If You’re Not Eating Your Muffins Like This, Then You’re Doing It Wrong
Updated: Jan. 15, 2023
Stop eating your muffins plain! These simple tips will shake up your morning routine.
Who doesn’t love a muffin? After all, most consider them a glorified cupcake you can eat for breakfast! Muffins are a traditional breakfast staple almost everyone loves. For one thing, you can make them with any number of ingredients you have on hand. They’re easy to freeze and eat as a snack or as a portable breakfast on the go. But there’s more than one way to eat cupcakes and muffins, you know? Here are our favorite muffin hacks to try.
1. Eat open-faced
Slice those tender muffins in half and slather with warm butter, cream cheese or peanut butter. If you want to get fancy, try them with hazelnut spread, Greek yogurt or cookie butter.
Psst! Here’s how to make peanut butter from scratch.
2. Saute in butter
Butter makes everything better, right? Spread softened butter on each side of a halved muffin and crisp it up over high heat in a nonstick pan or griddle. You’ll be amazed how an ordinary muffin can be transformed with crisp, buttery edges. Go the extra mile and top with homemade fruit jam or preserves.
3. Turn ’em inside out!
Who says there’s only one way to eat muffins? If your muffin has a crumble (or other sweet topping) cut the muffin in half across the “waist” (cut off the top and put the bottom on top), turning the crumble inward so you get bits of it in every bite.
Pro tip: Before you turn them sandwich-style, add cream cheese spread (strawberry or brown sugar & cinnamon are my favs).
4. Top with sauce
Whip up a quick sugary glaze or buttery sauce and drizzle on top of your muffin. A sprinkle of chopped nuts gives it even more crunch!
5. Dip and toast (French toast, that is)
Just can’t seem to get through that dozen muffins you made? Have they dried out on your kitchen counter? Slice them, dip in a egg mixture and pan fry them as you normally would with French toast. Serve with homemade whipped cream and top with berries, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.
6. Master new appetizers
Use savory, mini cornbread muffins to add a unique twist to your appetizer platter! Serve them with whiskey bacon jam, pimiento cheese or savory cream cheese flavors like chive & onion or jalapeno.
7. Serve with ice cream
Unexpected guests, anyone? The more indulgent flavors like banana chocolate chip, chocolate zucchini or pumpkin pair well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a super-fast dessert. Drizzle with creme caramel or dulce de leche for a special treat.
8. Broil up some s’mores
Think outside the box: S’mores aren’t only for graham crackers. Top halved chocolate chip muffins with marshmallows and give them a light toast in the broiler. Sprinkle with crumbled graham cracker crumbs.
9. Make a melt
Fill that muffin with cheese and your favorite meat for a quick, portable weekday breakfast or lunch. Then fry in a cast-iron skillet like a grilled cheese sandwich or your favorite melt.
10. Customize that bread pudding
Instead of stale bread, use stale muffins. Once they’ve dried out, cut into bite-sized pieces and combine with a custard mixture of cream and eggs. Add in any other favorite ingredients, place into a baking dish and bake until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with a fruit compote.
There are plenty of unique things to try with muffins, so get outside the norm and see if one of these ideas will become your new favorite thing. And if you’re still into eating muffins the more traditional way, here are my favorite muffin recipes worth waking up for.
Try our best muffin recipes.
Chocolate Chip MuffinsBoth of my daughters love these chocolate chip muffins! I usually double this chocolate chip muffin recipe so I have extras to keep in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack. —Lori Thompson, New London, Texas
Cinnamon MuffinsThese cinnamon muffins, with a dash of nutmeg in the batter, are seasoned to please. My husband grew up enjoying these tender muffins that his mother made on special weekend mornings.—Katherine McVey, Raleigh, North Carolina
Blueberry Cream MuffinsWhen most people think of Maine, they immediately think of lobster. But we who live here know of something equally as good: wild blueberries. Their flavor is unmatched, and they're especially great in this blueberry muffin recipe with sour cream. —Lillian Van der Harst, Center Lovell, Maine
Blueberry-Orange MuffinsThis recipe was given to me some time ago, and I've used it often since. In fact, it's so good that it won first prize at a county fair! Blueberries are plentiful here in the Midwest, and this is a delicious way to prepare them. —Irene Parry, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kids will love this healthy muffin recipe.
Coconut Chocolate MuffinsWith their rich dark chocolate flavor and luscious cream cheese-coconut topping, these irresistible muffins taste more like a decadent dessert than a morning treat. —Sonia Daily, Rochester, Michigan
Pomegranate Cream Cheese Surprise MuffinsI baked these muffins for the kids I babysit, and they couldn't get enough. Their favorite part? The filling, of course! —Jodie Gharbi, Shreveport, Louisiana
Chocolate Banana MuffinsI bake something almost every day—either in the morning before everyone's awake or in the evening. I whip up these tender muffins in no time and serve them with jam for breakfast or ice cream and chocolate syrup for dessert. —Stephanie Kienzle, North Miami Beach, Florida
Lemon-Filled Gingerbread MuffinsHonest Abe rarely spoke about food in his speeches. But in one of his famous debates with Stephen Douglas, Lincoln told a story from his childhood about sharing gingerbread men with a friend. The tale charmed his audience —these gingerbread muffins will charm you, too. —Suzette Jury, Keene, California
Grandma's Honey MuffinsI can remember my Grandma Wheeler making these delicious muffins—we'd eat them nice and warm, fresh from the oven! She was a "pinch of this and handful of that" kind of cook, so getting the ingredient amounts correct for the recipe was a challenge. Now it's a family treasure! —Darlis A. Wilfer, West Bend, Wisconsin
Coconut Carrot MuffinsIf you like carrot cake, you'll probably like these muffins, too. They make a neat treat for an Easter get-together! I use canned carrots to save some extra time in the kitchen. —Brittany Carrington, Tehachapi, California
Bacon-Peanut Butter Cornbread MuffinsMy family just can't get enough bacon and peanut butter, so I created these quick and easy cornbread muffins using ingredients I regularly keep stocked in my pantry and fridge. The streusel topping adds a delicious sweet-salty crunch! No peanut butter baking chips on hand? For a different flavor twist, swap in chocolate chips, then drizzle the warm muffins with chocolate syrup instead of caramel topping. —Shannon Kohn, Summerville, South Carolina
Wonderful English MuffinsWhen I was growing up on a farm, my mom always seemed to be making homemade bread...nothing tasted so good! Now I like to make these simple yet delicious muffins for my own family. —Linda Rasmussen, Twin Falls, Idaho
Quiche MuffinsQuiche cups are my showstopper potluck dish. Hash browns and Asiago cheese make up the crusts. Eggs, spinach and bacon do the rest. —Nicole Stone, Gilbertville, Iowa
Coffee Cake Muffin MixOur local home-school group has an annual Christmas craft breakfast. Forty children signed up to come to my table and make this muffin recipe mix. It was so rewarding to see their excitement as they created a special gift to give. —Tamera Serafin, New Windsor, Maryland
Cranberry Pumpkin MuffinsTart, juicy cranberries enhance the delicate pumpkin flavor of these muffins. Sometimes I dust the tops with powdered sugar to add a little sweetness. —Sue Ross, Casa Grande, Arizona
S'mores Monkey Bread MuffinsWhen it comes to mini versions of anything, I'm sold! These muffins are ooey-gooey individual-sized monkey breads made with frozen dinner roll dough, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. They couldn't be easier to make, and kids just love them. —Tina Butler, Royse City, Texas
Sour Cream Chip MuffinsTake one bite and you'll see why I think these rich, tender muffins are the best I've ever tasted. Mint chocolate chips make them a big hit with my family and friends. —Stephanie Moon, Boise, Idaho
Zucchini Chocolate Chip MuffinsWhenever I make these zucchini chocolate chip muffins, I freeze several. As I'm leaving for work in the morning, I pull one out and enjoy it at the office with a cup of coffee. —Janet Pierce DeCori, Rockton, Illinois
Pigs in a PoolMy kids love sausages and pancakes but making them during the week was out of the question. I bought the frozen variety on a stick but wasn't keen on the calories, additives or price. This version of pigs-in-a-blanket is a tasty, thrifty alternative. —Lisa Dodd, Greenville, South Carolina
Sausage Cheese MuffinsThese small savory muffins are fun to serve as appetizers or at brunch. With just five ingredients, the tasty bites are easy to whip up to take to a party, the office or a friend. —Willa Paget, Nashville, Tennessee
Banana Macadamia MuffinsThese muffins taste even better the next day, so to save time, I often make them the night before. They stay moist for days. —Stasha Wampler, Clinchport, Virginia
Pumpkin Spice MuffinsNothing beats these quick muffins for irresistible, homemade pumpkin pie flavor. Serve them with any meal or as a satisfying snack. —Michel Karkula, Chandler, Arizona
Originally Published: January 19, 2018
