Why do I always end up with flat muffins?

15 years ago

I am muffin-challenged, to say the least. I made this recipe Saturday, and although they taste very good, and the texture is good, they are not nicely domed, but totally flat on top.

I didn't have granola, so I used 1/4 cup of oat bran and 1/3 cup of oatmeal instead. And I omitted the coconut, because I am not fond of it. Could the substitution have been the culprit?

Banana Crunch Muffins

Source: Food Network-Ina Garten

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)

1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)

1 cup small-diced walnuts

1 cup granola

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from the pan, and serve.

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Comments (14)

lindac
15 years ago
Could your baking powder be old?
Linda C
cloudy_christine
15 years ago
Two things jump out at me. First, the granola amount in the recipe is 1 cup. I'm not sure why you substituted a only third of a cup of oatmeal and a quarter-cup of oat bran for that cup of granola. I'd say you need maybe 3/4 cup of oatmeal or rolled oats. Granola is mostly oats and is going to absorb some of the liquid.
The other thing is the amount of butter. Are you sure it says half a pound of butter (two sticks) and not half a cup (one stick)? That would be a more usual muffin proportion.
Also, as Linda said, baking powder can be too old to work well.
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cloudy_christine
15 years ago
Just after I posted my reply, I realized the recipe came from the food network site. Wondering if they'd made a mistake with the butter amount, I looked around on the web, and the butter is half a pound everywhere. Wow. I also found some photos of -- flat muffins! So it isn't you. I'd still put in some more rolled oats and maybe some almond flakes if you have them; those are the main things in granola.

Here is a link that might be useful: flat banana-crunch muffins
doucanoe
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, Linda & Cloudy.

I'll have to double check my baking powder, I think it should be good, it's really not very old.

Yep, a half pound of butter.....not very waistline friendly, huh ? LOL

The reason I only subbed 1/4 c oat bran and 1/2 c oatmeal is because I thought since the oats were uncooked and the bran was ground, it would be roughly equal to 1 cup of granola. (Hey, Alton Brown I am not! LOL)

I really wish I could find a recipe to make muffins like the ones they sell at Perkins restaurants. I love all of their muffins!

Linda
grainlady_ks
15 years ago
Interesting... As a foods judge at fairs in central Kansas, I'd suggest NOT taking that recipe to the fair after seeing the picture cloudy christine posted ;-).

-Grainlady
doucanoe
Original Author
15 years ago
I am unable to open the picture....that bad, huh?

Ah well...at least the muffins taste good!

Linda
cloudy_christine
15 years ago
Linda, here's different photo.
But if they taste good, what does it matter?

Here is a link that might be useful: more flat muffins
annie1992
15 years ago
Linda, the answer is very simple. As you age, your muffins just get flatter. Trust me, that's it.

Now, for that banana crunch recipe thing, I can't help you with that. (grin)

Annie
riverrat1
15 years ago
LOL Annie! I was thinking the same thing.
beanthere_dunthat
15 years ago
LOL! Annie, you're too much. :)

I agree with the others that the butter is probably the culprit. That is an awful lot of butter. Also, that's a lot of mixing and beating. Muffins usually don't take that much mixing -- just enough to blend the ingredients.

Linda - had my first Perkins muffins last month during my trip. My bet is they use commercial Gold Medal Muffin mix bases with various add-ins. I know that taste/texture anywhere, especially after five years at the chain I worked at that baked 240+ muffins a day. :)
centralcacyclist
15 years ago
There is a lot of heavy, wet stuff as well as mixing. I didn't think about the butter but that, too. They sound delicious if not pretty.
doucanoe
Original Author
15 years ago
I am at work and can open both photos now. I don't think they look that bad. About what my actual muffins looked like.

Renee, Gold Medal mix? Really? Whodathunk!

Annie...you have a point, but unfortunately, my muffins are not getting flatter with age, they ae just "relocating" ( as in closer to the belt). LOL

Linda
ann_t
15 years ago
Maybe this muffin isn't suppose to be a high domed muffin. Not all muffins are.

Ann
kandm
15 years ago
The dome often comes from the heat on the oven being on too high.... I enjoy flat muffins, they are a lot of fun to decorate. They are so beautiful with a jet black, glossy chocolate glaze. You can even use butter cream on top of the ganache for an even better effect.

Why do I always end up with flat muffins?

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lindac

cloudy_christine

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Why do I always end up with flat muffins?

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