5 Common Muffin Baking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Homemade muffins are a classic food that works both as a sweet treat and a breakfast item. They are simple to make, but can easily go from delicious to disaster if you make a mistake.

To avoid the disaster and have delicious tasting muffins every time, we’ve created a list of five common muffin baking mistakes. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Filling the Muffin Tins Incorrectly

When baking muffins, you want to be careful not to overfill or under-fill the tins before putting them in the oven.

Overfilling the tins will cause the batter to overflow as it rises in the oven. Not only can this create a mess in both your pan and oven, but it will cause uneven muffins. If you under-fill the tins, you won’t achieve that signature domed top on your muffins, because they will not rise high enough.

The rule of thumb for filling the tins with batter is to fill three-quarters of the way full.

2. Over-Mixing the Batter

The way you mix your batter determines the final texture of your muffins. The ideal muffin texture is soft and airy, but they become tough and cakey if you over-mix the batter.

Mix the wet ingredients for muffins into the dry ingredients until no more flour is visible, but leave some lumps and bubbles for the best result. With muffins, the batter does not need to be smooth, and lumps are a good thing! Mixing until smooth allows more gluten to develop, which creates a tough texture.

3. Overbaking or Underbaking

When it comes to baking time for muffins, they should not bake for over 20 minutes. If they bake too long, you risk losing all the moisture and might end up with dry, crumbly muffins. If they don’t bake long enough, muffins will appear sticky and won’t cook all the way in the center.

To check whether they are done, the toothpick trick is a tried-and-true method.

4. Letting Muffins Cool in the Pan

After you remove muffins from the oven, take them out of the pan and place them on a cooling rack. If you keep muffins in the hot pan, they will continue baking and dry out.

5. Playing it Safe With Flavors

There are so many types of muffins you can bake, so don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors! Muffins are a versatile baking item that tastes delicious with a variety of ingredients like fruit, rich chocolate, nuts, or streusel.

Try mixing one or more of these ingredients in your next batch of muffins for something new. If you’re looking for a new fall flavor, these fruit sweetened pumpkin muffins are the perfect treat.

Don’t Make These Muffin Baking Mistakes

Baking can be a lot of fun and it’s exciting when your creations look and taste amazing when they come out of the oven. By avoiding these common muffin baking mistakes, you’ll end up with a tasty treat the entire family will love.

Looking for more tips to help you in your daily life? Take a peek at some of our other articles.