The Best Basic Muffin Recipe | Plus Tips & Variations

Our go-to basic muffin recipe is tried, tested and loved by everyone! Mix and match with your favourite fillings for perfect muffins every single time!

Basic Muffin Ingredients

Our basic muffin recipe uses just 5 ingredients (and best of all - they're budget-friendly pantry/fridge staples!):   

• self-raising flour - otherwise known as self-rising flour. If you don't have self-raising flour, you can make your own by adding 2 teaspoon baking powder to 1 cup plain flour. 
• caster sugar - otherwise known as superfine sugar. 
• oil - I use vegetable oil for my muffins. You can also use coconut oil however the texture will be different. Avoid olive oil as the flavour is over-powering.
• egg
• milk - full fat/full cream is best.

Most Popular Muffin Variations

Our basic muffin recipe can be mixed and matched with any of your favourite add-ins. Here's a few of our most popular muffin variations: 

Easy Blueberry Muffins

This is such a classic muffin recipe! Add white chocolate chips if you're feeling naughty!

Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Cafe-style fluffy and moist blueberry muffins with a crunchy sugar top and bursts of fresh or frozen blueberries. A simple 3 step recipe that takes just 5 minutes to prepare!

5 from 65 votes

White Chocolate & Raspberry Muffins

One of my favourite muffin recipes ever... and they're SO simple!

Raspberry And White Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Bakery-style soft, fluffy and moist Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins made completely from scratch!

5 from 238 votes

Banana Muffins

The perfect banana muffin recipe - great for using up leftover bananas!

Banana Muffins Recipe

My classic banana muffin recipe bakes perfectly soft and moist muffins that are ready in less than 30 minutes! A super easy recipe that's great for lunch boxes.

5 from 15 votes

Apple & Oat Muffins

Oats and apple make a delicious muffin combo.

Oat & Apple Muffins Recipe

Made with fresh apples and rolled oats, these moist, 10-minute apple oat muffins are perfect for breakfast, lunch boxes or an afternoon treat.

5 from 11 votes

More Muffin Variation Ideas

• chocolate chips
• chopped dates and pecans
• strawberries and coconut
• mixed berries and dark chocolate chips

Whatever you choose to add to your basic muffin mix - know that it will be totally delicious.

Tips For Baking Perfect Muffins

Tip 1 - Don't Over-Mix The Ingredients

The most important thing of all is to make sure that you don't over-mix the ingredients! Over-mixed muffins will be dense and tough.. yuck! Gently mix the ingredients together until just combined (a few lumps are fine) and then carefully fold through your add-ins.

Tip 2 - Seperate The Wet & Dry Ingredients

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. This means that when you pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, you'll only have to gently mix them together.

Tip 3 - Crunchy Topped Muffins

For delicious crunchy topped muffins, sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top just before baking. Yum!

Tip 4 - Muffin Cases

Use muffin cases - you wont have to worry about washing up (plus they look pretty!).

Tip 5 - Place Rice Into The Base Of The Tray

In order to avoid your paper muffin cases becoming soggy and oily, place a small amount of uncooked rice in the bottom of each muffin hole in the tray. Discard after cooking the muffins.

Tip 6 - Don't Over-Fill The Muffin Holes

Fill your muffin cases ⅔ full - this will give you perfect muffins without them spilling all over your baking tray.

Tip 7 - Cooling The Muffins

Allow your muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tip 8 - Storing Muffins

Muffins are best eaten on the day that they've been cooked, however, you can store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Tip 9 - Freezing Muffins

Freeze muffins in airtight sealable plastic bags or wrap in plastic wrap and place into an airtight container. Frozen muffins are perfect for lunch boxes - they'll be defrosted by recess time!

More Muffin Recipes

For more quick and easy muffin recipes, browse our entire muffin collection here.

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The Best Basic Muffin Recipe

Our go-to basic muffin recipe is tried, tested and loved by everyone! Mix and match with your favourite fillings for perfect muffins every single time!

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: Muffins

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 serves

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Ingredients

• ▢ 265 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
• ▢ 170 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 50 g (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• ▢ 240 g (1 cup) milk

Instructions

Conventional Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 if using fan-forced).
• Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Sift the self raising flour into a large bowl.
• Add the sugar and stir together.
• Create a well in the centre of the dry mixture.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, oil and milk.
• Pour the liquid into the well and very gently fold the mixture together (the batter should be slightly lumpy - do not over-mix).
• Gently fold through any add-ins.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (fill ⅔ to the top).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.
• Allow to cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thermomix Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius (180 if using fan-forced). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases.
• Place the self raising flour into the TM bowl and sift by pressing Turbo 5 times.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix on Speed 5 for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds (the batter should be lumpy).
• Use the spatula to gently fold through any add-ins.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (fill ⅔ to the top).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Self-raising flour – otherwise known as self-rising flour. If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can make your own by adding 2 teaspoon baking powder to 1 cup plain flour. 

Caster sugar – otherwise known as superfine sugar. 

Oil – I use vegetable oil for my muffins. You can also use coconut oil however the texture will be different. Avoid olive oil as the flavour is over-powering.

Milk – full fat/full cream is best.

Don’t Over-Mix The Ingredients - The most important thing of all is to make sure that you don’t over-mix the ingredients! Over-mixed muffins will be dense and tough.. yuck! Gently mix the ingredients together until just combined (a few lumps are fine) and then carefully fold through your add-ins.

Seperate The Wet & Dry Ingredients - Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.This means that when you pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, you’ll only have to gently mix them together.

Crunchy Topped Muffins (optional) - For delicious crunchy topped muffins, sprinkle a little raw sugar over the top just before baking. Yum!

Muffin Cases - Use muffin cases and you wont have to worry about washing up.

Place Rice Into The Base Of The Tray - In order to avoid your paper muffin cases becoming soggy and oily, place a small amount of uncooked rice in the bottom of each muffin hole in the tray. Discard after cooking the muffins.

Don’t Over-Fill The Muffin Holes - Fill your muffin cases ⅔ full – this will give you perfect muffins without them spilling all over your baking tray.

Cooling The Muffins - Allow your muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing Muffins - Muffins are best eaten on the day that they’ve been cooked, however, you can store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Freezing Muffins - Freeze muffins in airtight sealable plastic bags or wrap in plastic wrap and place into an airtight container. Frozen muffins are perfect for lunch boxes – they’ll be defrosted by recess time!

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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