These air fryer muffins are soft, fluffy, and so easy to make when you want something homemade for breakfast without turning on the oven. The vanilla muffins are delicious on their own, but I also like that you can add chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas without changing the basic recipe.
They only take about 30 minutes from start to finish, which makes them a good option for busy mornings or a relaxed weekend breakfast. If you enjoy making breakfast in your air fryer, you should also try my Air Fryer French Toast. Keep reading to see how easy these muffins are to make and how to get those nice, rounded tops.
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Video Instructions
Try This Air Fryer Muffins Recipe
I love having a basic vanilla muffin recipe that I can change depending on what I have in the kitchen. Sometimes I want plain muffins, and other times a handful of chocolate chips or blueberries sounds much better.
The muffins are soft and tender, with a light vanilla flavor. They're also a nice size for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and you don't need any complicated equipment beyond your air fryer and silicone muffin cups.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick to make: The muffins take just 15 minutes to prepare, with another 15 minutes of cooking time.
- Easy to customize: Make plain vanilla muffins or add bananas, chocolate chips, or blueberries.
- Soft and tender: Butter, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and sour cream help give the muffins a moist texture.
- No oven needed: You can bake a small batch of eight muffins right in your air fryer.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works well for these muffins. I recommend spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it rather than packing it down, since too much flour can make muffins heavy.
- Butter and oil: I like using both here because the butter adds flavor while the mild vegetable or canola oil helps keep the muffins moist. Using a strongly flavored oil would change the taste of the vanilla muffins.
- Buttermilk: This adds moisture and works with the baking soda to help the muffins rise. I wouldn't replace it with plain water because you would lose both the acidity and some of the richness.
- Sour cream: This helps keep the muffins soft and moist. If you're making the banana variation, replace the sour cream with an equal amount of mashed bananas and add the chopped banana.
How to Make Air Fryer Muffins
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
2. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and oil until combined. Then whisk in the egg to combine. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla and stir to combine. Whisk in the sugar until well combined.
3. Add the flour mixture and whisk just to combine. Fold in the banana chunks, chocolate chips, or blueberries, if you like.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared silicone cups until almost full and top with your favorite toppings if desired.
5. Bake in the airfryer, then let cool and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use silicone muffin cups to support regular paper liners. Paper liners alone are usually too weak to hold the batter while baking.
- If your air fryer blows hot air directly onto the muffins, try positioning them around the sides of the basket rather than directly beneath the strongest airflow.
- Add coarse sugar or streusel topping to help delay the formation of a crust, which can give the muffins more time to rise evenly.
- Don't worry too much about which air fryer preset you choose. The important settings are the cooking time and temperature.
- If you're adding fresh fruit, keep in mind that the muffins may need to be refrigerated and won't last as long as the plain version.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Fresh strawberries or blueberries.
- Greek yogurt and honey.
- Scrambled eggs.
- A cup of coffee or tea.
- A glass of cold milk.
FAQs
Some air fryers blow hot air directly onto the muffin tops, causing the surface to form a crust before the muffins have finished rising. This can make them rise unevenly or cause batter to spill over one side. Try moving the cups away from the strongest airflow or adding coarse sugar or streusel topping.
Regular paper liners aren't sturdy enough to hold muffin batter on their own. You can place them inside silicone muffin cups unless you're using specially designed freestanding muffin liners.
Yes. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and bake the muffins for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 11-13 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yes. Wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap the muffins and leave them on the counter for 1-2 hours.
Recipe
Air Fryer Muffins
Ingredients
Basic Vanilla Muffins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon mild vegetable or canola oil
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
Optional variation: Banana Muffins
- replace sour cream with mashed bananas 1:1
- 1 large banana, chopped
Optional variation: Chocolate Chip Muffins
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping
Optional variation: Blueberry Muffins
- ½ cup blueberries, fresh or thawed
- streusel topping*
Instructions
- Line about 8 silicone muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and oil until combined. Then whisk in the egg to combine. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla and stir to combine. Whisk in the sugar until well combined for about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and whisk just to combine. Fold in the banana chunks, chocolate chips, or blueberries, if you like.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared silicone cups until almost full. Top with coarse sugar or streusel topping if desired.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 4 minutes. Then, leaving the air fryer basket closed, lower the heat to 325°F (163°C) and bake for another 11 to 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the silicone cups for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days**.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Air fry at 400°F (204°C) for 4 minutes, then reduce to 325°F (163°C) and bake for another 11-13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Taste & Texture
These muffins are soft, moist, and lightly sweet with a lovely vanilla flavor. Add chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas for extra flavor and texture.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Room Temperature: Store plain muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerator: Muffins containing fresh fruit may need refrigeration, and their shelf life can be as short as 2 days.
- Freezer: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours.
- Reheat: Not specified.
Serving Recommendations
- Serve plain vanilla muffins with fresh fruit and a cup of coffee for breakfast.
- Enjoy chocolate chip or blueberry muffins with a glass of milk as an afternoon snack.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Banana Muffins: Replace the sour cream with mashed bananas at a 1:1 ratio and fold in 1 large chopped banana.
- Chocolate Chip Muffins: Fold ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter and top with 2 tablespoons coarse sugar.
- Blueberry Muffins: Fold in ½ cup fresh or thawed blueberries and add streusel topping.
- Plain Vanilla Muffins: Leave out all add-ins and toppings for a simple vanilla muffin.
Proper Storage Tips
- Keep plain muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerate muffins with fresh fruit if needed, and keep in mind that they may last only 2 days.
- For longer storage, wrap the muffins individually and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Pro Tips
- Use silicone muffin cups with paper liners to keep the muffins from spreading out of shape.
- Position the muffins away from direct hot airflow if your air fryer tends to produce uneven tops.
- Sprinkle coarse sugar or streusel over the batter to help the muffins rise more evenly.
- Keep the basket closed when lowering the temperature from 400°F (204°C) to 325°F (163°C).
Video
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Malacai
I've been really down about not being able to bake as when I moved, I realized that the oven doesn't work and only a year later I git my air fryer. I tried baking other things in my airfryer and it always flopped, but not this time! The recipe turned out great and I got some beautiful muffins. The taste was weird, but I think that's just the muffin tray I was using and the fact my vanilla and baking powder are old. I'm going to buy muffin liners and try again but add choc chips this time.
Felix
I thought the muffins would turn out burnt because of the temperature, but they came out SO fluffy and delicious
Alan
I only used 2 packets of stevia instead of 1/3 cup sugar, turned out great