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Breakfast and Brunch recipes
32 Must-Try Breakfast Muffins

32 Must-Try Breakfast Muffins

July 16, 2009

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

There's just something about a pan of muffins fresh from the oven that makes everyone smile. Easy and delicious, muffins are the ultimate crowd-pleaser and make a perfect quick breakfast or snack. It's easy to get creative with muffins by adding fruit, nuts, fillings, or even going gluten-free with a few batches. No matter how delicious these muffins are, always remember to share!

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Grapefruit Poppy Seed Muffins

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Marianne Williams

Grapefruit Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

These delightfully tender, not-too-sweet muffins are a delicious twist on the classic lemon poppy seed combo. Grapefruit works exceptionally well in this context, as the flavor comes through delicately, without any of the citrus fruit’s signature bitterness. And the flavors of both the star ingredients of the grapefruit-Champagne glaze shine through deliciously, truly setting these beauties apart, especially in terms of brunch-worthiness. After you’ve set aside a tablespoon for the muffins, simply use the rest of your bottle of Champagne (or you can also use Prosseco) to whip up a round of mimosas.

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Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins with Pistachio Streusel

Photo: Gina DeSimone; Prop styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Marianne Williams

Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins with Pistachio Streusel Recipe

Featuring roasted strawberries and rhubarb, a delicate hint of cardamom, and a crisp pistachio streusel, these tender muffins say “spring” like no other. You can use frozen rhubarb when making these brunch-worthy muffins, just be sure to thaw fully and press out excess water with paper towels before roasting. Starting the oven at a higher temperature helps the muffins to brown and rise into a nice dome, and lowering it after 8 to 10 minutes allows them to finish cooking through.

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Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins

Photo: Iain Bagwell Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins Recipe

When our crumbly-crisp topping meets the light, fluffy belly of this muffin, you'll swoon.

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Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele

Cinnamon Roll Muffins Recipe

Yeasted cinnamon rolls take hours—and they'll set you back 500 calories and 11g saturated fat. Here, we transform the delicacy into a portable muffin that's packed with whole grains, ribboned with nutty streusel, and topped with a tart-sweet yogurt glaze. The best part? It's ready in only half an hour. You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 1 month—although we doubt they'll last that long.

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Banana-Nut Muffins

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Banana-Nut Muffins Recipe
Pipe on a generous amount of cream cheese-honey filling into each muffin for an extra-special breakfast treat.

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Apple-Pecan Streusel Muffins

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Apple-Pecan Streusel Muffins Recipe
These muffins are simple enough to make with kids. Reheat by wrapping in foil and popping into a 325° oven for 15 minutes.

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Green Smoothie Muffins

Photo: Ryan Moriarty

Green Smoothie Muffins Recipe

A whole package of spinach gives these banana muffins their green hue.

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Buckwheat Gingerbread Muffins

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Buckwheat Gingerbread Muffins Recipe
Earthy buckwheat is blended with ginger, spices, molasses, and toasty-tasting brown rice flour to make an unexpectedly light muffin that's great with sour cream or butter. Be scrupulous in your timing with the food processor; "overprocessing buckwheat flour can make the muffins mushy," Medrich says. For more on the ingredients, see "Power Flours," below.

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Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Pecan Muffins FTW

Photo by Allison Wonderland

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Pecan Muffins FTW Recipe
Make Minimalist Baker Dana Shultz’s healthy muffins the night before and wake up happy

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Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Muffin cup capacity will vary depending on pan manufacturer. Yield may increase if smaller muffin cups are used.

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Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins Recipe

Pumpkins aren't just for carving! You choose—Make Pumpkin Streusel Muffins or loaves. For loaves, spoon batter into 2 greased 8- x 4-inch loaf pans, and bake 55 minutes.

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Cheese Grit-and-Chive Muffins

Photo: Cedric Angeles; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Cheese Grit-and-Chive Muffins Recipe

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Hearty Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

Gina DeSimone

Hearty Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins Recipe

Outmaneuver your morning fast-food cravings with these savory grab-and-go breakfast muffins. Leftover ham comes to the rescue with day-sustaining protein; equal parts cornmeal and flour yield a not-so-bready muffin with a perfect tender crumb. Make a batch of these on the weekend and save the leftovers for breakfast all week long.

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Mini Mimosa Muffins

Photo by Gina DiSimone

Mini Mimosa Muffins Recipe

Yes, there's Champagne and OJ in the batter

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

Photo: Randy Mayor; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle Recipe

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Carrot-Apple-Flax Muffins

Photo: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Megan Hedgpeth

Carrot-Apple-Flax Muffins Recipe
Made with carrots, apples, raisins, and cinnamon, these muffins are full of fall flavors.

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Cranberry-Cornmeal Muffins

Ryan Benyi; Styling: Jen Everett

Cranberry-Cornmeal Muffins Recipe
Studded with fresh cranberries, Cranberry-Cornmeal Muffins are both delicious and nutritious while delivering a great on-the-go-breakfast or snack.

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Yogurt Streusel Muffins

Photo: Mark Thomas; Styling: Lynn Miller

Yogurt Streusel Muffins Recipe
Tangy yogurt is a healthy addition to the batter of these tasy muffins. The spiced nut streusel topping makes this one a recipe for the books.

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Blueberry Power Muffins with Almond Streusel

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro

Blueberry Power Muffins with Almond Streusel Recipe
Jump-start your morning with these muffins, packed with B vitamins, calcium, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. We've made them healthier by incorporating whole wheat flour, oats, and low-fat yogurt and milk. Try substituting other berries or bananas for even more flavor combinations.

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Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Cranberry-Orange Muffins Recipe
Pair tart dried cranberries with sweet grated orange rind for an irresistible muffin that's perfect for a quick, on-the-go snack.

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Pear and Walnut Muffins

Photo: Jan Smith

Pear and Walnut Muffins Recipe
The salty, crunchy nuts complement the sweet pears perfectly. For optimal flavor, use Anjou or Bartlett pears and turbinado sugar.

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Whole-Grain Bran Muffins

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen

Whole-Grain Bran Muffins Recipe
This classic recipe is a wholesome base for mix-ins. Try adding sunflower seeds with blueberries, or grated carrot with walnuts.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Photo: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Jen Everett

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Whip up a batch of Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins to have on-hand for a fast, breakfast-on-the-go. Pumpkin puree and seeds provide seasonal flavor with added sweetness from chocolate chips.

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Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

Photo: Jan Smith

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins Recipe
Whole-grain oats add nutritional "oomph" to this blackberry muffin recipe. We've called for apple-pie spice, but try experimenting with pumpkin-pie spice or plain cinnamon and nutmeg to make these muffins your own.

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins Recipe
Kids are sure to love this twist on the classic PB&J sandwich. The peanut butter flavor is mild by design, but one reviewer suggests spooning the peanut butter on top of the muffins before baking instead of mixing into the batter for a more pronounced flavor.

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Kathie's Zucchini Muffins

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Zapalowski

Kathie's Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Delicious, satisfying, and filled with summer veggies—these muffins consistently receive rave reviews from bakers and eaters alike.

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Pistachio-Chai Muffins

John Autry

Pistachio-Chai Muffins Recipe
These healthy muffins get their unique flavor from chai tea blend and roasted chopped pistachios.

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Fruit of the Forest Muffins

Photo: Oxmoor House

Fruit of the Forest Muffins Recipe
These gluten-free muffins highlight mixed fresh berries, but you can omit the berries and use the recipe to incorporate any other gluten-free mix-ins you like.

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Banana-Nutella Muffins

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Banana-Nutella Muffins Recipe
Sweet and fruity, nutty and chocolaty: these scrumptious Banana-Nutella Muffins have it all.

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Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins Recipe
Ramp up your fiber intake with these delicious muffins, which feature a hearty combination of wheat germ, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, and quick-cooking oats. Dates, raisins, and cranberries add just a touch of sweet and tart flavors. Pair with a glass of skim milk for a filling breakfast treat.

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Top of the Morning Muffins

Photo: Oxmoor House

Top of the Morning Muffins Recipe
Let's get healthy! A breakfast of one of these homemade gluten-free muffins, a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt, and a piece of fruit has fewer calories and more protein than one commercial gluten-free muffin.

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Jam-Filled Poppy-Seed Muffins

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Jam-Filled Poppy-Seed Muffins Recipe
Kids will love biting into Jam-Filled Poppy-Seed Muffins to discover a colorful, sweet surprise inside.

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32 Must-Try Breakfast Muffins

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Grapefruit Poppy Seed Muffins

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Roasted Strawberry-Rhubarb Muffins with Pistachio Streusel

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Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins

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Cinnamon Roll Muffins

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Banana-Nut Muffins

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Apple-Pecan Streusel Muffins

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Green Smoothie Muffins

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Buckwheat Gingerbread Muffins

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Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Chocolate Pecan Muffins FTW

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Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

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Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

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Cheese Grit-and-Chive Muffins

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Hearty Ham and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

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Mini Mimosa Muffins

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Maple Drizzle

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Carrot-Apple-Flax Muffins

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Cranberry-Cornmeal Muffins

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Yogurt Streusel Muffins

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Blueberry Power Muffins with Almond Streusel

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Cranberry-Orange Muffins

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Pear and Walnut Muffins

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Whole-Grain Bran Muffins

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

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Kathie's Zucchini Muffins

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