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These simple plain muffins are the perfect everyday bake—light, soft, and endlessly adaptable. You can keep them simple with vanilla, lean into maple, or fold in your favorite add-ins to make them your own.
They’re wonderful as-is for breakfast, but also work beautifully with fruit, nuts, spices, or flavored sugars sprinkled on top. The batter comes together in minutes, making this a great go-to recipe for busy mornings.
The muffins freeze well, so you might want to make a double batch!
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Easy pantry ingredients. Everything comes together with staples you likely already have.
Simple flavor base. Vanilla or maple extract gives just the right amount of sweetness.
Versatile. Add nuts, berries, citrus zest, chocolate chips, or flavored sugars.
Quick to make. Ready for the oven in under 10 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk – Whole milk gives the best texture, but any milk works.
- Egg – Helps the muffins rise and adds structure.
- Butter – Melted butter gives flavor and tender crumb.
- Vanilla or maple extract – Choose either for the primary flavor note.
- Flour – Standard all-purpose flour.
- Sugar – Sweetens and helps with browning.
- Baking powder – Provides lift.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness.
- Maple flakes or vanilla sugar – Optional topping for extra flavor.
Steps to Make Plain Muffins
- Heat the oven and prepare the muffin tin.
- Whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and extract in a bowl.
- Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
- Combine the wet and dry mixtures and blend just until smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.
- Bake until set and lightly golden.
Tips
Don’t overmix the batter—blend just until no dry streaks remain for the best texture.
Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar, maple flakes, or cinnamon sugar before baking.
For extra richness, substitute half the milk with heavy cream.
Recipe Variations
- Vanilla muffin base. Add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Maple version. Use all maple extract and top with maple flakes.
- Berry muffins. Fold in 1 cup blueberries or chopped strawberries.
- Nut version. Add 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Citrus muffins. Add 1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest.
- Chocolate chip. Fold in 3/4 to 1 cup chocolate chips.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with butter or jam.
- Pair with fruit and yogurt for breakfast.
- Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
- Garnish with powdered sugar before serving.
How to Store
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days if your kitchen runs warm.
Freeze in airtight bags for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the oven.
You might also like these gluten-free pineapple muffins or these pumpkin cream cheese muffins.
Plain Muffins
Ingredients
- Baking spray, if needed to grease the muffin tin
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- sparkling sugar or vanilla sugar (optional)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 F.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray or line it with cupcake papers.Baking spray
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.1 cup milk | 1 large egg | 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter | 2 tsp vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix thoroughly.2 cups all-purpose flour | 1 cup sugar | 2 1/2 tsp baking powder | 1/2 tsp salt
- Combine the two mixtures and blend thoroughly.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling about 3/4-full, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar or vanilla sugar, if desired. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until set and lightly browned.sparkling sugar or vanilla sugar (optional)
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
