Thereโs something magical about walking into a bakery and being greeted by the sight (and smell) of big, fluffy muffins with perfectly domed tops and just the right amount of sweetness. The good news? You donโt need to visit a bakery every time you crave one of those delicious muffins. With my few top tips and tricks on how to bake the BEST bakery-style muffins, I promise you can create those professional-look muffins right in your kitchen.
Are you ready? Let’s reveal the secrets!
Tip #1: Mixing: Less is More
Over mixing muffin batter is one of the biggest culprits behind dense, tough muffins. When I make my muffin batter, I like to mix everything by hand, using a whisk or a silicone spatula. I found it is easier to control the mixing to avoid over mixing the batter. Once everything is well mixed, then I stop and continue to the next step. Itโs okay if there are a few lumpsโthose will smooth out as the muffins bake.
How to mix the muffin batter
- Use a whisk to mix the wet ingredients to incorporate as much as air into the batter.
- Continue to use a whisk to mix the sugar into the wet ingredients for easy dissolving.
- Use a silicone spatula to scrape / mix the dry ingredients into the wet batter.
- Finally, if you have other add-on ingredients, like chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit, you can use the silicone spatula to do the final mix until they are well incorporated.
Tip #2: Master the Bakery-style Muffin Dome
I like using tulip muffin liners to bake muffins rather than using normal cupcake liners. It is because they are not only tall and elegant, but also give the muffin batter an extra support during baking which definitely helps the muffin rise to the top to create that beautiful dome. I just L-O-V-E them!
Fill your muffin liners almost to the top. . While most recipes say ยพ full, bakery-style muffins require a FULL cup of batter to get those high domes.
As you can see how high I filled each muffin liners in the image below, these are my Banana Walnut Muffins. They are soooo tasty and perfect with a cup of coffee to kick off your morning. If you have some overripe bananas sitting on your countertop, check out this muffin recipe, I promise, you’ll be surprised how tasty they’ll be.
Watch the video
Tip #3: Flavour Add-Ins: Donโt Skimp
Bakery-style muffins are known for their generous mix-ins, whether thatโs berries, chocolate chips, or nuts. When adding these to your batter, coat them in a little flour before folding them in to prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Donโt be shy with the quantityโmuffins should feel like theyโre bursting with flavour.
These are my Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Muffins, I sprinkled extra chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips on top of each muffin batter, then slightly press them down to prevent them from popping out too much during baking.
Once they are baked, youโll have lovely, delicious muffins with hazelnuts and chocolate chips in every bite. How satisfying that will be!
Tip #4: Top It Off
To really give your muffins a bakery touch, add some texture to the tops. Sprinkle coarse sugar for a sweet, crunchy crust, or add a streusel topping for a buttery, crumbly finish. If you like streusel as much as I do, check out my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins to see how I made this buttery and delicious topping.
Tip #5: Heat is the Key
Start your oven at 425ยฐF (220ยฐC) for the first 5-7 minutes, then reduce to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC) for the remaining bake time. The initial high heat creates steam, causing the muffins to rise quickly and form that bakery-style dome beautifully. Please keep an eye on them as oven temperature is vary. The last thing we want is to burn the muffins after all the effort!
Tip #6: Donโt Over bake
Keep an eye on your muffins as they bake. You want them to be golden brown, but overbaking can dry them out. Check them a few minutes before the suggested bake time by inserting a toothpick. It should come out with a few moist crumbsโnot completely dry.
Tip #7: Cooling Tips
Once your muffins are baked, let them sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Actually, the baked muffins are still very hot to touch, my trick is to simply lift up the corners of the tulip muffin liners carefully to transfer them.
Sitting in the baking pan for a few minutes allows the muffins to firm up slightly, making them easier to remove without falling apart. However, donโt leave them in the pan too long, as they can get soggy from the trapped steam.
Bonus Hack: Bakery Secrets for Moisture
To keep your muffins soft and moist for longer, bakery chefs often use sour cream, yoghurt, or buttermilk in the batter. These ingredients add tang and extra moisture, ensuring that your muffins stay fresh even a day or two after baking. Please check out the Chocolate Chip Hazelut Muffins and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, I used sour cream and plain Greek yoghurt in those recipes. The muffins turned out super soft and moist, simply irresistible!
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and feel inspired to try these tips for creating your own bakery-style muffins at home. Honestly, creating bakery-style muffins at home is easier than you think. By focusing on high-quality ingredients, proper mixing, and with my few strategic baking techniques, you can enjoy fluffy, dome-topped muffins any time. So, next time youโre craving a bakery treat, skip the trip and head to your own kitchen instead.
Keep Baking!
