These red velvet muffins are a gorgeous snack and a delicious treat. They are soft, fluffy, and easy to make. Similar to red velvet cupcakes, these muffins are perfect for Mother's Day or the holiday season!
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Why You Need To Try These Red Velvet Muffins
There are several reasons why I think you will love this recipe. Here is just a handful of them:
- These muffins are delicious, soft, and moist. They are fairly easy and contain basic pantry and fridge ingredients.
- This is a no-fuss recipe, you make the batter, bake, decorate (fill) them, and they are ready to go!
- They are ideal for breakfast, or as a snack. They also pack well (without frosting), and will easily fit into your lunchbox. Did anyone say picnic?
- These red velvet muffins are great for parties, celebrations, and gatherings. Prepare them ahead and serve them to your guests or give them as a gift for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or Christmas.
If you are looking for more easy dessert recipes, try these oat muffins with fruit, carrot cake traybake, or espresso panna cotta.
Are you a fan of no-bake recipes? Then check out these coconut and chocolate balls or triple chocolate barks - they both make a great edible present too.
Key Ingredients For Red Velvet Muffins
The recipe for these super easy muffins consists of a short list of ingredients. You will need:
- Self-rising flour - pre-mixed flour with a raising agent is ideal for fluffy muffins.
- Baking powder, to help the self-rising flour just a little bit more.
- Cocoa powder has been used in red velvet cake recipes since the 20th century, so I suggest we add some of that too!
- Sugar or sweetener for a boost of sweetness. Use either icing, granulated, or caster sugar.
- White chocolate and raspberry chocolate chips for that indulgent chocolatey flavor and fabulous raspberry aroma.
- Free-range eggs will help combine all of the ingredients together.
- Double cream (thick cream) will provide the so important moisture and sweet taste.
- Vanilla extract is your best friend when cooking, it adds a bit of the delicate vanilla flavor.
- Red food coloring to make these muffins stand out from the crowd. For best results -bright red muffins - make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging.
These muffins taste great even without any frosting (filling), therefore the frosting is totally optional. If you decide to go ahead with it, you will need:
- Full-fat cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
This recipe is for 12 muffins (one batch). Go to the recipe card to see the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
Substitutes & Variations
Don't worry if you miss some of the above ingredients. This easy muffin recipe is very versatile. Here are suggestions on what can be swapped:
- Use plain flour and baking powder, or baking soda.
- Add single cream - the muffins will be even softer and will rise slightly more.
- Lemon zest works great instead of vanilla.
- Add 'regular' chocolate chips or shredded chocolate - milk, dark, white, they all will work in this recipe!
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for information on swap ratios.
Method
These red velvet muffins can be done in 4 simple steps:
- Make the batter by combining all dry ingredients together.
- Add wet components and mix until everything is combined (the batter can be lumpy).
- Divide into portions (paper cups), sprinkle with some more chocolate chips, and bake.
- Leave to cool down and fill with cream cheese frosting.
Top Tips
- Do not over-whisk the muffin batter - just mix it with a spatula or wooden spoon until all ingredients are combined. No need to use an electric whisker here.
- Do not open the oven during baking. Let the muffins rise at a very high temperature first, then lower the temperature and leave them to bake fully inside.
- When making ahead, prepare the batter and bake the muffins. Leave to cool down and store the muffins without frosting until you are ready to serve them (up to 12-24 hours in advance). This will prevent the muffins from going soggy too fast.
- Do not freeze muffins with frosting. The frosting would split and you would end up throwing them away. Make the frosting (icing) fresh and add it just before serving.
Storage
When the muffins are baked, cooled down, and decorated, store them in a sealed container in the fridge, where they will keep for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze these muffins, however, do it without the icing (frosting). Red velvet muffins will stay fresh in a plastic bag or in an airtight food container in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Leave them to defrost slowly in the fridge (6-12 hours in advance). Add the cream cheese frosting just before serving.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze these muffins. Just remember not to add any frosting before freezing them, as the frosting would split and ruin the muffins once defrosted.
Yes, any baked goods with cream cheese frosting should be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so that they reach room temperature if you don't like to eat them chilled.
The frosting used on red velvet cakes, cupcakes, and muffins is a mixture of butter with cream cheese, sugar, and sometimes vanilla.
📖 The Recipe
Red Velvet Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin batter
- 200 g self-rising flour, or 200g plain flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- 100 g sugar, use more/less according to taste
- 2 free-range eggs
- 260 ml double cream, or 260 ml single cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tub red food colouring
- 80 g white and raspberry chocolate chips , save ⅓ of these for sprinkling
Cream cheese frosting (optional)
- 40 g full-fat cream cheese, or low-fat cream cheese
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
- 30-50 g icing sugar, according to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/430F. Spray your muffin tin with cooking oil (optional step, not necessary if you have deep enough paper cups). Line the muffin baking tin with paper or silicone muffin cups.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, saving ⅓ of the chocolate chips for sprinkling.
- Add wet components (eggs, double cream, vanilla extract), add food coloring, and mix just until everything is combined (the batter can be lumpy).
- Carefully divide the batter into portions - fill the paper cups to maximum, sprinkle with some more chocolate chips.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 220C/200C fan/430F for the first 10 minutes until the muffins rise tall. Do not open the oven during this time. Then lower the temperature to 180C/160C fan/355F and bake for further 15-20 minutes until baked through - test it using a bamboo stick, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done, if not, bake for further 3-5 minutes.
- Leave to cool down. If making a cream cheese frosting, make it in the meantime.
Cream cheese frosting (optional)
- Tip the butter and cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, whip together for 5 minutes or until you get a smooth and creamy texture without any lumps. Add icing sugar and vanilla extract, and whisk again until combined and smooth.
- Transfer the frosting mix into a piping bag.
- Using a sharp knife, make a hole in the middle of the muffins. Fill the hole with the frosting and serve.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder for ⅓ teaspoon baking soda,
- single cream - 1:1 ratio,
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest instead of vanilla extract,
- regular chocolate chips or shredded chocolate - milk, dark, white, etc (1:1 ratio).
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