While others want gigantic muffins that barely fit the hand, others aim for small compact muffins that is perfect for snacking. Mini muffins are ideal little treats for those people who don’t want to deal with having to finish a regular muffin. If you are one of those people, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will talk about how you make and how long do you bake mini muffins. I will give you my take on the process of creating the best mini muffins that you can enjoy with your friends and family. Let’s get started!
How To Make Mini Muffins
Almost all muffin recipes can turn out as mini muffin recipes. That pre-mixed batter that you buy in the grocery, which has instructions to bake muffins in a regular size, can easily be altered to make your mini muffins. Recipe’s that include all sorts of fruits, chocolate, nuts, and other sweets, is transformed to create a full-on mini muffin recipe.
The secret is in knowing how to scale down the ingredients, and to know how long do you bake mini muffins in the oven. Baking mini muffins the right way is crucial, and I will provide you with the steps for that later on in this article.
Because most muffins have additional fillings and flavors, this is how you can alter some ingredients to fit your new mini muffin recipe:
- Fruits
If you are using fruits for your muffins like blueberries and strawberries, it is essential to chop them down to tiny bits and pieces. You wouldn’t want a giant blueberry to dominate over your mini muffin. Chop the fruits small, but not too small that the taste of the fruit is lost. So be careful when chopping those tiny blueberries, make sure the juices are still intact.
Some fruits can work but are not advisable for mini muffins. Some fruits have seeds that don’t separate from the grain when chopped down to tiny pieces. Blackberries are a perfect example of this, and they also leave a huge mess when chopped - Chocolate
When using chocolate chips for your mini muffins, you can choose the mini ones instead of the regular ones. You can chop the chocolate chips into smaller pieces, or you can even grate them. There is also an option of buying a block of chocolate, so it is easier to grind. Shaving the block of chocolate into tiny chocolate swirls is also a good idea.
Note: When buying chocolates, remember that small chocolate chips are harder to grate with your hands. - Nuts
When adding nuts to your mini muffins, you must break them down into smaller pieces as well. Be careful and avoid big chunks, especially with nuts like almonds and cashew. You can break down nuts by putting the nuts into a Ziplock bag or plastic bag and hammering it down with your rolling pin. Hammering them down will break the nuts into tiny, more manageable pieces. You can even add them to the muffin if they are mashed to a fine.
Baking Time In The Oven
How long do you bake mini muffins? This question is the most critical change in altering any muffin recipe to become a mini muffin recipe.
Mini muffins are about 1/3 of a regular muffin. With any recipe that makes 12 regular-size muffins or a dozen muffins, the method will yield 36 mini muffins. Use this equation to transform any muffin recipe into a mini muffin recipe quickly.
Because the mini muffins are smaller than regular muffins, it is only right to shorten their baking time. The temperature of the oven should remain the same, but if you bake them at the same time, the mini muffins will harden and get overdone.
It takes around 20 minutes to bake regular size muffins, and you should cut that in half for your mini muffin recipe. Bake your mini muffins to approximately 10 minutes while continually checking on them:
- Step 1: While the mini muffins are baking in the oven, check on them for smoke or burning after 7min. You can also use your sense of smell to detect if your mini muffins are burning. Your mini muffins may burn when the oven is hotter than it should be.
- Step 2: On the 10-minute mark, insert a toothpick into one of the mini muffins your baking. Preferably, check the muffins that are closest to the sides of the oven.
- Step 3: Remove the toothpick and check for the batter. If you can see some wet residue, chances are they need an additional 2 min in the oven to cook.
If you do not see batter residue but only tiny crumbs that do not entirely cover the toothpick, then your mini muffins are ready.
And that answers how long do you bake mini muffins in the oven. Make sure you do not overcook your mini muffins for more than 10 minutes. Leaving them in the oven for 1-3 minutes longer can overcook your mini muffins.
Also, when removing the pan out of the oven, take the mini muffins out of the pan quickly. Do not wait for the pan or tray to cool down. Leaving them inside the hot container will overcook them. You should pluck them out into a separate plate or tray when you get them out of the oven for cooling down.
Conclusion
It is now clear how long do you bake mini muffins in the oven. We also discussed how you could make mini muffins. You can share this knowledge with your family and friends so they can enjoy this tiny treat that can put a smile on anyone’s face. Remember that you can transform any muffin recipe to the best mini muffin by scaling down the ingredients and cooking time. Also, when making mini muffins, do not forget to check on them in that 10-minute window regularly. Happy Baking. Get more tips on baking muffins.