The Best Vanilla Muffins

The perfect vanilla muffins now exist thanks to this classic muffin recipe. The interior is moist, tender, and fluffy with a golden brown crispy muffin top. Each muffin is packed with pure vanilla flavor from a hefty amount of vanilla bean paste.

The fluffy texture results from a moist muffin batter made using plain flour, sugar, melted butter, sour cream, and buttermilk. The acid from the buttermilk and sour cream balances the sweet flavor, assists in the leavening, and relaxes the gluten for a tender crumb. Baking the muffins at a high oven temperature provides that delightful bakery-style muffin top we love.

These sweet muffins with classic vanilla flavor are perfect for enjoying any time of the day, especially alongside a cup of coffee. Check out my other delicious muffin recipes for more sweet breakfast inspiration.

Easy Vanilla Muffin Recipe

This delicious muffin recipe comes together quickly with minimal effort and simple ingredients. The bakery-style muffins come out golden brown and incredibly moist—their pillowy, fluffy texture is hard to beat. This basic muffin recipe is entirely made from scratch, is make-ahead friendly, and is customizable to inclusions. Here is why you will LOVE this recipe:

• Easy Vanilla Muffins - The muffin batter comes together through hand mixing; no electric mixer is required. The recipe uses only pantry and refrigerator staples—throw these muffins together any time or day of the week.
• Base Recipe - The simplicity of this muffin makes it the perfect base muffin recipe for customization. See my for some fun suggestions.
• Fluffy Texture - These muffins are deliciously fluffy and tender thanks to sour cream, buttermilk, and melted butter in the batter. The soft, pillowy texture is accompanied by a golden brown, crispy outer shell resulting in the perfect muffin.
• Versatile - The muffin batter is versatile to customize, while the vanilla muffin is versatile to many toppings like jam or softened cream cheese.

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour - No specialty flour is needed to achieve the perfect muffin. This recipe calls for plain flour.
• Baking Powder and Soda - Using two leavening agents helps these muffins rise and achieve a light and airy texture.
• Salt
• Granulated Sugar - The sugar provides enough sweetness without overwhelming the vanilla flavor.
• Unsalted Butter (melted) - While I enjoy the moisture that oil provides (you’ll find it in many of my muffin recipes), the simplicity of this muffin recipe requires rich melted butter for enhanced flavor.
• Buttermilk - Buttermilk aids in leavening, tender texture, and overall flavor. If you cannot find buttermilk at the store, add ½ tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to ½ cup of whole milk. Stir the mixture and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before using.
• Sour Cream - Be sure to use full-fat sour cream, not light.
• Vanilla Bean Paste - I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract in this recipe. It showcases a slightly more enhanced vanilla flavor than extract and gives the muffins specks of vanilla bean throughout.
• Large Eggs (room temperature)

See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.

Vanilla Bean Paste vs. Vanilla Extract

Vanilla bean paste is thicker and includes seeds from vanilla bean pods. The paste has a slightly more intense flavor than the extract because of the inclusion of vanilla bean powder. The extract is liquid and without vanilla bean specks. The extract is somewhat less intense in vanilla flavor without the ground vanilla bean powder. It is best to use vanilla bean paste in recipes with a pronounced vanilla flavor, like in this recipe, or in desserts like creme brulee or ice cream.

Instructions

STEP 1 (PREP) - Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.

STEP 2 (DRY INGREDIENTS) - Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

STEP 3 (WET INGREDIENTS) - Whisk sour cream, buttermilk, {cooled} melted butter, eggs, and vanilla bean paste in a large bowl until well combined.

STEP 4 (COMBINE) - Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until everything is incorporated, do not over-mix.

STEP 5 (BAKE) - Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the muffin batter between the 12 wells of the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown, and when a toothpick is inserted into the center of a muffin, it comes out clean.

STEP 6 (COOL) - Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Buttermilk - Whole milk
• Sour Cream - Full-fat Greek yogurt
• Vanilla Bean Paste - Pure vanilla extract
• Add-Ins - Ground spices, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, fresh berries, citrus zest

Muffin Variations

• Chocolate Chip - Fold ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter for a delicious vanilla chocolate chip muffin.
• Citrus - Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lime, orange, or lemon zest to the batter for a pronounced citrus flavor.
• Vanilla Nut - Fold ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds into the muffin batter before scooping and baking.
• Berry - Fold ½ to ¾ cup of fresh berries into the muffin batter. To prevent sinking, toss berries in 1 teaspoon of flour to coat.

Suggested Equipment

• Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Mixing Bowl - I prefer to use a glass bowl when hand mixing so I can visually see that everything has been incorporated.
• OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk - This whisk is large and has a comfortable grip.
• USA Pan Bakeware Muffin Pan
• Standard Paper Cupcake Liners
• Rubber Spatula

Storage

Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Transfer cooler muffins to a freezer bag or airtight container to freeze vanilla muffins. Freeze for up to 3 months—thaw muffins entirely before eating.

Other Delicious Muffin Recipes

• Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
• Mixed Berry Muffins
• Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
• White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

What to Serve with Vanilla Muffins

These classically flavored muffins are a blank canvas for spreads and toppings. Top muffins with your favorite jam or preserves. Smear vanilla muffins with whipped butter, cream cheese, or Chantilly cream. Serve vanilla muffins warm with ice cream and mixed berry compote. Instead of vanilla cupcakes, you can use this recipe and top the muffins with buttercream. Whatever way you decide to enjoy these simply delicious muffins, do not forget to include a glass of cold milk or a warm cup of coffee.

Expert Tips

1. Measure the ingredients accurately. Be sure to level dry ingredients in their measuring cups with a knife or bench scraper.
2. Bake the muffins in a preheated oven for even baking.
3. Use room-temperature eggs for the best incorporation.
4. Do not over-mix the batter; muffins require minimal mixing after adding the dry ingredients to the wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What keeps muffins moist? To keep muffins moist and tender, measure the ingredients accurately, avoid over-mixing the muffin batter, and avoid over-baking the muffins. While these items may seem simple, they are vital in the finished muffin texture.

Can you freeze vanilla muffins? Yes, muffins are freezer-friendly and great for make-ahead breakfasts. See for freezing specifications.

If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag me, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.