These sour cream muffins are plain, soft breakfast muffins made with 1 cup of full-fat sour cream, 1½ cups of flour, two eggs, and a little oil. You get 12 standard muffins in about 30 minutes: 10 minutes to mix, 18 to 22 minutes at 375°F.
The one thing to get right is the batter. Stop folding while it is still thick and a bit lumpy, and the crumb stays tender for two days on the counter.
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- Yield: 12 standard muffins, one 12 cup tin
- Time: 10 minutes prep, 18 to 22 minutes baking, 30 minutes total
- Oven: 375°F (190°C), middle rack
- The ratio: 1 cup (240 g) sour cream to 1½ cups (180 g) flour, lifted by 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Fat: ⅓ cup (75 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
- Keeps: 2 days at room temperature, 2 months frozen
What Sour Cream Does in a Muffin Batter
Sour cream does three jobs in muffins: its fat keeps the crumb tender, its acid activates the baking soda for lift, and its thickness gives you a batter that holds its shape in the cup instead of running flat.
That is why this recipe needs so little liquid. There is no milk at all. The sour cream, eggs, and oil are the whole wet side, so the muffins come out closer to a soft cupcake crumb than a bready one, without tasting like cake.
Take the sour cream out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you start. Straight from the fridge it is stiff and hard to whisk smooth, and if you use melted butter instead of oil, cold sour cream makes it set into small lumps.
Full-Fat Sour Cream, Light Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt?
- Full-fat sour cream: the recipe as written. Softest crumb, mild tang.
- Whole milk Greek yogurt: swap 1 for 1. The muffins come out a little firmer and tangier, and it works in a pinch.
- Light or nonfat sour cream or yogurt: wetter and lower in fat, so the crumb turns slightly rubbery. Use full-fat if you can.
- Buttermilk: not a 1 for 1 swap. It is much thinner, so the batter loses the thick, scoopable texture this recipe depends on.
- Oil or melted butter: oil keeps the muffins softer on day two; butter gives a richer, more buttery taste. Use a neutral oil, since olive oil adds its own flavor.
If you end up with a half tub left over, it goes straight into sour cream pancakes or a batch of sour cream scones. No sour cream in the house? You can make it with my homemade sour cream recipe, though it needs a day to thicken.
Flour and Sugar Choices
Plain all-purpose flour is right here. I have tried cake flour and did not like the lack of body. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, or weigh 180 g. A packed cup can add 2 or 3 extra tablespoons and turn the muffins dry.
Granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean. If you want a light caramel note and a moister top, replace up to half of it with light brown sugar, as in the photo above. Keep the ¼ teaspoon of salt either way. Without it, the muffins taste flat.
Folding the Batter and Filling the Tin
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla in another. Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula until the last streaks of flour disappear, then stop. The batter should be thick, slightly lumpy, and hold a spoon mark. If it looks smooth and glossy like cake batter, it has been mixed too long.
Work steadily from here. The baking soda starts reacting with the sour cream as soon as the two meet, so the tin should go into the hot oven within a few minutes.
A cookie scoop makes the portions even. Fill each lined cup about three-quarters full. That gives the batter room to dome without spilling over the edge. The same visual check works for my sour cream blueberry muffins.
Baking at 375°F and Checking for Doneness
Bake on the middle rack for 18 to 22 minutes. Start checking at 18. The tops should be light golden and spring back when you press them, and a toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a dry crumb. Let the muffins sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack so the bottoms do not steam and turn damp.
Why Muffins Sink, Peak, or Turn Dry
- Sunken centers: the middle was underbaked, or the oven door was opened in the first 15 minutes. Bake until the toothpick is clean and keep the door shut early on.
- Pointed tops and tunnels inside: the batter was overmixed. Fold only until the flour disappears.
- Dense and flat: the batter sat too long before baking, or the baking soda was old. Bake right after mixing and check that your leaveners are fresh.
- Dry by evening: too much flour or more than 22 minutes in the oven. Weigh the flour and start checking at 18 minutes.
- Pale sides: silicone pans bake slower and brown less. A metal tin works best; on silicone, set it on a baking sheet and add 2 to 3 minutes.
- Dark tops, raw middle: the rack is too high. Move it to the center.
Cinnamon, Berry, and Chocolate Chip Add-Ins
This plain batter takes add-ins well. Fold them in during the last few strokes so you do not overmix. For a fuller berry muffin, my blueberry version is built around the fruit.
- Cinnamon sugar: whisk 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the dry ingredients and sprinkle each muffin with cinnamon sugar before baking. For a heavier coating, see my cinnamon sugar muffins.
- Berries: ½ cup blueberries, raspberries, or diced strawberries. The thick batter keeps them from sinking.
- Lemon: 1 tablespoon of zest changes the flavor without changing the texture.
- Almond: ½ teaspoon almond extract with ¼ cup sliced almonds on top.
- Chocolate: ½ cup mini chocolate chips and a splash of espresso.
Keeping Sour Cream Muffins Soft
Cool them completely, then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They actually get a little softer on day two, which makes them a good bake for the night before a brunch.
To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic and pack them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Warm one from frozen in the microwave for about 30 seconds or in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. On a slow morning I split one, toast it, and butter it like a biscuit.
Sour Cream Muffin Questions
Can I make mini sour cream muffins?
Yes. Fill a mini muffin tin three-quarters full and bake at 375°F for about 10 to 12 minutes. One batch makes roughly three times as many minis as standard muffins.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Double every ingredient and bake two tins on the middle rack if they fit side by side, or one after the other.
Can sour cream muffins be savory?
This batter is sweet, with ¾ cup sugar. Cutting the sugar and adding cheese and herbs is possible as an experiment, but expect a firmer, less tender muffin, since the sugar is part of what keeps the crumb soft.
If you like this plain batter, the lemon poppy seed muffins are the glazed, brighter cousin, also made with sour cream. Pin this recipe so it is there the next time a half tub of sour cream is waiting in the fridge.
Sour Cream Muffins
These sour cream muffins are soft, plain breakfast muffins made with full-fat sour cream, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil or melted butter. The recipe makes 12 standard muffins in about 30 minutes, baked at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes, with a tender, moist crumb and lightly golden domed tops. The sour cream does the work here: its fat keeps the muffins tender, and its acid activates the baking soda, so fold the thick batter only until the flour disappears and bake it right away. Serve them for breakfast or brunch, or use it as a base for blueberry, cinnamon sugar, lemon, or chocolate chip muffins. Whole milk Greek yogurt works in place of sour cream. They keep 2 days at room temperature and freeze for 2 months.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream
- 1/3 cup (75ml) vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each cup.
- MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sour cream, vegetable oil (or melted butter), and vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully blended.
- FOLD TOGETHER: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the batter just until combined. Do not overmix—the batter should be thick with some lumps.
- PORTION THE BATTER: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- BAKE THE MUFFINS: Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- COOL AND SERVE: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Let the sour cream sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes so it blends smoothly. Fold the batter only until no dry flour remains; it should be thick and slightly lumpy. Bake right after mixing, because the baking soda starts reacting with the sour cream as soon as wet and dry ingredients meet. Whole milk Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream 1 for 1 (slightly firmer crumb); buttermilk is too thin to swap. For add-ins, fold in ½ cup berries, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, or ½ cup mini chocolate chips at the end, or add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze, individually wrapped, for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 214Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 44mgSodium 180mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 0gSugar 16gProtein 3g
