Irish Soda Bread Muffins (Printable)

Lightly sweet muffins with currants, inspired by Irish soda bread; perfect for morning or teatime snacks.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup whole wheat flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

→ Add-ins

10 - 3/4 cup dried currants
11 - 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until thoroughly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and melted butter until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add dried currants and orange zest if using. Gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix—the batter should remain slightly lumpy.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
06 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
07 - Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature with Irish butter and jam.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly tender thanks to buttermilk doing its magical work
  • They come together in under fifteen minutes flat, no mixer required
  • That subtle sweetness makes them equally perfect with butter or jam
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy here, so stop folding the moment you no longer see dry flour
  • The muffins are done when theyre golden and a toothpick comes out clean, not sooner
  • Room temperature ingredients help everything combine more smoothly, though not strictly necessary
03 -
  • Mixing by hand gives you better control and prevents overworking the dough
  • If you dont have buttermilk, regular milk mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar works in a pinch

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