We have been baking muffins with the Thermomix® for years, trying every variation imaginable. The most important thing we have learned: the order in which you mix the batter determines whether a muffin turns out fluffy or full of tunnels.
Pulverising the fat and sugar first, then briefly folding in the dry ingredients, prevents those notorious air channels in the centre. The Thermomix® does exactly that in 30 to 50 seconds at speed 3 to 5, whereas a hand mixer often beats for too long and activates the gluten.
Pineapple and Melon Muffins with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 9 ✓
- 180 g sugar
- 300 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 80 g butter
- 150 g natural yoghurt (3.5% fat)
- 100 g tinned pineapple
- 100 g galia melon flesh
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 sec / speed 10, then set aside 3 tbsp of icing sugar for the glaze.
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2
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat.
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3
Mix the batter.
Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, butter and yoghurt to the mixing bowl and mix for 20 sec / speed 5.
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4
Fold in the fruit.
Cut the pineapple and melon into pieces, add to the bowl and fold in for 5 sec / speed 4.
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5
Fill and bake.
Line a muffin tin with cases and fill with the batter. Bake on the middle shelf for about 25 to 30 minutes.
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6
Mix the glaze.
Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice to make a glaze.
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7
Decorate.
Brush the muffins with the glaze.
Tip: You can also glaze your muffins with coconut cream and garnish with desiccated coconut.
Nutrition per serving
Why muffins turn out differently in the Thermomix®
The mixing bowl stirs from the bottom upwards. This means fatty ingredients (butter, oil, yoghurt) are worked into the batter evenly without creating air pockets. With a hand mixer you often beat from above and pull air in, which leads to tunnels in the oven.
The speed matters: speed 3 to 5 is sufficient for all muffin batters. Speed 6 or higher would work the batter too much and activate the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough, rubbery muffins instead of light ones.
We only use reverse direction at speed 2 when folding in fruit or chocolate chips. This prevents crushing and keeps berries or cherries in whole pieces.
Muffin or cupcake: the only difference
A muffin is a cupcake without a topping. The batter is identical. Add buttercream, cream cheese frosting or ganache to a baked muffin and you have a cupcake.
We eat muffins plain or dusted with a little icing sugar. Cupcakes get a creamy topping, often piped with a star nozzle. The base stays the same: a light sponge batter that the Thermomix® finishes in under a minute.
Baking time and temperature: the 25-minute mark
All four recipes below bake at 180°C top and bottom heat. The time range is between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the cases and the proportion of fruit in the batter.
A skewer test after 20 minutes shows whether the muffin is done. A clean wooden skewer means it is baked through. If batter still sticks to it, give them another 3 to 5 minutes.
With muffins containing blueberries, cherries or pineapple, the baking time often extends by 5 minutes because the fruit releases moisture. This is normal and not a mistake.
Gluten-free muffins: maize flour instead of wheat flour
The raspberry and apple muffins further down are completely gluten-free. Instead of regular flour, we use 200 g of maize flour plus 50 g of potato starch, plus ground almonds for binding.
Without gluten, the elasticity that wheat dough has is missing. That is why you need buttermilk or yoghurt for moisture and bicarbonate of soda instead of plain baking powder. The bicarbonate of soda reacts with the acid in the buttermilk and provides the lift.
Gluten-free batters should not be mixed for too long. 1 minute at speed 3 is enough, otherwise the batter becomes mushy. The consistency is slightly denser than wheat flour muffins, but not dry.
Vegan muffins: banana replaces eggs
The Baki coconut muffins use a ripe banana instead of two eggs. The banana binds the batter and provides sweetness. Important: the banana must have brown spots, otherwise it is not ripe enough and the batter will taste bland.
Coconut milk and rapeseed oil replace butter and cow’s milk. The ratio of 140 g coconut milk to 80 g oil per 300 g flour gives the right amount of fat for a light texture.
Vegan batters need a little longer in the oven because eggs normally provide quick binding. For these muffins, that means 25 minutes instead of 20.
Prosecco and blueberry glaze: the alcohol does not fully evaporate
The blueberry prosecco muffins have a glaze made with 1 tbsp of prosecco. This is not heated, but mixed cold with icing sugar and blended blueberries.
About 85% of the alcohol remains in the glaze because it does not evaporate. These muffins are therefore not suitable for children. If you want to leave out the alcohol entirely, replace the prosecco with apple juice or lime juice.
The blueberries in the glaze turn it purple. Pulverising at speed 10 for 20 seconds chops the berries finely enough that no pieces remain in the glaze.
Cases: paper or silicone
We use paper muffin cases because they absorb the fat, which means the muffin does not taste greasy. Silicone cases need more fat for greasing and the muffin stays oilier on the outside.
The standard size is 5 cm in diameter at the base. Each of the recipes below makes 12 muffins of this size. Larger cases yield 8 to 10 pieces, and the baking time increases by 5 minutes.
The muffin tin must sit on the middle shelf, not too close to the top heating element. Otherwise the surface browns too much before the centre is cooked through.
Four muffin variations for every season
The four recipes below cover different occasions: blueberry prosecco for adult celebrations, gluten-free raspberry apple for intolerances, pineapple and melon for summery freshness, and Baki coconut vegan for plant-based eating.
Every recipe works in the TM31, TM5® and TM6®. The times and speeds are identical for all three models because muffin batter does not require high temperatures.
Blueberry Prosecco Muffins
Goes well with: Butter and vanilla ice cream.
Also worth a try: Nut Kiss Biscuits Thermomix®.
Blueberries and prosecco in one muffin. The purple glaze with lime zest is the visual highlight. For children’s birthday parties, replace the prosecco with apple juice.
Gluten-Free Raspberry and Apple Muffins
Maize flour, potato starch and ground almonds instead of wheat flour. The apple wedges pressed into the top add structure and a visual accent.
Pineapple and Melon Muffins
A summery combination of tinned pineapple and galia melon. The lemon glaze lifts the fruity sweetness.
Baki Coconut Muffins
Vegan muffins with ripe banana, cherries and coconut milk. The vanilla pod provides real flavour, not a vanillin substitute.
More muffin recipes: Poppy Seed and Apricot Muffins, Basic Thermomix® Muffins, Chocolate Muffins.
