Ahh muffins. They’re the healthier sister (or brother) of the cupcake. You can eat them with breakfast or have them with coffee. Eat them whenever you feel like it because NO ONE should tell you how to live your life.

As an added bonus, this recipe uses oil instead of butter. No more waiting a century for it to defrost! The price of butter is also maddening right now. My go-to is always avocado oil, but you can use any other neutral-tasting oil such as canola, vegetable, sunflower, or refined coconut oil.

At Canuck Kitchen, We Like to Bend the Rules

All recipes are displayed first. Any tips, tricks, variations, and other nonsense will follow the recipe for you to scroll at your heart’s content. View our other recipes here.

Muffins: Basic Recipe with Variations

Everyone needs a basic muffin recipe in their arsenal. This recipe is super versatile and can be modified to your liking.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 149 kcal

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup white sugar (or brown sugar, you can also do 1/4 white and 1/4 brown)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (you can also use non dairy milk)
2 eggs
¼ cup avocado oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can also use almond extract or maple syrup)
¼-2 cups mixins of choice

Instructions

In a large bowl (or a medium bowl if you're daring), mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate large bowl, add the milk, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla extract (or maple syrup, or other extract of choice). Whisk it together like your life depends on it.
If you're using any mixins (blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc.), add them in now. Add liquids to the liquids, and solids with the solids. EXCEPTION: If you're using instant coffee and/or any kind of zest, add it to the liquids.
Make a well* in the center of the dry ingredients. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients in there and stir. I like to use a rubber spatula at this step, but the choice is yours. Try not to overmix the batter. Don't worry if there are a few chunks here and there.
Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups. This recipe makes about 12 muffins. Fill the cups about 3-quarters full.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted at the highest peak comes out clean). Once they have cooled, remove them from the pan and lay them on a rack to cool.

Notes

Cook times and calories are approximate. Calories will also vary depending on what you mix in to it.

*Make a Well: Hollow out the center of your dry ingredients so it’s almost like you’re creating a “pocket” for the wet ingredients to be poured into. If you’re still unsure, just YouTube it.

Muffin Variations:

Mixed Berry: Add 1/3 cup strawberries, 1/3 cup raspberries, and 1/3 cup blueberries. Fold in at the end of the mixing process.

Cinnamon White Chocolate: Add 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon and up to 1 cup white chocolate chips.

Strawberry Lime: Add the zest of 2 limes, 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 1 cup strawberries (diced).

Banana Nut: Add 1/2 cup pecans and 4 overripe bananas. Mash the bananas and fold them in at the end.

Apple Cinnamon: Add 2 apples (peeled, cored, and chopped) and 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon. Top muffins with additional cinnamon before baking.

Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 1-2 tablespoons poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

Cinnamon Raisin: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup raisins.

Mocha Cherry: Add 2 tablespoons instant coffee and up to 1 cup cherries (pitted).

Raspberry White Chocolate: Add 1 cup raspberries and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.

Visit www.canuckkitchen.com for more info regarding mixins, variations, and other tips and tricks.

Keyword baking, basic muffins, basic muffins with variations, beginner baking, muffins, quick and easy

I think having basic, versatile recipes in your arsenal is the key when it comes to mastering the kitchen. The more you can customize them, the better. Also, I think it’s awesome because you can make endless recipes from one simple recipe. I do plan on posting more muffin recipes anyways, just in case this one gets lost in cyber space.

Tips and Tricks for How to Make Muffins

Don’t Overmix Batter

The more you mix, the tougher it gets. Muffins should be light, delicate, and dainty. Keep it that way. Stop mixing once everything is just blended.

Pure Extracts are Top Tier

Spend the extra cash and get yourself pure extracts instead of the imitations/artificial extracts. You will notice the difference and going the extra mile is so worth it!

Try Different Flours

All-purpose flour will give you a more dense muffin, whereas pastry flour will make a lighter muffin.

Give Me Some Sugar, Baby

Brown sugar and white sugar can be used interchangeably in any recipe (using a 1:1 ratio). What I mean by that is 1 cup = 1 cup, etc. Brown sugar provides a more dense and moist final product. The sweetness level remains the same between the two sugars.

Use an Ice Cream Scoop for Less Mess

Use an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the baking cups. While this may be an extra utensil to clean up, it’s worth it. Trust me. Try not to overfill the cups though. Also, If you’re not using paper cups, grease the pan before you add the batter.

Tips for Fruit

Save the Best for Last

Fruit should be your last step. Gently fold them in after you’ve mixed everything. This will also prevent the colours from dyeing the rest of your batter. Unless that’s what you’re going for.

Don’t Thaw Frozen Fruit

If you’re using frozen fruit, don’t thaw them in advance. This will create excess liquids and an overly runny batter. Keep them frozen until you’re ready to use them.

Rinse Fruit Before Using

Rinse your fruit in cold water until it runs clear. This will prevent the colours from bleeding onto your masterpiece. Again, unless that’s what you’re going for. Red muffins might be pretty cool for Valentine’s Day or Halloween.

Cut Your Fruit

Cut down larger pieces of fruit. They will sink to the bottom if they are too heavy in the batter.

Lightly Coat Fruit in Flour

Coat your fruit with 1-2 tablespoons of flour from your dry mixture. This will also help to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin. You can also top your muffins with more fruit before baking for a fruity explosion.

How to Make Muffins: Muffin Variations

Here are some foolproof flavour combinations if you need some inspiration.