Maple Walnut Muffins Recipe

A warm muffin for breakfast is bound to improve your morning, and this recipe makes that an easy reality to achieve. Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone shares these maple walnut muffins that are quick to whip up, so you can sink your teeth into the tender crumb after just half an hour of work. "I love these muffins because they are simple to make, but incredibly delicious," Morone says. "They are filled with maple flavor, and I love the crunch that the walnuts give them."

Aside from using maple syrup to sweeten these baked treats, Morone includes maple extract to double down on the flavor. As she highlights, chopped walnuts keep the texture exciting, while an optional sugary topping adds a caramelized crunch. Serve these in the early hours of the day or for an afternoon pick-me-up to boost your spirits with a sweet and nutty muffin. 

To make these muffins, you'l need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, melted butter, brown sugar, an egg, buttermilk, sour cream, maple syrup, maple extract, and chopped walnuts. "The maple syrup in the muffins adds sweetness and moisture, but I find that using maple syrup alone doesn't give you the great maple flavor that you are looking for unless you also add some maple extract," Morone explains. If you're deliberating whether or not to get the extract, then, it may be worth it.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners, or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined.

Whisk egg, buttermilk, sour cream, maple syrup, and maple extract into the butter and brown sugar.

Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Add chopped walnuts and mix until just incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full with batter. Top batter with turbinado sugar, if using.

Bake muffins for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

It'll be hard not to reach for a muffin straight from the piping hot pan, but for your comfort, wait a few minutes for these to cool down. Then, serve them whenever you're craving a sweet and comforting baked good. "These make a great breakfast, especially if you're on the go in the morning," Morone recommends. "With their maple flavor, they're like portable pancakes, but without the mess." As for how to enjoy them, the combination of walnuts, maple, and a sugary topping already packs in a lot of flavor. "They are great on their own," Morone agrees, "or you could spread some butter or peanut butter on them."

Once cooled, leftovers muffins can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want to hold onto them a little longer, Morone says they can be frozen for up to 3 months. That said, skip the fridge: "You typically don't want to refrigerate muffins, because the moisture in the fridge can change their texture and flavor," Morone explains.

A few key ingredient choices guarantee that these muffins come out as tender and moist as can be. Starting with the butter, Morone recommends melting it first. "Using melted butter in things like quick breads and muffins is ideal because it is easier to mix in than softened butter," she notes. "With muffins, you want to mix everything as little as possible, otherwise they could end up tough." 

Meanwhile, Morone explains that she includes both sour cream and buttermilk in her muffin recipe because they lead to "incredibly moist and tender" results. However, she offers some substitutes if you're in the mood for muffins but are missing either one of these ingredients. "If you don't have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is a good replacement. Plain milk can be used instead of buttermilk, but it won't give your muffins as rich of a flavor."