Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

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Your lunchbox favorite just got a glow up and is showing up to brunch looking like a peanut butter and jelly muffin! 

These peanut butter and jelly muffins take everything you love about a classic PB&J sandwich but bake it into a soft, warm bakery-style muffin. It feels nostalgic but completely appropriate for grown-up brunches.

Creamy peanutbutter is blended directly into the muffin batter for a nutty flavor and topped with a dollop of mixed berry jam that melts slightly as it bakes. And for a bit of crunch, we added a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. The blend of textures and flavors is everything!

These are ideal for serving at breakfast or a weekend brunch, but are totally acceptable for snacking anytime you get a craving for PB&J!

Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

• They taste like your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Each bite of these muffins will take you straight back to childhood lunches, only warmer, softer, and a bit more elevated.
• Bakery style, but at home! These muffins are not your everyday muffin recipe. They’re a bit extra and so indulging. Enjoy a bakery-style muffin in the comfort of your own home!
• Surprisingly simple! Muffins are super simple. And with a couple of little tweaks – like adding peanut butter and topping with jelly and peanuts for an extra crunch – you can elevate a simple recipe without much effort.

How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins, Step By Step

Step 1. Prep the muffin tin for baking.

Start by lining muffin tins with muffin liners and preheating the oven to 325ºF.

If you don’t have muffin liners, grease each well with butter or cooking spray. Make sure the bottoms and corners of each tin are well greased. That way, you can remove the muffins more easily after baking.

Step 2. Mix dry ingredients.

Muffins are very easy to make and don’t require much skill. It starts by mixing together dry ingredients, then your wet ingredients, and then combining both wet and dry mixtures to form your batter. 

First, whisk together your dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt – in a medium bowl.  You will add this flour mixture to the batter after you mix together your wet ingredients.

Step 3. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla.

You can either use an electric mixer or a whisk by hand. This batter won’t be difficult to blend together. 

Start by mixing melted butter and sugar until blended and creamy. Add in softened peanut butter spread, eggs, and vanilla until fully incorporated. 

Now you’re ready to start mixing in the flour mixture.

Step 4. Blend wet ingredients into the flour mixture.

Fold the wet mixture into the flour mixture and mix until it is just combined. You shouldn’t be able to see any clumps of flour left in the batter.

It will be smelling delicious and peanut buttery at this point!

Step 5. Fill muffin tins, top with jelly and crushed peanuts, and bake!

Fill each muffin tin until it’s about 3/4 full. You should have enough batter to bake 12 muffins. Top each muffin with a spoonful of mixed berry jam and sprinkle with crushed peanuts for a yummy crunch.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 18-22 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before eating.

Tips for Perfect Muffins Every Time

• How to get a bakery-style muffin top. Start by baking the muffins at a high temperature, 425°F for 4 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 350°F for the remaining 15 minutes. The higher temperature in the beginning helps to quickly activate the baking powder in the muffins and create that iconic puffy muffin top.
• Do not overmix the batter! Overmixing the batter will create a tougher, chewier texture. 
• Sour cream never disappoints. Sour cream adds some extra fat and moisture to the batter. It’s our secret weapon to getting a deliciously soft crumb every single time!
• Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs will not blend as smoothly into the batter. Set the eggs out for about 20 minutes before making the muffins to warm to room temperature. If you are running short on time, place eggs in a warm (not hot) water bath.

How to Know the Muffins Are Done

Testing for doneness to make sure your muffins are cooked through. Poke a toothpick in the center of a muffin with a fork or toothpick. 

If it comes out clean, your muffins are done. If you remove the fork and there is uncooked batter on the utensil, it needs more time to cook. Pop it in the oven for 2-3 more minutes at a time until it comes out clean.

How to Store Leftover Muffins

If you do not plan on eating the muffins the same day, they will be good for 3-4 days in an airtight container or ziplock at room temperature.

You can also freeze the muffins. Place them in a single layer in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 

How to Reheat Frozen Muffins

Depending on how much time you have on hand, you can either thaw at room temperature or reheat the muffins in the oven or microwave. The choice is yours!

• Thaw muffins at room temperature: Leave muffins on the counter to thaw for 1-2 hours until completely thawed out. Warm them to your liking in the microwave for 10-15 seconds each. 
• Reheat in the Oven: Preheat oven to a low temperature, 350ºF. Place on a baking sheet and heat for 10-15 minutes until warm.
• Reheat in the Microwave: A quick way to reheat muffins is in the microwave. Unwrap and preheat for 30-60 seconds until warm. Timing will vary depending on how your microwave cooks.

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