Buttermilk Spice Muffins Recipe

This Buttermilk Spice Muffins recipe is based on the popular muffin from Mimi's Cafe. It is a tender and moist muffin with warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, with a decadent cinnamon sugar topping.

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• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Key Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Recommended Recipes
• Recipe

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Mimi's Cafe Fan Favorite - If you have ever ordered Mimi's Cafe Buttermilk Spice Muffins the chances are it quickly became your favorite muffin ever! It tastes like coffee cake but in the form of a moist muffin.

Light and Tender - The ingredients and process steps are carefully crafted to give you the softest and fluffiest muffins!

Fall Flavors - Buttermilk spice muffins make me dream of fall. It doesn't matter if I am eating them in the middle of a 100-degree Texas summer day, or on a crisp fall morning. Enjoying a warm muffin in my PJs with a cup of coffee makes any morning just about perfect.

Here are a few of my other favorite fall recipes:

Pumpkin Bread

Banana Bread

Apple Cider Donuts

Key Ingredients

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients, including measurements.

Buttermilk - The addition of buttermilk makes these muffins extra tender because of how the acid interacts with the proteins. If you do not have buttermilk on hand then mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into regular milk. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before adding to the batter.

Baking Powder - This leavening agent helps the muffins rise tall. I tested this recipe just using baking soda but it was denser. A combination of baking powder and baking soda works best.

Butter - Adds moisture and great flavor to the muffin. For an even softer muffin, replace half of the butter with canola or vegetable oil.

Spices - The simple mixture of ground cinnamon and nutmeg gives these muffins more flavor than cinnamon spice muffins, but is also not overpowering.

Nuts - The authentic Mimi's Cafe muffins have walnuts but my family prefers pecans. Either will work! If you do not like nuts then leave them out completely.

Instructions

Step One: Mix Dry Ingredients

• Whisking the dry ingredients in a separate bowl helps distribute the ingredients evenly throughout the batter.
• Set the flour mixture aside while preparing the wet ingredients.

Step Two: Cream Wet Ingredients

• Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat on high speed using an electric mixer until light colored and fluffy. This step helps build the muffin texture, keeping it light.
• Add the sugar and butter and continue beating for a couple of minutes to incorporate them fully into the eggs.
• Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, then stir in the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined.

Step Three: Finish Muffin Batter

• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed.
• Do not mix too much or your muffins will be dense instead of fluffy. Just mix it until the dry ingredients are no longer visible.

Step Four: Prepare Topping

• Mix the cinnamon, remaining sugars, and nuts in a small bowl.
• Cut the butter into the sugar and flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers, until the butter is in small crumbs.
• If you are adding nuts, go ahead and add them in.

Step Five: Bake

• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Fill each of the paper liners ¼-inch from the top with the muffin batter (about ½ cup for each muffin).
• Sprinkle one heaping tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of each muffin cup of batter.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. To check doneness, insert a toothpick in the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean then the muffins are fully baked.

Recipe FAQs

Recommended Recipes

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