Olive Oil Muffins

5 from 1 vote

These better-for-you bakery-style Olive Oil Muffins are made with extra virgin olive oil rather than butter or processed oils and less sugar than you typically find in a muffin.

They have tall golden domed tops with a light and airy crumb and a delicate fruity olive oil flavor that pairs so well with bright citrusy lemon and orange zest.

Prep Time10

Cook Time24

Total Time34

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: muffins

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk 227g
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil 150g
3 large eggs 150g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest 1 lemon
zest 1 orange
2½ cups all-purpose flour 350g
¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
4 tsps baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole milk, extra virgin olive oil, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and orange zest.
In a separate large bowl, gently combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups.
Place in the oven and reduce the temperature immediately to 350°F. Bake for 22-24 minutes.

Notes

Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil. The flavor will shine through in the taste of the muffin, so if you don’t want a strong olive oil taste, choose a more neutral-tasting olive oil. If you want a stronger taste, choose an olive oil with an herby or citrusy note.
Flour: I use a measurement of 140g per cup of flour. Measure with a kitchen scale or use the dip and sweep method for measuring flour, used by America's Test Kitchen.
Don't Overmix: Overmixing causes gluten development, which is great for a chewy pizza crust or bagels, but not for a moist and tender muffin. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately to minimize the amount of mixing needed. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring as little as possible. It's best to stir by hand with a large spoon, not a mixer.
Ice Cream Scoop: Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter. This helps for even distribution, but also to prevent batter from dripping onto the muffin pan or work surface.
Fill Every Other Muffin Cup: To improve air circulation and encourage extra-tall muffins, with each muffin getting plenty of heat, fill every other muffin cup and make two batches of muffins. This is optional, but can be helpful.
Fill to the Top: Fill each muffin paper liner to the top. This recipe is designed to have very full muffin cups for 12 very tall muffins.
High Heat: High heat helps to activate the baking powder in the muffin batter, which helps to yield ultra-tall muffins. However, high heat for a prolonged time will overcook the muffins. For the best results, preheat the oven to a high temperature of 425°F degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350°F right after adding the muffins to the oven.

Nutrition