Mini Muffins (4 Different Ways!)

These Mini Muffins have a caramel-like sweetness from brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon. After baking, the tops of these muffins are dipped in melted butter and cinnamon-sugar!

Additionally, we’re sharing three variations: chocolate-chip, berry, or mixed berry!

Two Mini Muffins stacked on a countertop.

Mini Muffins — Four Different Ways!

We’re muffin fanatics at my home, but let me tell you, Mini Muffins really take the cake. (Pun intended!) They’re adorable, easy to snack on, and completely irresistible.

These mini muffins are hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. They’re bursting with flavor, incredibly moist, and finished with a crispy, buttery, sugary topping that’s to die for.

And today we’re also sharing several other variations: mixed berry, blueberry, or chocolate chip!

Wet and dry ingredients being mixed in separate bowls.

Mini Muffins Ingredients:

Eggs: Use room-temperature for even mixing and a light texture.
Oil: Vegetable or canola; both are flavor-neutral.
Sour Cream: Full-fat for moistness; full-fat Greek yogurt works as an alternative.
Vanilla Extract: Opt for pure over imitation for a richer flavor.
Milk: Whole milk preferred; 2%, 1%, and skim are alternatives.
Brown Sugar: Use soft and fresh brown sugar.
Flour: Use white all-purpose flour.
Baking Powder: Ensure it’s fresh for optimal rise.
Cornstarch: Key for tender muffins.
Salt: This enhances flavors and balances sweetness.
Cinnamon: Adjust to taste preference!

Why Use Room-Temperature Ingredients for Mini Muffins:

Even Mixing: Ingredients at room temperature blend seamlessly, preventing a chunky or curdled batter.
Air Trapping: Warm fats like butter trap air during mixing, resulting in fluffier baked goods.
Consistent Baking: A uniform batter temperature ensures even baking and optimal texture. (Cold ingredients can alter baking time and outcomes.)

Wet and dry ingredients being mixed together and it all being added to the muffin tin.

How To Make The Best Mini Muffins

Room-Temperature Ingredients: Ensures even baking and a fluffy texture. Remove cold items from the fridge an hour before starting.
Avoid Over-mixing: Mix just until flour isn’t visible.
Test for Doneness: Muffins are ready when a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Cool Before Topping: To prevent sogginess, wait until muffins are completely cool to dip in butter and cinnamon-sugar.
Achieve perfect muffin texture by carefully measuring flour. Over-packing results in dense muffins. For accuracy, use a food scale to measure 225 grams.

The breakfast being baked up and then dipped in cinnamon sugar.

VARIATIONS

Switch Up Your Mini Muffins!

Mixed Berry: Add pulsed frozen mixed berries (½ cup) on top of batter in muffin cavities. Swirl with a toothpick. Bake with a few extra minutes due to cold berries.
Blueberry: Top batter with 6-8 wild frozen blueberries (they’re smaller in size) per muffin. Optionally, add lemon zest to the batter.
Chocolate Chip: Mix 1 cup mini chocolate chips into dry ingredients.

Experiment with nuts, dried fruit, or spices for more variations!

STORAGE

Storing Mini Muffins

Room Temperature: In an airtight container, 2-3 days.
Refrigerator: In an airtight container, up to a week. Warm slightly before serving.
Freezer: Freeze on baking sheet, store in freezer bag up to 3 months. Defrost or microwave briefly.

Tip: Apply butter and sugar topping before serving if stored long-term.

Two mini muffins ready to be enjoyed.

QUICK TIP

Why Cool Muffins On A Cooling Rack?

The design of a cooling rack allows air to circulate all around the mini muffins, which can help prevent them from becoming soggy from the steam that they release while cooling.

More Breakfast Favorites:

Mini Muffins

These Mini Muffins deliver a burst of caramel-like sweetness from the light brown sugar, rounded out with a subtle hint of warmth from the cinnamon. The rich sour cream-and-vanilla-infused batter forms a tender, moist crumb, while the cinnamon-sugar topping provides an irresistible crispy, sugary crunch.

Mini Muffins

Ingredients

Cinnamon-Sugar Donut-Inspired Topping (OR Make a different muffin variation — See Note 2)

Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously coat a Mini Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray.
WET: In a medium-sized bowl, add the eggs. Whisk. Add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk until smooth and emulsified.
DRY: In a separate, larger bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Stir to mix.
COMBINE: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk together until combined. Use a spatula to scrape the edges of the bowl. Be careful not to over-mix.
BAKE: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling cavities nearly to the top. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the muffins from the tin and place them onto a cooling rack. Allow the muffins to fully cool on the rack.
SUGAR TOPPING: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. In another bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Dip the top of each cooled muffin into the melted butter, letting the excess drip off. Then dip the buttered muffin top into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, shaking off the excess. (Depending on how generously you top your muffins, you might have a bit leftover. Save any excess; once the butter hardens, spread it on toast and sprinkle with any remaining cinnamon-sugar!) Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Flour: The key to nailing that perfect muffin texture? It’s all about how you handle the flour. If you pack in too much, you’ll end up with muffins that are dense and dry. My tip? Grab your mixing bowl and place it on a food scale. Spoon in the flour until you hit the magic number of 225 grams. Trust me, it’s faster and more accurate than messing around with measuring cups! If you don’t have a food scale, use a large spoon to spoon the flour into the measuring cup then use the back of a butter knife to level off the top.
Note 2: Muffin variations:

Blueberry Muffins: We want to make sure that large blueberries don’t overtake the miniature muffins. Use frozen wild blueberries, which are much smaller in size. After preparing the batter, add it to the muffin cavities and top each with about 6-8 wild blueberries. Swirl them into the batter using a toothpick. (For an extra burst of flavor, you can also add some lemon zest to the muffin batter and replace 1 teaspoon vanilla with 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract.)
Chocolate Chip Muffins: Simply add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and proceed with recipe as directed.
Mixed Berry Muffins: Follow the original recipe to prepare the batter. Next, pulse 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries in a food processor until they’re broken into small pieces. Distribute the batter into the mini muffin cavities and spoon the crushed berries over each. Using a toothpick, gently swirl the berries into the batter. Bake as instructed, but allow a couple extra minutes due to the cold berries.

Nutrition Facts

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.