The Store-Bought Muffin Mix That's All Disaster And No Deliciousness

From Jiffy to Duncan Hines, store-bought muffin mix varieties decorate grocery shelves and which brand makes it from the aisle to your pantry can be a random pick based on which one stands out. We took the guesswork out of this process and baked 11 boxed muffin mixes to rank them based on their texture, blueberry dispersal, and final color. The results: Lakanto sugar-free blueberry muffin mix placed last, and not just for its unpleasant taste.

Lakanto's muffin mix is a gluten-free treat sweetened with an erythritol and monk fruit blend. In spite of its diet-friendly approach, the first red flag was that the muffins came out of the oven under-done despite baking them for the recommended time and temperature — a common issue for buyers of this store-bought muffin mix. The muffins come out doughy and dense like a clay mix, which is far from the fluffy texture the packet promises, and even extending their baking time doesn't see them rise or improve their texture, nor does it brown the muffins.

These muffins also had an odd artificial aftertaste. Other consumers report the same and admit that these muffins could be improved by more sweetener or vanilla to give them some smidgen of flavor. Additionally, their gritty texture gives away the almond flour in the mix, which takes over the entire flavor profile so it tastes nothing like blueberries but more like nutty muffins — a disappointmet for a blueberry muffin mix.

Say you're stuck with this muffin mix and would rather not toss it out; is it worth salvaging? Prolonging its baking time still yields heavy and flat-topped muffins, so there goes your extra 20 minutes. A more effective solution may be to stir the mix for a bit longer than usual since it's beneficial to overmix gluten-free batters. Or, you can separate the egg yolks, add them to the batter first then whip the whites to stiff peaks before adding them to the muffin batter and baking. The good thing is that this muffin mix already calls for eggs, so you won't have to go out of your way to get some. The bad news is both processes entail extra time and labor, which goes against the convenience of store-bought muffin mixes.

Another approach is to let your gluten-free batter rest for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. Generally, this works to hydrate gluten-free batters and gives the gluten-free flours and starches time to absorb liquid fully, dispelling their gritty texture. Still, you may be better off buying a box of Betty Crocker's wild blueberry muffin mix. It's not a gluten-free mix, but it earned our number-one spot for its lighter texture, delightfully bouncy feel, and more.