How to Make Muffins

They don’t call them quick breads for nothing — you can go from thinking about muffins to eating fresh hot muffins pretty fast.

By: Lesley Porcelli

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Get the Basics

Though muffins are nearly foolproof, here are the answers to the crucial questions.

Do I Need a Mixer?

Nope. Most muffin recipes have you whisk together the dry ingredients first.

Wet Ingredients

Whisk together the wet ingredients.

Combine Wet and Dry

Finally, combine the two until the batter just comes together. That’s it.

What's the Deal with Papers?

Besides letting muffins release from the pan easily, muffin papers are cute and homey — who can resist? But you can still make muffins if you forgot to buy papers — be sure to oil or butter the muffin pan very well so the muffins pop right out.

How Far Do Those Muffin Cups Get Filled?

If your recipe makes as many muffins as you have spaces in your pan, just divide the batter evenly among them. But if there’s guesswork involved, err on the side of filling muffin cups three-quarters of the way, to allow for rising without overflow. Alton Brown likes to eliminate doubt completely by using an ice-cream scoop matched to the size of the muffin pan to divvy up the batter.

Can I Go Big (or Mini)?

Yes, you can translate a standard recipe to fit extra-large pans or miniature-muffin pans, but you will have to adjust cooking time. Start checking 5 to 10 minutes earlier for minis, and 5 minutes later for large.

Perfect Tops

It's like cake: When they're beautifully domed and a toothpick or skewer to the center comes out clean, they’re done. Try this method with Ina Garten's Blueberry Muffins.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Muffins