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Did your recent attempt at making muffins leave you wondering what went wrong? Perhaps they turned out a bit denser than expected.

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the potential reasons why that happens, and what you can do to make your muffins fluffy.

Don’t Overmix the Batter

One of the worst things that you can do when making muffins involves overmixing the batter.

Many people who aren’t that experienced will make the mistake of mixing the batter for way too long. You’re supposed to stop mixing the batter when you’ve combined everything properly.

As soon as the mixture has combined and turned into a batter, it’s going to be time to stop mixing. It’s easy to overmix the batter if you aren’t paying attention.

Try your best to avoid getting distracted when mixing the muffin batter. Also, you’ll want to be especially careful if using a powerful electric mixer.

It’s fine to use hand mixers or stand mixers to get the job done. You just need to know when to stop, and this requires you to pay attention to the process.

Mixing too much will make the muffins turn out too tough. They’ll be more likely to be dense, and they won’t be fluffy.

It’s fine for there to be small lumps in the batter when you’re done mixing. In fact, that’s likely a good sign because it means that you haven’t mixed things more than you’re supposed to.

Use Room-Temperature Ingredients

Using room-temperature ingredients will be for the best. You don’t want some of the ingredients to be cold because it’ll make the muffins turn out worse.

When you work with room-temperature eggs, milk, and butter, it’ll ensure that air gets trapped properly. A smooth mixture that is capable of properly capturing air will help you to make the fluffy muffins that you desire.

Having the trapped air is a crucial part of the process. This trapped air is going to expand when you start baking the batter in the oven.

The expansion process is actually what makes the muffins turn out fluffy, which is why it’s crucial that you use room-temperature ingredients.

This means you should take the time to set your ingredients out on the counter before you want to get started. The milk, eggs, and butter will need time to warm up.

Factor this in and don’t try to rush things by using ingredients that are still cold. You’ll be more likely to be disappointed by the muffins lacking the fluffiness that you want if you aren’t patient.

Don’t Wait to Bake the Batter

You shouldn’t wait to bake the batter. Leaving it on the counter for an hour or so after mixing it will only be detrimental.

It’s best to preheat the oven while you’re mixing the batter up. This will ensure that the oven is ready so that you can start baking the muffins right away.

When you’ve finished the mixing process, it’s best to go right into spooning the batter into the muffin tins. Waiting isn’t going to be positive in any way.

This doesn’t mean that you have to rush trying to put the batter in the muffin tins, but you shouldn’t wait too long either. You’ll get better results if you bake the batter pretty much right after you finish mixing it.

Portion the Batter Properly

Portioning the batter properly will be a huge part of getting things to turn out well. You want to ensure that you put an even amount of batter in each of the muffin tin slots.

To accomplish this, it’s going to be best to use a spoon or something such as an ice cream scoop. Don’t just plop the batter in the slots without putting thought into things.

You want everything to bake as evenly as possible. It makes sense that you’d get better results if there was an even amount of batter in each slot.

It’ll be easy to portion things out the right way. Just know that you need to take the time to do it and everything will be fine.

Use an Appropriate Muffin Tin

Using an appropriate muffin tin is more important than you might think. If you want to make delicious muffins, you’re going to need to ensure that everything bakes evenly.

Buying a good muffin tin will be the first step toward making this happen. Ideally, you’ll want to use a good aluminum muffin tin.

Aluminum is an excellent material for muffin tins because it will distribute the heat evenly. It ensures that the muffins bake evenly in the different slots.

If you have an old muffin tin that isn’t giving you good results, it might be best to buy a new one. Thankfully, good muffin tins are rather inexpensive and can be purchased at department stores very easily.

Use an Oven Thermometer

Using an oven thermometer can help to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of heat. You need to bake the muffin batter at the appropriate temperature, but sometimes just setting your oven to the recommended temperature isn’t enough.

There are situations where ovens will run a little hot and the actual temperature will be higher than the digital display says. In this situation, having an oven thermometer will be invaluable.

You can place the oven thermometer in the oven and use it to easily tell what the temperature is at any given time. This allows you to bake the muffins at the right temperature.

Oven thermometers are very inexpensive and they can be found at any department store. Owning one is highly recommended when you like to bake a lot.

Bake the Muffins in the Middle of the Oven

Baking the muffins in the middle of the oven will be recommended. You want to do this to ensure even heat distribution.

It should be easy enough to position the muffin tin in the middle of the oven rack. Some say that it’s wise to turn the muffin tin halfway through the baking process as well.

Ovens have hot spots, and turning the tin halfway through can help to make everything bake as evenly as possible. It’s a good precaution to take that will only prove to be beneficial.

For the muffins to turn out fluffy and delicious, they’re going to need to bake properly. You can do your best to make sure that happens by taking all of the precautions that you can.

Keep an Eye on Things

Keeping an eye on things will be important, too. You don’t want to bake the muffins too much or too little.

Everything needs to bake for the appropriate amount of time or you won’t get the right results. As such, you’ll want to keep an eye on the muffins.

You should be able to use the recommended baking time that is listed on whatever recipe you’re following. However, some baking experts recommend baking muffins at lower temperatures to get better results.

It might be good to bake them at 340 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe. If this isn’t what is recommended by the recipe that you’re following, you can either adjust the baking time accordingly or just stick to following the recipe.

Either way, be ready to take the muffins out of the oven when it’s time. Allow them to cool before serving them, too.

Final Thoughts

Making muffins that turn out fluffy and tasty will be easier for you now. You’ve been giving the necessary information to make them turn out the best way possible.

Truly, it’s all about ensuring that you mix the batter the right way while using room-temperature ingredients. If you’re able to do this, enough air will be trapped.

The trapped air will expand and that will help to make the muffins light and fluffy. You’ll be able to eat muffins that taste fantastic whenever you want when you know this trick.

Of course, using the right type of pan (unless of course you bake your muffins without one) and getting everything to bake evenly will also play an important role. It’s also best to portion the batter in the muffin tins properly so that they’ll bake evenly.

You also want to pay attention to the temperature of the oven. It’s recommended to use an oven thermometer to be on the safe side.

Don’t hesitate to use what you learned to make some amazing muffins for your family sometime soon. They’ll be happy to enjoy a delicious treat that has been made with love.

Sarah Bridenstine

Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.