It's Ridiculously Easy To Give Muffins Bigger, Fluffier Tops

If you've ever wondered how bakeries get those gorgeous domed muffin tops, the answer is surprisingly simple: only use half of the spots on the muffin tin. Leave every other cup empty to give your muffins room to expand outward and upward.

You may have heard that if you don't use every muffin cup, you should fill the empty ones with water. This is in fact a cooking myth. It does absolutely nothing for even baking or puffier muffins. Worse, adding water may introduce excess steam, which can interfere with muffin structure, leaving you with soggy tops instead of light, fluffy domes. So just leave those empty cups empty!

To push the rise even further, bake your muffins at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for the first five or so minutes, then lower to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. That initial heat blast rapidly activates the leavening agents, giving you maximum lift and helping set the tall structure before the crumb bakes through. And don't forget: grease the muffin liners before adding the batter. This ensures the tops can expand and release without tearing — because no one wants to lose the best part of the muffin.

Making sure your muffins are fluffy requires a delicate science of balancing leavening, structure, and moisture. The good news is this delicate science doesn't necessarily translate into complicated baking maneuvers. Aside from leaving every-other cup empty, one of the easiest tricks for improving your muffin fluffiness involves simply adding a bit of buttermilk or Greek yogurt to your batter. The acidity in both reacts with baking powder to form carbon dioxide bubbles, improving leavening, and creating a soft, lofty crumb. This combo also adds moisture without thinning the batter as water might do, which helps support the rise instead of making the structure collapse.

When thinking about structure, the easiest tip is don't over mix your batter. Over-stirring activates gluten, making muffins dense and chewy. Instead, fold ingredients gently until just combined — some lumps are good! This keeps the texture soft.

Finally, there are a few ways to improve the moisture in your muffins, and increase the fluffiness. Fat content affects moisture, so you have to think about how much fat and which fat you add into your batter. Butter gives great flavor, but combining butter with a bit of oil can result in a more tender, airy texture thanks to the fat's ability to trap moisture as it bakes. (This is why you should always use oil in carrot cake, for example.) Also, adding coarse sugar on top isn't just for crunch. A favorite Ina Garten muffin tip involves sprinkling large-crystal sugar, like Turbinado sugar, on top of your muffins before popping them in the oven. This slightly dehydrates the surface during baking, which helps create that satisfying contrast between a fluffy interior and a crisp top crust.