Easy Vanilla Muffin Recipe

This vanilla muffin recipe is ideal for serving at breakfast or bringing on a picnic. Believe me, everyone will fall for it. Trust me, everyone will fall for it.

These vanilla muffins are really simple to make and use only basic ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. You do not need to be a master baker, and there is no need for a mixer or hand beater. A simple whisk will do the trick. Mark my words: these vanilla muffins will be your favorite muffins from now on.

This recipe is based on my chocolate chip muffins recipe. I just replaced sour cream with plain yogurt and skipped chocolate chips.

Let's dive into a foolproof recipe of vanilla muffins.

Why will you love this vanilla muffin recipe? 

1. Easy to make (just 3 step process).
2. Loaded with vanilla flavor.
3. Made with pantry staples.
4. Beginner friendly.
5. Pairs nicely with your favorite coffee.
6. Customizable, either eat them plain or add some mix-ins.
7. Moist, light, fluffy, and easy to prepare.
8. Don't need any fancy tools.
9. Ready in just 40 minutes.

How do you make an vanilla muffin recipe? 

Like any other muffin recipe, these vanilla muffins are prepared by mixing wet and dry ingredients. Let’s quickly see how these are made.

Sr. No.	Steps
1	Combine and sift dry ingredients.
2	Mix all wet ingredients.
3	Add wet ingredients into dry and mix until smooth.
4	Bake, cool, serve.

Vanilla muffins recipe ingredients

All-purpose flour - Use regular all-purpose flour to hold the muffin batter together. I would not recommend cake flour as a substitute. It may make the muffin dry. If you use cake flour, try substituting some of the butter with oil.

Baking powder - Works as a leavening agent, helping our batter to rise.

Baking soda - Same as baking powder. Works as a leavening agent, reacts with yogurt and helps our batter to rise.

Yogurt - I have used full-fat yogurt in this recipe. This adds moisture and richness to the muffins. If you do not have yogurt, you can replace it with sour cream or buttermilk.

Unsalted butter - Use unsalted butter. You do not have to worry about the temperature of the butter, as we are using melted butter in this recipe.

Eggs - Eggs add moisture and bind everything together. Use room temperature eggs. If you forget to take it out, just put it in a bowl of hot water for a couple of minutes, and then you are all set.

Sugar - Use plain white granulated sugar or caster sugar, both are the same. I do not recommend replacing it with icing sugar, brown sugar.

Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract, vanilla imitation, or vanilla bean paste. Anything would work fine.

Salt - A Little pinch of salt enhances the flavor. Trust me 😊. If you use salted butter, skip out the salt.

Milk - Use 3.25% milk, which will add moisture and rich dairy flavor to our muffins. Replace with 2% or 1% milk if that is what you have in the pantry.

Any substitutes?

Yogurt - Replace yogurt with sour cream or buttermilk.

Tools needed

1. Mixing bowls - to prepare the vanilla muffin batter.
2. Measuring spoons - to measure ingredients.
3. weighing scale - to precisely measure ingredients.
4. Cupcake pan - to bake the muffins.
5. Whisk - to mix muffins batter.

Vanilla muffins (step-by-step) recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and prepare the cupcake pan by inserting cupcake liners.

2. Sift all dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

3. In another mixing bowl, add the melted butter and sugar. Mix it using a whisk for a couple of minutes.

4. Now, add remaining wet ingredients (vanilla, milk, yogurt, eggs). Mix it until everything is incorporated properly.

5. Add the wet ingredient mixture to the sifted dry ingredients.

6. Combine using a whisk until it is just combined. Do NOT OVERMIX. Overmixing will form more gluten, resulting in dense muffins.

7. Divide the muffin batter in 6 cupcake liners (inserted in step1).

8. Bake in preheated oven at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes and then at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes.

9. Take them out of the oven and place on wooden board.

10. Perform the toothpick test (usually this test should be carried out when the muffins are still in the oven, but I am doing it outside just to show you in the video).

11. Once cool, remove them and place them on a wire rack to cool down.

12. Serve them immediately or store in an airtight container to consume later.

How to serve? 

These vanilla muffins are so adaptable that they can be combined in limitless ways. Here are some of my favorite ways of serving them.

1. Plain - Nothing is satisfying than enjoying these vanilla muffins plain and fresh, straight out of the oven.
2. Coffee - Pair the plain muffin with your favorite coffee for the ultimate cozy treat.
3. Jam - Top your muffin with your favorite jam ( I have tried with raspberry, strawberry and apricot).
4. Sandwich - Cut the muffins in half and add a layer of jam in between and serve as a sandwich.

Watch me making it (video)

https://youtu.be/PoCFWDdKmoQ

Storing and freezing instructions for the vanilla muffins recipe

Like any other muffins, these can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or the freezer.

Storing instructions

Store the muffins in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag. Store them at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator up to a couple of weeks.

If stored in the refrigerator, I would recommend reheating the muffins in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, but this is completely optional.

Freezing instructions

These muffins can be prepared in advance and frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag.

Let the muffins cool down completely, wrap the individual muffins with plastic wrap or cling wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Do not forget to label so that you know by when you should finish it.

I would recommend freezing individual muffins, as you can remove only those that you want to enjoy.

Thawing instructions

Just keep the muffins overnight in the refrigerator and microwave them just for 10 to 15 seconds.

I would not recommend freezing them again after thawing, as they may lose their texture because of changes in temperature. This is the reason I prefer to wrap them individually and freeze.

Variations

One of the best parts of this muffin recipe is, it is highly customizable. Here are some of the variations I tried.

1. Coconut muffin - Add 20 gms of coconut shavings with coconut milk (instead of regular milk). Top it up with a few more coconut shavings and enjoy the coconut muffins.
2. Add nuts - Add 20 gms of your favorite toasted nuts to the muffin batter, and also top it up with a few more.
3. Chocolate chip vanilla muffins - Add some chocolate chips to the muffin batter, and also add few on top.
4. Lemon muffins - Add a teaspoon of lemon zest and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to the muffin batter.

Secret tips to make the vanilla muffin recipe

1. Sift dry ingredients - Sifting dry ingredients ensures that leavening agents are equally distributed throughout the flour; otherwise, large pockets would form in the muffin. The taste will be unaffected, but the appearance and feel will be unpleasant.
2. Use room temperature ingredients - Make sure to use room temperature eggs and yogurt as they will mix nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Don't overmix - After adding wet ingredients to dry, mix them until just combined. Overmixing will form the gluten, resulting in dense muffins.
4. Oven temperature – For the perfect dome-shaped muffins, bake them at 425°F (218°C ) for the first 5 mins, giving the muffins initial lift and helping them to rise higher.
5. Toothpick test – Always perform a toothpick test before taking the muffins out of the oven. The toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out clean. If it comes out with wet batter, bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Do not interchange leaveners – Baking soda and baking powder are not the same. Do not just replace it with one another.

FAQs

Can I make these muffins dairy-free?

Of course, replace butter with plant-based butter, milk with soy milk or nut milk, and yogurt with vegan buttermilk.

Can I use a different type of flour?

I do not recommend replacing the all-purpose flour with any other flour, such as cake flour or self-rising flour. Cake flour will make them dry and self-rising flour contains rising agents which we do not need.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to drop a comment below, and I will be happy to answer them. 

Want to try some other muffins recipes? 

1. Moist apple cinnamon muffins.
2. Banana oatmeal muffins.
3. Tasty blueberry lemon muffins.

Let me know what you think!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this easy vanilla muffin recipe! Did you give it a try? How did it turn out for you? Drop your comments below. I can't wait to hear about your creations.

Do not forget to tag @DessertKatta or use the hashtag #DessertKatta if you post your creations on Instagram.

Recipe card

Please find the details of ingredients and the steps below.