This basicmuffin recipe is simple yet soft and buttery. The simple muffin base is easy to make and it can be flavored with a variety of mix-ins. You’ll be sinking your teeth into buttery, soft muffins in no time!

Notes
You can use oil instead of butter but keep in mind that the texture of the muffins will be much softer. Choose a flavorless oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, or safflower oil.
A combination of oil and butter works well! Use ¼ cup of oil and ¼ cup of melted butter.
Make the muffins gluten-free by using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
Buttermilk, sour cream or regular yogurt can be used in place of whole milk. If you wish to use Greek yogurt, you’ll need to thin it out by mixing ¾ cup of Greek yogurt with ¼ cup of water.

Variations
Blueberry Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in ¾ cup to 1 cup of fresh blueberries. Raspberries and diced strawberries also work well.
Cranberry Orange Muffins – Replace ¼ cup of the milk with orange juice. Stir in 1 tablespoon of orange zest. And fold in ¾ cup to 1 cup of fresh cranberries.
Apple Cinnamon Muffins – Use brown sugar instead of white sugar. Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Fold in ¾ cup to 1 cup of diced apples. Any tart baking apple works great!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins – Replace ¼ cup of the milk with fresh lemon juice. Stir in the zest of 1 lemon. And stir in 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds.
Chocolate Chip Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir in ¾ cup to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Coarsely chopped baking chocolate will work great also.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (180 ml) milk, room temperature
• ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, optional

Directions

40 minutes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, butter, and eggs together until well combined.
• Add the flour mixture and stir with a silicone spatula just until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar if using.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
• Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins are best the day they are made but they can be stored for later use.