The Unexpected Ingredient That Will Make Your Muffins Extra Fluffy

If you're an avid home baker, you've probably followed at least a handful of muffin recipes with varying results. Muffins are the type of food that can transform based on the range of endless mix-ins available. Regardless of whether you opt for lemon-blueberry, raspberry crumble, or in this case, chocolate chip, achieving a moist consistency can be a difficult task.

But Mashed recipe developer Jessica Morone has achieved the seemingly impossible task of concocting a one-of-a-kind muffin recipe. "I love these muffins because they are so soft and airy, and the flavor is really good," Morone says.

Apart from the standard ingredients that go into most muffin recipes — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter — there's one ingredient Morone adds to her classic chocolate chip muffin recipe that guarantees a soft, moist muffin every time. So, beyond baking powder and baking soda, what's the secret weapon in these light and fluffy muffins?

In Jessica Morone's Mashed-exclusive fluffy chocolate chip muffins recipe, the special ingredient that sets these muffins apart is cornstarch. According to Morone, "it makes these muffins incredibly soft and fluffy." 

In addition to using cornstarch for that ideal consistency, Morone also uses mini chocolate chips instead of regular-sized chips. While Morone states you can use whichever size chips you prefer, with mini chocolate morsels, "you end up with a lot of chocolate chips in every bite."

To upgrade this particular chocolate chip muffin recipe, Morone suggests adding "butter, peanut butter, or chocolate spread for additional flavors." If you don't trust yourself around an entire batch of perfectly moist baked goods, the good news is that you can "freeze them for up to 3 months," she says. Otherwise, "you should store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature."