Irish Soda Bread Muffins

These easy Irish soda bread muffins are made with chewy raisins and buttermilk to make them tender and moist. These muffins come together quickly with just a whisk! If you love traditional Irish soda bread, then you are going to love these muffins for St. Patrick’s Day!

When it comes to certain holidays, there are just recipes that I have to make. Apple pie for Thanksgiving. Cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. A chocolate cake for Valentine’s day. And for St. Patrick’s day I can’t resist making an Irish soda bread. And I love always finding new ways to put twists on the classic recipes. Like my cheddar Irish soda bread version! Full of cheesy goodness and herbs. 

But this year I wanted a quick portable version – enter the Irish soda bread muffin! These muffins are so wonderfully moist since they are made with melted butter (or you can use oil) and buttermilk. I found this muffin recipe from King Arthur Flour but made a few changes to suit my needs and tastes and absolutely loved the results! My usual Irish soda bread uses softened butter, so I totally appreciated the ease of how these muffins came together. 

I stirred in raisins, but you could stir in caraway seeds, currants, or even try chocolate chips for the kids! So if you don’t want an entire loaf of Irish soda bread sitting around or want to share with your friends and neighbors then these Irish soda bread muffins are where it’s at. All you need is some really good irish butter to slather on these warm muffins when they come out of the oven.

See Also:

• This zucchini bread muffin recipe is super simple to throw together and a wonderful way to use up all that wonderful zucchini produce in the summer! 
• These sweet potato muffins get even better with a sugary, buttery crumb topping and a maple icing drizzled over them. Move over pumpkin, it’s sweet potato’s time to shine!
• Moist and delicious peach muffins with a brown sugar pecan streusel. These muffins are easy to whip up in 30 minutes or less! You can bake them now or freeze for later.

Why You Will Love These Irish Soda Bread Muffins

• Perfect offering for friends and neighbors
• Great to freeze to enjoy later!
• Can use dried fruit, caraway seeds, or a combination of both
• No mixer needed!
• Easier than a traditional soda bread!

Ingredients Needed

• All-purpose flour – You can also use some whole wheat flour in this recipe. I like to use half white whole wheat flour which lends still a soft, texture but offers whole grain goodness.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Granulated sugar
• Raisins – You can swap the raisins for currants or caraway seeds (1-2 teaspoons). You can use regular raisins or swap and use golden raisins.
• Egg – You want a room temperature egg so your muffins bake up nice and tall!
• Buttermilk – Buttermilk makes these tender and moist. You can also swap for sour cream or Greek yogurt (but your batter may be a bit stiffer). If you don’t have any, you can make your own buttermilk by using regular milk and lemon juice (or vinegar).
• Melted butter (or oil) – Melted butter will give these muffins wonderful flavor but a neutral-tasting oil will also work. If you’re using salted butter reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. You can read more here about oil vs. butter in quick breads.
• Sparkling sugar – I like to sprinkle this coarse sugar on the tops of the muffins before baking. You can also use turbinado sugar.

How To Make Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners. If you don’t have paper liners, generously grease the wells and tops of the pan with non-stick spray or butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and raisins.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter (or oil). 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the mixture together just until the last of the flour has been incorporated. Do not continue stir or this will result in tough muffins. Batter will be stiff.

Divide  the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Batter will be mounded at the top. Sprinkle on sparkling sugar.

Bake the muffins for18- 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove them from the oven. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don’t get soggy. Wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Serve them plain, or with a dot of butter, or spread on some jam!

Recipe Variations

• Raisins: You can also use dried cranberries or tiny sweet currants. Or omit the raisins, and add caraway seeds (1-2 teaspoons depending on taste preference). You can also add both raisins and caraway seeds!
• Buttermilk: Can swap and use yogurt or sour cream (batter may be a bit stiffer to work with).
• Make them cheesy! – Instead of the raisins you can try stirring in some shredded cheddar cheese like my cheddar Irish soda bread. Use a really good irish cheddar cheese to really make these delicious!
• Skip the muffin liners – If you don’t have any paper cups, simply grease the muffin pan very well with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Be sure to grease not just the wells but also the top of the muffin tray.
• Make gluten free irish soda muffins – You can use a gluten-free baking flour instead. Make sure it’s a 1:1 gluten free baking flour like this one or this one.
• Use whole-wheat flour – I like to swap half of the white flour with a whole wheat flour instead to make these a bit more nutritious like my Irish brown bread version.
• Make into mini muffins– You can also use a mini muffin pan instead of the standard muffin tin. You will bake these for about 13-15 minutes.
• Add orange zest – I also love adding a little orange zest to these muffins for an extra hint of sweetness and flavor!

Recipe FAQs

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Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Easy soda bread muffins, made with melted butter. No mixer needed! I stirred in raisins but you can add currants or caraway seeds.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/3 cup (75 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ⅓ cups (200 g) raisins
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 cup (227g) buttermilk
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (85g) melted butter (or oil)
• ▢ Sparkling sugar to sprinkle on the tops of the muffins before baking

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. If you don’t have paper liners, generously grease the wells and tops of the pan with non-stick spray or butter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and raisins. 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup (75 g) granulated sugar 1 ⅓ cups (200 g) raisins
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter. 1 large egg 1 cup (227g) buttermilk 6 tablespoons (85g) melted butter (or oil)
• Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the mixture together just until the last of the flour has been incorporated. Do not continue stir or this will result in tough muffins. Batter will be stiff.
• Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. Batter will be mounded at the top. Sprinkle on sparkling sugar.
• Bake the muffins for 18- 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove them from the oven. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don't get soggy. Wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool.

Notes

• Freezing: You can baked cooled muffins for about 3 months. I like to wrap in individual portions in plastic wrap then place them into a large freezer bag. That way I can simply take one at a time when I am in the mood! You can unwrap and defrost at room temperature (they will defrost quickly). I also like to warm mine back up before enjoying in the microwave for just a few seconds.
• Storage: I store in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. Any longer and I recommend freezing them.
• Raisins: You can also use dried cranberries or currants. Or omit the raisins, and add caraway seeds (1-2 teaspoons depending on taste preference). You can also add both raisins and caraway seeds!
• Buttermilk: Can swap and use yogurt or sour cream (batter may be a bit stiffer to work with). Or make your own buttermilk. 
• Skip the muffin liners – If you don’t have any paper cups, simply grease the muffin pan very well with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Be sure to grease not just the wells but also the top of the muffin tray.
• Make gluten free irish soda muffins – You can use a gluten-free baking flour instead. Make sure it’s a 1:1 gluten free baking flour like this one or this one.
• Use whole-wheat flour – I like to swap half of the white flour with a whole wheat flour instead to make these a bit more nutritious.
• Make into mini muffins– You can also use a mini muffin pan instead of the standard muffin tin. You will bake these for about 13-15 minutes.
• Add orange zest – I also love adding a little orange zest to these muffins for an extra hint of sweetness and flavor!

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

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