The result was a lemon-forward muffin with just the right amount of poppyseeds. I topped it with a quick lemon glaze, but again, totally optional on this part!

Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Alex’s favorite of the bunch. There is just something about cocoa powder that imparts this extra oomph of velvety textured goodness. Of course, we topped these with dark chocolate chunks. My one recommendation with this variation is that you scoop a little less batter into each muffin, as they puff up more due to the cocoa powder. So instead of using 10 muffin cups, use 12.

Anything But Basic Muffins

★★★★★

5 from 12 reviews

• Author: Sarah | Broma Bakery

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 muffin cups, and spray the muffin cups with an oil-based spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing only until combined. Having a few lumps in the batter is totally fine!
5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling just shy of the top of the cups. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, without opening your oven door, turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes

For the Lemon Poppyseed variation:

In Step 2, reduce the buttermilk to 1/2 cup, and add in 1/4 cup lemon juice, the zest of 2 lemons, and 3 tablespoons poppyseeds. For the glaze, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Microwave for 15 seconds, then drizzle over muffins. Top with lemon zest.

For the Chocolate Chip variation:

In Step 3, toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the flour mixture before folding into wet ingredients.  

For the Blueberry variation:

In Step 3, add in an additional 2 tablespoons of flour, then toss 6 oz fresh blueberries into the flour mixture before folding into wet ingredients.  

For the Corn Muffin variation:

In Step 3, reduce the flour to 1 cup, and add in 3/4 cup cornmeal. 

For the Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin variation:

In Step 3, reduce the flour to 1 1/4 cup, and add in 1 cup of quick rolled oats, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. In step 4, fold in 1/2 cup raisins. For the glaze, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese. Microwave for 15 seconds, then drizzle over muffins. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

For the Banana Nut variation:

In Step 2, reduce the buttermilk to 1/2 cup, and add in 1 mashed banana and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. In step 4, fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. 

For the Double Chocolate Chunk variation:

In Step 3, reduce the flour to 1 3/4 cup, and add in 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. In Step 4, fold in 3/4 cups chocolate chunks.

For the Vegan variation:

In Step 2, omit the eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk. Substitute with 2 flax eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cups almond milk, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. 

For the Gluten-Free variation:

In Step 3, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten free 1:1 flour.