The warm, natural flavor in these mini honey muffins can't be beat! They're fluffy and easy to make in just 30 minutes. I love popping these cute little muffins in my mouth for a breakfast treat or a quick snack on-the-go! Plus, they freeze well so you can make all 24 and enjoy them throughout the week.
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Honey as a flavor is so underrated! I add it to my latte every morning and love the flavor it adds to baked goods, like these mini muffins, my honey vanilla cake, and my cinnamon honey pancakes! Plus, the kefir in this recipe gives these muffins the most tender crumb. Shoutout to my friends at Lifeway kefir for sponsoring this!
When my husband tasted these honey muffins for the first time, his reaction was a lot of head nods followed by "yummm, not too sweet!", which I take as a compliment since he's Polish 😂
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They're ready in about 30 minutes - from mixing bowl to fresh out of the oven, these mini honey muffins come together fast!
- Lightly sweetened with real honey - the natural honey flavor really shines without making them overly sweet.
- They freeze really well - bake 24 of them in a mini muffin pan, cool & freeze them, and you've got snacks and breakfasts covered for the whole week!
- They're bite-sized and adorable - these mini muffins are the cutest little things to bring to a brunch, pack in a lunchbox, or set out for guests. They're an easy breakfast recipes to have in rotation!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make these delicious muffins:
Ingredient Notes:
- Honey is what gives these mini muffins their cozy flavor. I love using a good quality local honey, but any will work!
- Lifeway lowfat plain kefir acts like buttermilk in this recipe, making the muffins super tender and moist. It has a mild tang that balances out the honey so well!
- Unsalted butter gets melted and cooled before mixing into the batter. Make sure it's not hot or it could scramble the egg!
- Ground cinnamon is optional, but I highly recommend it. It pairs really well with the honey!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Buttermilk can be used in place of kefir if you can't find it at your store.
- Vegetable oil can replace the melted butter, but it may change the flavor slightly. Butter gives these a richer flavor, but oil does tend to keep them moist for longer since it's a liquid at room temperature.
- Regular muffins can be made with this batter! Pour it into a standard muffin pan and bake at 375°F for about 15-20 minutes.
- Add mix-ins like mini chocolate chips or sprinkle turbinado sugar on top (before baking) for a little crunch.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Mini Honey Muffins
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, and cooled butter.
Step 3: Alternately stir the dry ingredients and kefir into the wet ingredients just until combined.
Step 4: Evenly divide the batter across the mini muffin liners, and bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean (about 12-15 minutes).
Helpful Tool
I use a small cookie scoop (1-1½ tablespoon capacity) to fill the liners. It keeps things clean and makes sure each muffin is the same size!
Kayla's Top Tips
- Make sure your melted butter is cooled down. If it's too hot when you add it to the egg mixture, it can partially cook the egg and give you a weird texture. Let it sit for a few minutes after melting.
- Don't over-mix the batter. This is the most common mistake with muffins! Stir the dry ingredients and kefir in gently with a spatula, and stop as soon as all the ingredients are fully combined.
- Use room temperature kefir and egg. Cold ingredients can cause the melted butter to seize up into little clumps in the batter. Set everything out on the counter about 30 minutes before you start.
- Check them early. Mini muffins bake fast! Start checking at the 10-minute mark (especially if your oven runs hot). They're done when the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean.
Common Questions
Yes! Divide the batter across a standard muffin pan and bake at 375°F for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Kefir works a lot like buttermilk. It adds moisture, a subtle tang, and reacts with the baking powder to help the muffins rise. I use it in my fluffy kefir pancakes too - it's one of my favorite ingredients for tender baked goods!
I haven't tested it with yogurt, but if you thin it out with a splash of milk to get a pourable consistency, it should work. Buttermilk is the closest swap I'd recommend.
This usually comes from over-measuring the flour or baking them too long. Use a food scale to weigh your flour in grams for the most accurate results, and pull them out as soon as that toothpick is clean!
You can find Lifeway Kefir in many grocery stores in the refrigerated dairy aisle, or on lifewaykefir.com/where-to-buy!
Storage
Room Temperature
Store the cooled honey muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions
Let the muffins cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 1 month.
Did you try this recipe?
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Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Mini Honey Muffins
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan with liners
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter measured, melted, & cooled
- ⅓ cup (80 g) Lifeway lowfat plain kefir room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and fill a 24-well mini muffin pan with liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon (if using), and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, and cooled melted butter really well.1 large egg, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons honey, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- Alternately mix the dry ingredients and kefir into the wet ingredients.Stir gently with a spatula until all of the ingredients are mixed together well (do not over-mix).⅓ cup Lifeway lowfat plain kefir
- Evenly divide the batter across the mini muffin liners, filling each about three-quarters full.I use a small cookie scoop (1-1½ tablespoon capacity) to fill them evenly & cleanly!
- Bake on the middle rack until the tops spring back up with a gentle poke and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 10-15 minutes).Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing them.
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