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Homemade Basic Muffin Recipe (A Family Favorite)

With more than a million page views and 175 comments, our soft and tender Homemade Basic Muffin Recipe is super easy and delicious! It’s one of the most popular recipes on my website for a reason and our family’s favorite way to to jazz up any meal!

Side view of a baked muffin sitting in a muffin paper.

Our family’s favorite muffin recipe always makes our meal feel special. This Basic Muffin is soft and tender and can be flavored according to your tastes so everyone in your family thinks so too. You may want to double it so there are a few left for breakfast tomorrow.

My family has always loved muffins and any time that I thought that I just needed to add something special to a simple meal it always came down to this Basic Muffin Recipe.

The photos featured here are my Lemon Poppy Seed version.

Muffin sliced in half with a pad of butter and a full muffin in the background.

Even after working all day, if I had some soup on the stove I could whip up this Basic Muffin in a jiffy. They took the soup to a whole new level.

These muffins are so versatile. You don’t have to do a thing to them but here are a few variations that I make to these homemade muffins that make people think my recipe box is just full of muffin recipes:

Basic muffin ingredients

The thing we love about this recipe is the uncomplicated ingredients that you probably already have. If you need substitutions, see our “Basic Baking” article for help with techniques, ingredients, and supplies.

  • Egg. Grade A large is what we recommend
  • Milk. Any variety will do
  • Vegetable oil. Or any neutral flavor oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Sugar. White granulated sugar. Substitutions work well in the recipe as well.
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt

How to make muffins from scratch

  1. Preheat the oven and line a muffin pan with muffin papers or grease the pan well.
  2. Combine Egg, Milk, and vegetable oil in a small bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl combine baking powder, flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Blend only until combined.
  4. Spoon batter into each muffin paper until 2/3 full and bake.

Tips for the perfect baked muffin

  • I mix the wet ingredients together separately from the dry ingredients before combining them. This assures that our ingredients are well mixed which will prevent over-mixing if they’re all combined together. Over-mixed muffins can be tough or rubbery.
  • Baking powder can lose its potency. Replace it every 6 months or test it by putting 1/4 cup of boiling water into a bowl and adding about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles, it’s still good.
  • Turn the muffin pan in the oven halfway through baking. Even the best ovens can heat inconsistently. Turning them will ensure even baking.
  • If you feel your batter is to thick to scoop, add a little extra milk. See the video to see how thick my batter is.
  • This muffin can be served warm. We remove them from the muffin tin after removing them from the oven and let them cool on a baking rack.

“Made muffins with my 3 year old after finding this recipe and can I just say WOW! Easy to follow, delishious, and even my picky little one ate 2! We made snickerdoodle muffins and they were divine! Thank you for sharing this.”

Brittany

Basic muffin variations

  • Lemon Poppy Seed – Exchange vanilla extract for 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds.
  • Snickerdoodle – Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top before baking.
  • Lemon Blueberry – Exchange vanilla extract for 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and add 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
  • Almond – Exchange vanilla extract for 1 teaspoon of almond extract and top with shaved almonds.
  • Morning Glory – Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 cup raisins, and 1/4 cup of walnuts. Sprinkle oats over the top if desired.
  • Cinnamon Raisin – Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup raisins.
  • Apple Pie – Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 cup chopped apples. Sprinkle top with turbinado sugar.
  • Chocolate Chip – Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips

As you can see, these homemade muffins have so many options and they bake up so quickly. It makes the perfect recipe to introduce baking to the kiddos too.

In no time at all, they can dig into their works of muffin art! My favorite is just a plain muffin, hot from the oven and drizzled with honey. I’m salivating just thinking about them!

Pin these yummy homemade muffins

Two photo collage for Pinterest of a Muffin sliced in half and a sideview of the whole muffin.

Whew, We knew we loved a great muffin recipe! That’s not even all of them and my brain has a few more waiting to be created!

If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!

Muffin sitting in a muffin paper on a wooden butter paddle

Homemade Basic Muffin Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
A great Homemade Basic Muffin Recipe makes any meal special.  This recipe is quick and easy and you can flavor them any way you want.
4.54 from 112 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine American
Keyword: Basic Muffin
Servings: 8 muffins

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk any variety will do
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup flour all-purpose
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 °F.  Line a muffin pan with muffin papers or grease the pan well.
  • Combine Egg, Milk and vegetable oil and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl combine baking powder, flour, sugar, and salt.  Whisk to combine.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Blend only until combined.
  • Spoon batter into each muffin paper until 2/3 full.  Bake for 16-20 minutes.
  • Store in an airtight bag or container.

Video

Notes

Tips:
  • We mix the wet ingredients together and the dry ingredients together before combining them. This assures that our ingredients are well mixed which will prevent over-mixing if they’re all combined together. Over-mixed muffins can be tough or rubbery.
  • Baking powder can lose its potency. Replace it every 6 months or test it by putting 1/4 cup of boiling water into a bowl and add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles, it’s still good.
  • Turn the muffin pan in the oven half-way through baking. Even the best ovens can heat inconsistently. Turning them will assure even baking.
  • This muffin can be served warm. We remove them from the muffin tin after removing them from the oven and let them cool on a baking rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 161mgPotassium: 179mgSugar: 13gVitamin A: 55IUCalcium: 78mgIron: 1.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

When I’m not baking muffins, I’m baking bread. Here are a few of our most popular bread recipes.

As you can see, there’s nothing basic about this basic muffin recipe. It’s just waiting to be reinvented in your kitchen!

These quick and easy muffins also make a yummy breakfast treat the next morning,  Just store them in an airtight bag or container if you have any leftovers!

Can you think of a couple of homemade muffin varieties that you would put on your table? I’d love it if you shared it in the comments below!

Recipe Rating




Andrea Espinoza

Saturday 6th of January 2024

I tried the basic muffin recipe. They turned out fantastic.

Julie Menghini

Sunday 7th of January 2024

Thank you, Andrea! They're one of our favorites too!

HollyRae

Monday 13th of November 2023

I made these at work this morning, for the participants in our adult day health services facility. I chose to flavor with lemon extract, and used frozen wild blueberries. I needed 12 good sized muffins, so a did X 1.5 recipe (but with 2 medium eggs). I like to add some whole grain, so I subbed in a 1/2 cup of King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour for 1/2 cup of all-purpose. I did add a splash of OJ to help moisten (as whole wheat absorbs more) These baked up beautifully and I got 12 nicely sized muffins for breakfast. Thank you for this recipe! I am looking forward to trying other flavor combos.

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 14th of November 2023

Thank you, HollyRae for your tips! The participants in your adult day health facility are blessed to have such a caring individual to provide them with homemade bakery.

Betty wenger

Thursday 21st of September 2023

Delicious and easy to make

Julie Menghini

Thursday 21st of September 2023

I'm glad you enjoyed them Betty! They're my go-to with any meal too.

Sandra Dersch

Monday 17th of July 2023

Hi hostessatheart, Thank you very much for sharing your recipes. I will try Homemade Basic Muffins.

Julie Menghini

Monday 17th of July 2023

Thank you, Sandra! It's one of our favorite recipes.

Joni

Friday 17th of March 2023

I love this recipe for it’s simplicity and consistent results. I used lemon extract and added a bit of lemon zest and blueberries. My husband, who is very particular thought these were the best muffins I have ever made! (And he is very particular.) Thank You!

Julie Menghini

Friday 17th of March 2023

Thank you so much, Joni! I make these muffins all the time. They're one of our favorites and I'm glad that your husband enjoyed them too!

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