Muffin Tin Mania: 20 Unique Muffin Ideas

"Muffin Tin, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.  You have faithfully cooked up delicious little cakes and breads since the day of your invention, and we have discovered that you are the perfect pan to make delightful, little portable, handheld meals, snacks and desserts already portioned out in just the right size.  Children and adults  love the foods that pop out of those little cups of yours; food that is perfect for  parties, picnics, or lunch boxes; breakfasts, lunch or dinner; to stay or to go; beautiful or rustic; wholesome or comforting, glitzy or humble, your creations are perfect for any occasion. You are adorable".

One of the most viewed posts on this blog,  is Spaghetti Pie Meal in a Muffin as pictured in the header. It isn't the post I would have thought to have had so much traffic. It has been featured in several websites such as Chowhound,  Luvo, Huffington Post and The Whoot, all of which have contributed to its popularity; but I think the main reason that it has done so well, is that Muffin Tin ideas are flourishing and I can understand why, they are irresistible. I find myself often thinking of meals that I can make for the muffin tin.

Soooo …..I decided to share some of my favorite muffin tin ideas that I have saved on my Muffin and Cupcake Pinterest board; they are from a variety of websites, including this one. So get out those  muffin tins, and put them to use with some of these recipes, and change up the menu plan with a little bit of fun.

Cheesy Steak Cups

by Gather For Bread

Pizza Pie Muffins 

From Where Your Treasure Is

Hashbrown Egg Muffins 

By Play Party Pin

Meatball Sandwich Muffins

by Where Your Treasure Is

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

by Circle of Moms

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

by Iowa Girl Eats

Shepherd's Pie Muffin

From Where Your Treasure Is

Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes

From Chocolate Covered Katie

Reuben Sandwich Muffins

From Where Your Treasure Is

Almost No Bake Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies
From Carlsbad Cravings

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

From Cakes Cottage

Meatloaf Cupcakes

from Cincyshopper.com

Eggplant Parmagiana Meal in a Muffin

From Where Your Treasure Is

Baked Potato Cupcakes

From Dairy Makes Sense

Granola Yogurt Cups

From Muffin Mania

Mac n Cheese Muffins

From Fifteen Spatulas

Trim Healthy Mama Compliant

Chocolate Pecan Muffins
from Flowers in His Garden

Eggs in a Potato Nest

from Stranded Foodie

Pancake and Sausage Muffins

from Heavenly Homemakers

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
from Where Your Treasure Is

Double Chocolate Muffins

I'm on the count down for the last muffins to be posted during March Madness Muffin Mania Marathon  Month. I have 3 more muffins to share counting these yummy and wholesome Double Chocolate Muffins.  I always think there has to be at least one serving of chocolate whenever we make something   don't you? It should be counted as one of the major food groups right?  If you are a chocolate lover like I am, but also love healthy wholesome food, this recipe is one you will like.  It is made with "White" whole wheat flour, butter, buttermilk and eggs,  cocoa powder and chocolate chips.  

Double Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups "White Wheat" Whole Wheat flour

2/3 cup Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Sucanat or Organic Sugar

1/2 cup Butter, softened

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Buttermilk

1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare a twelve cup muffin pan muffin with Cupcake liners, or spray with cooking spray.
3. In a medium mixing bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  
5. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix until evenly blended.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until evenly blended.
7. Add Chocolate  Chips and stir until evenly distributed.
8. Divide evenly into the twelve muffin cups.
9. Bake 15- 20 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean.
10. Delicious served warm or cold with butter.

Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins with Essential Oil

I have seen this muffin with a variety of names over the internet: Snicker Doodle Muffins, Sugar Donut Muffins, Cinnamon and Sugar Donut Muffins, Sugar and Spice Muffins.  I changed the name of this post four times, trying to pick the name I liked best.  I ended up calling them just plain ol Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins…. and added the "with Essential Oils" part, because that is what best describes them.  The Cinnamon Essential Oil in these muffins really gives them a burst of delicious cinnamon flavor; more so than making them with cinnamon powder alone; even the house fills up with the lovely smell. I have made these several times, using White Whole Wheat Flour, and also using Barley and Oat flour combined.  They are great both ways. The Barley and oat version is a little more crumbly; somewhat like corn bread can be, which is because of the reduction in the gluten.  But they are tasty, and offer a little variation from wheat.  These are not gluten free, because the barley has gluten in it, but you could substitute the barley for a gluten free grain or flour if you wish.  I think sometimes it is a good idea to just take a little break from too much wheat even if you don't have gluten problems, so I have tried to vary my grains a bit.  If you make the barley and oat version, and wish to reduce the crumbliness of the muffin you can add 3/4 of a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum, which makes your gluten free baked goods less crumbly, but in my opinion not worth the extra time or money; you'll enjoy them either way. Happy Baking Everyone

Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins


Ingredients:
¾ cup Barley Flour
1 Cup Oat Flour (I grind up rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour)
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
¾ cup Coconut Sugar, Sucanat or Organic granulated sugar
1 egg
¾ cup Buttermilk
4-5 drops Cinnamon Essential oil

Makes 12
Note: if you wish to use Whole Wheat Flour, just replace to Barley and Oat Flour with Wheat Flour totaling 1 3/4 cup.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven 400º.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate, bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and buttermilk.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Add Essential Oils
6. Coat your muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray and divide the batter evenly among the cups.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

For the Cinnamon and Sugar topping:
Melt the butter in a small bowl.
Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.
Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix.

These taste delicious served with a little butter.  Serve warm or cold.  Yum.

Peanut Butter Muffins

Peanut butter muffins remind me of when I was in High School.  Whenever we stayed the night at my friend Cindy T's  house, her Mom would cook the most wonderful food for us.  We all loved to stay over there.  I think to this very day, each of us remembers all the things she cooked for us…. just thinking of it now is making me hungry for homemade rolls stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onion…mmmm that was so good.  I think Mrs. T's cooking and hospitality probably imprinted many things in my life, including a love to cook, and a love to enjoy the comings and goings of my kids. It is a good reminder that hospitality and good cooking served with love, creates a safe haven for young hearts and makes wonderful, cozy memories for our children, perhaps even touching their lives forever. (Thanks Mrs. T. and thanks  for sharing your Mom with us Cindy and Jami).

As you might have guessed, Peanut butter muffins are a memory from those days as well. Mrs. T made them for us. They were delicious, comforting and satisfying.  These are not "those" muffins, because I never got any of her recipes, but they are a wholesome Peanut Butter Muffin made with… yes you guessed it: "Peanut butter" and  whole wheat flour and…. most importantly; love. They are lightly sweet and are delicious especially when served up warm with butter and honey.  They make a wholesome and satisfying after school snack for the kids, and teenagers will gobble them up.

Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (I use White Wheat, which is a light whole wheat, and creates a nice almost white flour texture).

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 tsp Sea Salt or Himilayan Salt (increase by 1/2 tsp if you are using unsalted peanut butter)

1 cup Coconut Sugar or Sucanat

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 cup butter softened

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Optional additions: 1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or banana chunks or shredded coconut.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix together well.
3. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients.
4. Mix well with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk. 
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until thoroughly blended.
6. At this point, you can add chocolate chips or any of the additions you may like. 
7. Divide into prepared muffin tins.
8. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Serve warm with butter and drizzled with honey.
10. Enjoy!

Delicious served hot, with butter and honey!

Enjoy!

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Muffins

I love cheesy baked goods.  I guess I love cheese in almost anything. These muffins are loaded with cheese, cottage cheese and sausage and are a delicious easy breakfast that can be served hot or cold (however hot is the best). They are wonderful made ahead and stored in the freezer for a quick and delicious protein breakfast; just rewarm and eat.

 Ingredients:

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (I use White Wheat, which is my favorite for baking as it is a light soft whole wheat.  You could use sprouted whole wheat flour, pastry flour, rye, barley flour or white flour for these as well)

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

6 Tablespoons butter

1 cup cottage cheese

1 1/2 to 2 pounds breakfast sausage,  browned.

2 cups shredded cheddar or asiago Cheese 

2 eggs, well beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients together well.
3. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, and cut in until well blended.
4. Add cooked sausage, cottage cheese and cheddar cheese and eggs; stir well into flour mixture.
5. Add buttermilk.  
6. Stir until well blended.
7. Put into prepared muffin tins.
8. Top with a little extra cheese.
9. Bake at 375 for 15 -20 minutes.
10. Makes 24 muffins.