How can I make my muffins lighter and fluffy?

Have the ingredients at room temperature, don't overbeat the batter, use baking powder, and bake them at the right temperature. All these steps will make your muffins rise better which will make them light and fluffy.

What temperature is best to bake muffins?

My experience is that you can bake them at a constant 350°F (180°C) and have them rise very well. But some recipes need a medium/high oven (around 375°F/190°C) during the first ten minutes to get the oven boost that will help make them grow. It depends a lot on the recipe: if it's a dense batter, if it has add-ins that weigh it down, or if it's a light batter.

How do you tell if muffins are done without a toothpick?

If you gently touch the muffin top with your finger, it should feel springy and resilient and not feel wet. You should hardly be able to leave a dent in the muffin. If the top gives and the finger leaves a definite mark, it needs further baking. It's a good idea not to rely on a cake tester or toothpick to check for doneness.

Double Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

Units

1 cup unsalted butter
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, in pieces
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

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Instructions

Preheat oven at 350ºF / 180ºC.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or butter them.
Melt butter and chocolate (in the microwave in short 15 second spurts, mixing it well between each one, or over boiling water not touching the bottom of the bowl).
Add both sugars and mix well.
Add eggs, two at a time, and mix well but do not beat.
Add flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla. Mix well without beating. The batter will be shiny.
Add half a cup of the chocolate chips to the batter and mix.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.
Top each muffin with some of the remaining half of chocolate chips, dividing evenly.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over bake so they are as moist as possible.
Let cool on a wire rack before eating.
Keep leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 3 days and then refrigerate or freeze, well wrapped.

Notes

Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips, Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers, and Nestle toll house semisweet chips.
Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Flavorings: this recipe makes simple chocolate muffins with chips for an extra boost. You can flavor them with spices like cinnamon, add milk or white chocolate chips for a sweeter version, a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur, or some orange zest for a more sophisticated muffin.
How to freeze chocolate muffins: you can make them ahead or make a large batch and freeze them. I like to do so while slightly warm still as I feel they retain the moisture better after they're thawed. Always wrap them well in plastic wrap or a freezer bag, or use an airtight container suitable for the freezer.

Author: Paula Montenegro
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Muffins
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/12
Calories: 459
Sugar: 43.3 g
Sodium: 75.8 mg
Fat: 26.5 g
Carbohydrates: 54.7 g
Fiber: 2.9 g
Protein: 5.8 g
Cholesterol: 102.7 mg