Who can go past muffins? They’re a delicious sweet treat that you can find in countless bakeries and grocery stores, one that always makes your day better. You can even make your own without much effort at all.
Muffins are perfect for events and lunch boxes too, as they’re naturally portion sized. Find that regular muffins are too large? No worries. You can easily make mini muffins that still offer a similar flavor and texture. Now you just have to avoid eating too many of them at once.
There are plenty of exciting muffins to choose from, including fruity options like blueberry, strawberry, and banana muffins, muffins that rely on veggies like carrot or pumpkin, plus chocolate muffins and some stunning savory entries. That’s not even considering all the recipes that combine styles, like apple cinnamon muffins or banana nut muffins.
Now, for the most part, the various types of muffins aren’t all that different from each other. You’re often looking at a similar base recipe, with changes to the mix-ins to create a different color and flavor profile. This means you can often rely on a single base recipe and tweak it to create unique flavorful muffins.
Of course, there are exceptions too, like savory muffins, keto muffins, and English muffins. These all have their own distinct approaches that create a unique product.
27 Types Of Muffins
Fruity Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry muffins are incredibly popular, with blueberries offering fresh bursts of flavor and a delightful contrast to the sweet cakey nature of the muffin itself. They’re a fantastic type to make at home too, as they can be made using fresh or frozen blueberries. This means you can even make the fruity muffins in the middle of winter.
Care is needed if you’re using fresh blueberries. It’s best to fold these in gently or they may burst and give the muffin a purple tinge.
Many versions make the recipe even more exciting by using a streusel topping. This crumbly topping consists of sugar, flour, spices, and butter. It gives your muffins a crunchy top and a delightful texture contrast.
You can also experiment with extra ingredients. Lemon zest is a common ingredient, as this provides a vibrant contrasting flavor. Spices work well too, adding a little extra complexity. You have plenty of these to choose from. Just start with a small amount so you don’t overpower the other flavors in your muffins.
Strawberry Muffins
Strawberries are another stunning addition to muffins. They often taste sweeter than blueberries, so the strawberry muffins don’t give you as much of a sweet-tart contrast as blueberry ones.
Here, fresh strawberries are best, as the texture difference between fresh and thawed is noticeable in the final muffin. Still, the muffins remain delicious with frozen strawberries and well worth trying.
Basic versions simply use a regular muffin recipe with fresh strawberries, while others add extra flavors and ingredients to elevate the muffin. Strawberries and white chocolate chips is one decadent combination to try and a fantastic starting point for your flavor experiments. Lemon zest is excellent too, as is vanilla extract.
Berry Muffins
More broadly, you can make muffins with any type of edible berry or even with a combination of them. For example, you could include blueberries, raspberries, and boysenberries in the same recipe, where each type of berry adds to the complexity and flavor profile.
While these muffins are normally made with familiar berries, you could easily branch out and experiment with less common berries like mulberries or tayberries. Such berries change the flavor profile and make the muffins even more interesting.
Remember, you don’t need to stick with just berries either. White chocolate would complement the berry flavors well, as would a little lemon zest. You might even use a little Greek yogurt to tweak the flavors.
Lemon Muffins
Lemons differ from most fruits in that they’re vibrant and tart. That vibrancy works well in many desserts, stopping them from being overly sweet.
That said, lemon muffins don’t have to be tart. Some are, while others use plenty of sugar so that the lemon becomes almost a background flavor. There are other approaches too, like including lemon curd in the middle of the muffin or using a lemon-based glaze.
Another option is the classic lemon poppy seed muffin. The poppy seeds provide interesting flecks of color and texture to the muffins, making them a popular treat. There are also lemon pound cake muffins, which have the dense texture of pound cake with a bright lemon flavor.
Orange Muffins
No surprises here – orange muffins use oranges as the star ingredient. This often involves including both orange juice and orange zest. A few recipes even use the entire orange.
These muffins often have a sweet and tangy flavor balance, with recognizable citrus notes. Most versions are very sweet, with some sweetness from the oranges and some from sugar. Of course, there are exceptions, as some recipe creators aim for subtle sweetness instead.
Apple Muffins
Apple muffins are delightful in fall and a perfect way to use up extra apples. Many recipes include cinnamon too, as apples have a relatively subtle flavor and often need something extra to help them shine. Besides, cinnamon and apple is a classic flavor pairing.
The taste of the muffins vary depending on the type of apples you use. Sweet apples are particularly common, but you can easily turn to tart ones instead (like Granny Smith apples).
And, like all types of muffins, there are plenty of recipe options. Some use ingredients like Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour to create healthier versions, while others stick to the classic ingredients like white flour, eggs, and plenty of sugar.
Banana Nut Muffins
Banana nut muffins are a little different, as we now have two main ingredients. The bananas provide a delicious soft sweetness, while walnuts add a contrasting crunch.
The bananas also provide extra moisture, which ensures that these muffins won’t dry out. Plus, the muffins can be made with overripe bananas. That’s great for using them up if you have too many.
Beyond this, there are plenty of options to tweak the recipe. The most obvious approach is to change the type of nut, like using pecans or macadamia nuts instead of walnuts. Cinnamon is a common addition, too, as it pairs beautifully with the bananas and nuts.
Pineapple Muffins
Pineapple muffins are sweet and tangy, with a distinct tropical edge that makes them all the more exciting. The versions made with fresh pineapple have the brightest flavor, but can be a little tricky to make, as the bromelain in the pineapple breaks down proteins and can mess with the baking process.
Fresh pineapple also tends to be more fibrous. This is a good thing in some situations, as it gives your muffins an interesting texture. However, you might simply prefer to go with canned pineapple, as the texture is smoother and the pineapple is easier to work with.
Peach Muffins
Now, we’re up to peach muffins. These vary somewhat, as different varieties of peaches have their own distinct flavors. Sometimes the muffins have a fairly subtle sweet floral flavor, while others offer slight tanginess instead.
Regardless, peach muffins are generally milder than the other fruity muffins we’ve highlighted (particularly berry muffins and those made with fresh pineapple). This isn’t a bad thing, as you mightn’t always want overpowering flavors.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
Before we move away from fruity muffins, let’s talk about one more popular type – cranberry orange muffins. They’re a little different, as this time there are two types of fruit rather than one.
Pairing cranberries and oranges like this works well, as the cranberries offer delicious bursts of flavor, while oranges are used to flavor the body of the muffin itself.
Of course, this is just one example of many. Plenty of other recipes rely on two fruits as well, like strawberry banana muffins, blueberry lemon muffins, or raspberry peach muffins. Most of the time, you’re looking at one bold flavor and a more subtle one. This ensures the muffin is well-balanced and perfectly delicious.
Sweet Treats
Chocolate Chip Muffins
What could be more common and popular than chocolate chip muffins? They’re a deliciously simple treat, often with light and simple crumb that’s contrasted by plenty of chocolate chips.
The muffins are particularly good when served warm, as the chocolate is slightly melted and tastes so much better that way. You can boost the flavor profile even further, with ingredients like vanilla extract or nutmeg.
Chocolate chips are the dominant ingredient here, so the chocolate chips you choose will make a huge difference. You can even experiment with dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or perhaps a combination of types.
Double Chocolate Muffins
Double chocolate muffins are a step up. Not only do they include chocolate chips, but they also use cocoa powder in the muffin mix itself. Doing so creates a richer and more decadent flavor – one that’s perfect for chocolate lovers everywhere.
Here too, you can easily experiment with chocolate chips. You might even use white chocolate chips with a dark chocolate muffin or a combination of white and milk chocolate chips.
To make things even richer, you could include chunks of chocolate instead of small chocolate chips. Doing so is perfect if the muffins are being served warm, as you end up with small pockets of melted chocolate.
Carrot Muffins
Carrot muffins come in a variety of styles. Some are a little like miniature versions of carrot cake, with a similar texture and even including the classic cream cheese frosting.
Others are a healthier version, with plenty of grated carrot, less sugar, and whole grain flour. Adding oats is a great option as well, especially as they provide extra fiber and a variety of health benefits.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
We can’t skip pumpkin spice, can we? The flavor isn’t just limited to the classic pumpkin spice latte. It turns up in many other foods, including pumpkin spice muffins.
These muffins often use a combination of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to create the right flavor profile. Many also include a delicious cream cheese topping for flavor and texture contrast.
These muffins are often less sweet than options like blueberry or strawberry muffins. This might be perfect if you find regular muffins a bit too sweet.
Savory Muffins
Sweetness isn’t essential in muffins. There’s an endless selection of savory muffins as well, with all types of flavors and textures. Some of these rely heavily on eggs, while others have a similar texture to regular muffins.
Savory muffins typically use less sugar and more vegetables than sweet ones, which often makes them healthier. However, they are highly customizable and some versions are better for you than others.
Cheese Muffins
Cheese muffins tend to be simple and straightforward. They rely on cheese as one of the main ingredients and may include multiple types of cheese to create a complex and fascinating flavor profile.
For example, adding parmesan cheese or smoky cheese to the muffins gives them a stronger flavor than normal, while relying just on edam makes the cheese flavor less pronounced. You can also experiment with herbs or spices, as these tweak the flavor further.
Ham And Cheese Muffins
Adding meat is an easy way to make cheese muffins more interesting. Ham is one of the most popular choices, as ham and cheese is always a fantastic pairing (bacon works well too).
These muffins are fantastic served warm with a little butter. And, like most types of muffins, they can be made with regular wheat flour, whole wheat flour, or alternative flours like coconut flour or almond flour.
Sausage And Cheese Muffins
Instead of adding ham to muffins, why not add sausage? Doing so makes the muffins even more filling and adds fantastic flavors.
Sometimes such muffins follow the classic style and use plenty of flour. Others are egg-focused instead, turning them into breakfast muffins. The egg versions are the most filling and are also very easy to make. Here too, you can easily add other ingredients, like herbs or tomatoes, to boost the flavor profile.
Zucchini Muffins
Zucchini is an interesting addition to muffins and a surprisingly common one. The zucchini adds plenty of moisture and extra nutrients, without changing the flavor profile much at all. Many such muffins use spices like cinnamon or ginger to boost the flavor, giving you a slightly sweet and spiced muffin that’s easy to enjoy.
Here too, there is room for variation. Some versions end up being much like zucchini bread, just in muffin form. Or, you can play on the savory flavors, using ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes or pine nuts.
There are even zucchini chocolate chip muffins, although these are more sweet than savory.
Feta And Spinach Muffins
Feta and spinach muffins are a delicious style to try. The spinach provides a slightly sweet and earthy flavor, while the feta offers a bold tangy contrast. Some versions add sun dried tomatoes, which provide another layer of vibrancy to the muffins.
To make these even more exciting, try serving the muffins warm instead of cold. Doing so softens the feta and helps meld some of the flavors together.
Vegetable Muffins
One of the healthiest ways of making muffins is to pack them full of vegetables. Some versions even seem to have more vegetables than muffin. Of course, you can easily tweak the specific vegetables and the number of them used.
You can find countless recipes for such recipes, including ones that use tofu for extra protein and ones made with alternative flours. Some such recipes follow a specific theme, such as Mexican-inspired muffins that rely on roasted corn, peppers, black beans, and similar ingredients.
Interesting Variations
Bran Muffins
As the name suggests, bran muffins rely on wheat bran, which gives them a nutty flavor and a much coarser texture than normal. Some versions keep the sugar content low and are fairly healthy.
That said, it’s always important to pay attention to the recipe. Some versions use a surprising amount of sugar and some regular flour, so they’re less healthy than you might expect (especially if they’re also large).
Oatmeal Muffins
Oatmeal is another useful muffin addition. They add extra fiber, make the muffins chewier, and add some nutty notes as well.
Some versions just stick with oatmeal and perhaps some spices, while others add extra ingredients, like raisins, chopped nuts, seeds, or dried cranberries.
Cornbread Muffins
These muffins use cornmeal as one of the main ingredients, giving them a distinct corn-focused flavor and a crumbly texture. Some versions are basically just cornbread that has been baked as muffins, while others combine aspects of cornbread and of muffins to create a unique treat.
You can even amplify the corn flavor by including creamed corn in the muffins rather than just using cornmeal. Doing so makes the muffins more moist as well, which can be helpful.
As with cornbread, you can easily add extra ingredients to change the flavor profile. Jalapenos or small pieces of bacon are fantastic choices here.
Maple Bacon Muffins
Speaking of bacon, what do you think of maple bacon muffins? These delights combine the salty and savory notes of bacon with the sweetness of maple syrup. This balance of sweet and savory is exceptional, creating a truly unique type of muffin.
Many versions include small bacon pieces in the muffin mixture. This creates an interesting texture and flavor contrast throughout the entire muffin.
Keto Muffins
Traditional muffins don’t work well on a keto diet, as they contain far too many carbs. However, there are creative approaches that can help to reduce the carbs in muffins and make them much more viable for keto dieters.
Some people do this by using egg as the base ingredient and creating savory egg muffins. Other ingredients might be added too, like bacon or sausage, and perhaps some herbs.
Other times, keto dieters might stick to the style of a regular muffin but change some of the ingredients. For example, almond flour or coconut flour might be used instead of regular flour, while a sweetener like erythritol can replace sugar.
While keto muffins never have exactly the same flavor and texture as regular muffins, some get surprisingly close.
Gluten Free Muffins
Gluten free muffins are surprisingly easy to make. They work well because muffins don’t rely on yeast, so the lack of gluten doesn’t have a dramatic impact on the structure of the muffins.
You can actually make gluten free versions of most types of muffins, including sweet and savory muffins. Sometimes you might be able to simply replace regular flour with gluten free flour (particularly an all purpose gluten free blend). Other times, it might be better to find a recipe that’s designed to be gluten free. This way you can be confident that it will all work perfectly.
English Muffins
Muffins actually fall into two categories. The first is a type of quickbread that’s baked in a mold. This is the style we’ve been talking about thus far and includes the sweet and savory versions.
Then there is the flatbread style – often known as an English muffin. This type is leavened with yeast and cooked on a griddle, which gives the muffins a distinct bread-like texture you don’t get with quickbread muffins.
English muffins are generally savory rather than sweet. They’re popular as the base for poached eggs or breakfast pizzas, and are sometimes simply served toasted with butter.
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