Video Tip: Mixing Muffin Batter Perfectly + Bonus Tip
It’s not rocket science but since I’ve had many of you ask, this little 2 1/2-minute video tip will show you the perfect amount of mixing to ensure light and tender muffins (say goodbye to dense, dry, tough muffins).
If you start with a great recipe, mixing (or rather, not overmixing) is the key to fantastic muffins. Plus, I’ve included a bonus tip showing a super fast and simple way to portion the muffin batter into the liners (hint: you may need a mini sous chef to help).
And if you are so inclined, hang around for the last 20 seconds of the video for some outtakes showing you what it’s like to be a one-woman crew filming a spontaneous cooking video with a mischievous 3-year old.
Oh, and one last thing! If you are looking for my favorite muffin recipes, click here for the lineup.
Remember all of the videos can be seen on my Video Tips page as well as on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe You Tube channel.
Adorable video! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Quote from my 4yo daughter after watching this video with me: “Mom, that little girl in your phone is so cute like I am, isn’t she?”
Love that, Laurie!
Love the outtakes! And all of your muffins. Thank you!
I love this 🙂 I can certainly relate with my own two little helpers in the kitchen 🙂 You both did so well! :p
Haha! I love this…that face you make pretty much sums up how I always feel when my kids wanna “help”. Especially scooping runny muffin or cupcake batter 🙂 Gotta love ’em!
I loved that video so much! If I try to involve my 3 year olds, it turns into endless fighting over who gets to be the helper, lots of tears, spilled food, maybe some mommy tears and in the end, everyone gets kicked out of the kitchen and out to the garage with dad to frazzle him . I look forward to the day that their help is helpful! It’s a good thing I found your blog or I may have lost all motivation to cook. Thanks Mel!
Love this! Thanks! What a cutie she is! Loved the yawning clip! ha!
She is getting so big. Jake even watched the video and comment the same. Love the bloopers. So typical… In fact Jake said you two are peas in a pod.
you two are darling.
oh my gosh, the outtakes are the end are the absolute best! I keep laughing thinking about it. My favorite is when her head slowly disappears behind the counter! You two are so lucky to have each other! I love your youtube series.
That was such a sweet video Melanie! You do such an amazing job. I love all the videos!!
I love it!!!
That was totally adorable. Made my day!
She is adorable! <3 Love you too cooking together in the kitchen 🙂
This made me giggle! Great tips!
That was hilarious….the outtakes. Thanks as always Mel. Even from far, far away you bring hope and sanity to cooking. I don’t thank you enough. Thank you!!!!!!!!
How adorable was that? And, honestly, this video is really helpful to me. I struggle with how much to stir my muffins for sure. Which recipe is this one? Is it the one you posted yesterday? I want to say my muffins tend to be wetter than this one in the video (and I always weigh the flour…) Maybe I’m too heavy handed with my measuring of the applesauce?
My 3 year old really enjoyed this too. At the very, very end, he exclaimed, “That last part was so funny!” And it was. Loved it.
One last question. I know you mentioned that you like to make your muffin recipe into dougnuts using a doughnut pan. What’s your tip for getting the batter in the doughnut shape?
Oh my gosh Mel. She is so ridiculously cute! I loved the bloopers at the end – especially the one where she lays her head on your shoulder and yawns. My three year old (boy) would have been making silly noises the whole time, she was so sweet and quiet. I’m sure she misses her brothers at school, but how nice got her to get Mommy all to herself. 🙂
Loved the video! Reminds me of when President Monson said “never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.” Your video inspired me to be more patient with my children cooking in the kitchen with me. After all, I want to spend the time with them. And how they feel about themselves and my relationship with them is far more important than anything I am trying I cook – so it is worth me smiling and enjoying it a little more – even if it does take a little longer. Thanks for the cute video!
This is a much needed demo! I have always wondered what exactly “don’t over mix” means! This answers so many of my questions, thank you Mel! (And Camryn of course )
Oh Mel. I love you like I love muffins. And bread. And all carbs everywhere. I envy the people who get to be in your neighborhood and actually know you in the flesh and bask in your goodness! You’ve had quite a few moves in the recent past so for your sake I hope you get to stay put, but if another move is on the radar, my vote would be the DFW area of Texas… I’m only half kidding. Actually I’m not kidding at all. 🙂 Thanks for all you do for all of us in this little corner of the internet. This is the happiest place online for me. Thanks, Mel!
Loved the tutorial! I jumped on amazon to buy a cinn/sugar shaker so I can top my otherwise healthy muffins! Another note…I’ve seen various games you have recommended a few times. Can you do a snapshot Saturday with a list of your families top 10 board games? Or even an email??
Great video! The BEST parts were the outtakes! Such a cute helper. Thanks for all you do to make my life easier in the kitchen. You’re the best!
I loved the video with your cute little girl. It reminds me of the many times I cooked with my little girl who is now 26 years old. She also had 4 brothers. Have you ever tried the Danish dough hook to mix muffins? It mixes them perfectly without over mixing and incorporates the flour well. I also use it for making Artisan bread. I love your recipes and I have tried many of them and I am always sharing them. Thanks for taking the time to try out new recipes and make them perfect. You are amazing!!
Thanks for the video and all the great recipes, tips, etc. as well as encouraging the rest of us with our kid-wrangling, I mean, helping them to learn, grow and be themselves. I am attempting to get my kids away from only eating food with ketchup, ranch and bbq sauce and your recipes help with that. Your daughter is adorable, and helps me know I’m not (that) crazy by encouraging my kids to cook with me despite the extra messes that are created in the meantime (as long as I can sneak chocolate chips while cleaning it up). Thanks!
Loved the video! Thanks for taking the time to do it, and for all of the time and energy you spend on the recipes you post. I’ve only tried a few of your main dish recipes so far — can’t wait to try some from your fav muffins page!
What a sweet, sweet video – thanks for making me laugh while I’m sick & in bed – I hate that!
I sometimes use a fork to mix muffin batter, it helps me to mix the wet & dry ingredients quickly and efficiently without overbeating.
What size cookie scoop should I get to fill the muffin cups? I am using this technique already but my scoop isn’t as big.
I use a #20 scoop.
I’m so glad I watched this. Of course for the great tip (I always feel like I have to get rid of the flour I can see) but mostly for the out takes. Seriously made me laugh out loud. Just couldn’t help it ☺️ Thanks for all the great recipes!!
I loved watching this! I love your recipes and so appreciate the endless amounts of time and energy and $ spent in our behalf. Thank you! I’m pretty sure each of us would love to have you as a friend.
That is so nice, thank you Kara!
How in the universe is Camryn so big??? I promise, you just had her about five minutes ago!!! What a cutie!
I know, right?
Bahaha! Love the funny faces! Great video! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks, Laurel – that girl has a lot of sass and spunk in her for sure.
No way! I was making your new muffins this morning and wished you would include a photo of your mixed batter so I could see it. I knew you had magic cooking powers but I didn’t know you coukd read minds as well!
I’m going to tell my kids I have superpowers, Karen. 🙂
You and your assistant are so cute and I loved the video and outtakes. I have made muffins lots and lots of times and I am sad to say that I have probably always over-mixed and never knew it, as I always make them in the stand-up mixer. Love you, and love your site.
Great video – nice, concise demo of the technique – so helpful to really see what is meant by not overmixing.
And the outtakes – definitely worth watching and started my day with a laugh and a smile!
Me, my hair would be on end and a forced smile on my face and I’d need a nap after the back and forth with a 3 year old 🙂 . Somewhere on the NYTimes site is a video of the crew Melissa Clark has to make her 2 minute videos. Granted, usually an entire recipe, but not counting the camera, lighting and ?? folks, there are 3-4 additional cook/chef/bakers! Your one woman (and one 3 year old) video looks as professional as the NYTimes – amazing, Mel!
Haha, well, I’m not anywhere near that professional but it’s fun to do these videos (even if it is a little wild and probably takes me about 67X longer than if I had professional help – not the 3-year old kind). 🙂 Thanks, Liz.
Oh my gosh- could you and Camryn be any cuter? The answer is NO! You are both so adorable, and I love that you keep it real showing the out takes!
You are so sweet, Kim – thank you!
I love this video, Mel. I made these muffins yesterday and they were fantastic. Your assistant is adorable!
What an adorable little blessing! I loved the scene where she cuddles with her head on your shoulder and yawns. Being an assistant must be exhausting! The giggles and laughter scene will be a precious memory to cherish in your heart down the road. This video showed me that I over mix my batter. I have always beat it quickly and viciously with a wire whisk thinking because I did it so fast, it wasn’t over mixing. I hate being disillusioned. Muffin day around here, Saturday mornings, I will try the slow spoon method. Your muffin recipes always come out so delicious for me that I’m not sure how they can be any better.
Well, you know what I think, Sheila – if your old method produces delicious muffins, keep it going! 🙂 And yes, being an assistant is so very exhausting (she did take a good nap that day).