Whole Wheat Muffin
intro
Tender, lightly sweetened whole wheat muffins with a nutty, spiced crumb—ideal for fiber-rich on-the-go breakfasts or snacks, requiring no fancy equipment to make.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and tin
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) with a rack positioned in the middle slot. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper baking liners, or lightly grease each cup with non-stick spray or extra melted butter to prevent sticking.
Mix dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine 180g whole wheat pastry flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to evenly distribute leaveners and spices, breaking up any small lumps in the flour.
Whisk wet ingredients
In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine 75g packed light brown sugar, 240ml whole milk, 2 lightly beaten large eggs, 57g cooled melted unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk continuously for 1 minute until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is smooth, with no streaks of separated egg remaining.
Fold muffin batter
Pour the entire wet ingredient mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to fold gently, only mixing until no dry flour streaks remain; stop as soon as the batter comes together, even if a few small lumps are visible. Overmixing will create tough, dense muffins by overdeveloping wheat gluten.
Portion batter evenly
Use a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring cup to divide the batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each cup roughly 2/3 full to leave room for the muffins to rise as they bake. Wipe any drips of batter off the top surface of the tin to avoid burnt, sticky edges during baking.
Bake the muffins
Place the filled muffin tin on the preheated middle oven rack and bake for 18-20 minutes at 200°C (400°F). Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of a middle muffin; it is done when the toothpick comes out with 2-3 small moist crumbs attached, rather than wet batter.
Cool and serve
Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes before serving. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tips
2.Let melted butter cool for 3-4 minutes before adding it to wet ingredients: hot butter will cook raw eggs, creating unwanted small lumps of cooked egg in the finished batter.
3.Customize your muffins by folding 75 grams (1/2 cup) of add-ins like raisins, chopped walnuts, or diced fresh apple into the batter immediately after combining wet and dry ingredients.
OMG these are SO good! I’ve tried so many whole wheat muffin recipes that come out dry and crumbly, but these were perfectly moist even after 3 days in the fridge. My kids gobbled them up for breakfast all week, I even added a handful of blueberries to half the batch for a little extra fruit. Total game changer for my weekday meal prep!
Super easy recipe for a first-time baker like me! The only issue I had was my muffins stuck a little to the paper liners, did I do something wrong? They still tasted great though, not dense at all which I was worried about with whole wheat flour.
Made these to take on our day hike in the Rockies last weekend and they were the perfect trail snack! Not too sweet, dense enough to keep us full for hours, and they held up perfectly in my backpack even when it got a little squished. Will be making a double batch every time we head out now.
Brought these to my office potluck yesterday and people were begging for the recipe! I did a little cinnamon sugar sprinkle on top before baking and it gave the perfect little crispy sweet top. Even my coworker who hates whole wheat carbs went back for a second one.
Great base recipe! I swapped the regular sugar for maple syrup to cut down on processed sugar and added a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and they still came out super moist. Only knocked a star off because the cook time was a little long for my oven – mine were done at 28 minutes instead of 35, so definitely keep an eye on them if you run a hot oven like mine.
I’ve been baking for 60+ years and I’m always skeptical of "moist whole wheat" baked goods, but this recipe did not disappoint! I added a handful of raisins and a pinch of nutmeg like I do with my old muffin recipe, and these tasted just like the ones I made for my kids when they were little. So easy to throw together too, no fancy equipment needed.
Perfect for dorm baking! I don’t have a fancy mixer or anything, just stirred everything together in a bowl with a fork and they came out perfect. Way cheaper and healthier than grabbing a muffin from the campus café every morning, I’ve been eating one on my way to 8am lectures all week.
Tested this recipe with oat milk instead of regular milk and coconut oil instead of butter for my dairy-free kiddo, and it worked perfectly! No weird texture or aftertaste, she thought they were a special treat and didn’t even realize they were whole wheat. 10/10 will be in our regular rotation.
These were fine, but I was expecting a little more flavor? They’re pretty plain on their own, I ended up having to slather them with jam to make them interesting. Texture was definitely moist, which was a win, but I think next time I’ll add more cinnamon or maybe some lemon zest to brighten them up.
Made these for my wife who’s been craving non-sugary breakfast options during her pregnancy, and she ate two right out of the tin! I accidentally used white whole wheat flour instead of regular whole wheat and it still worked great, no gritty texture at all which I was worried about. Super easy even for a guy who burns toast half the time.
Made these for my granddaughter’s soccer team snack this weekend and all the kids were asking for seconds! I miniaturized them into mini muffins so they were easier for little hands to hold, baked them for about 18 minutes and they came out perfect. Even the coach asked for the recipe!
These are so good, I’ve already made two batches! Quick question: how well do these freeze? I want to make a big batch to pull out for busy school mornings, but I don’t want them to get weird in the freezer.
Made these vegan with a flax egg and vegan butter, and they were so moist! Only thing is I wish they were a little sweeter, I might add a tablespoon more sugar next time. Texture was spot on though, no weird gummy whole wheat texture like so many other recipes. Great for quick breakfasts on the go.
I’ve been making these every Sunday for the past month to bring to my neighbor who’s recovering from surgery, and she says they’re the highlight of her week! I love that the recipe is simple enough that I can throw it together while my coffee brews, no fussy steps. Tried adding chocolate chips to a batch last week and wow, that’s my new favorite variation.
Game changer for my post-gym breakfast! I eat one with a side of Greek yogurt and it keeps me full all the way until lunch, no mid-morning sugar crash like I get from the giant sugary muffins at the gym café. So easy to make on Sunday and grab on my way out the door all week.