Peanut Butter Snack Muffins

These peanut butter snack muffins fall squarely into the after-school category: mild, lightly sweet, and built for spreading more peanut butter and jelly across a warm split top. The peanut flavor is gentle here, more cozy than bold, which is exactly why kids tend to inhale them.

The method is classic muffin protocol. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl, beat the eggs with peanut butter, water, and melted butter in another, then bring them together with a few quick strokes. The trick is undermixing on purpose. Stop when no dry flour streaks remain, even if there are lumps. Overworked batter develops gluten and gives you tough, tunnel-pocked muffins instead of tender ones.

Fill the wells two-thirds full, no more, or you’ll lose those signature high-domed tops to overflow. A hot 400°F (200°C) oven sets the crumb fast and lifts the muffins quickly for that golden, slightly crackled top.

Pro Tips

• Use natural peanut butter for deeper flavor, but stir it well first to incorporate the oil that separates on top.
• Slightly overfilling one or two cups is fine, but consistency means even baking, so a scoop helps.
• Spray the muffin tin or use paper liners, peanut butter batter clings stubbornly to bare metal.
• Test with a toothpick at 18 minutes, ovens vary and a minute too long means dry muffins.

Variations

• Fold in mini chocolate chips or chopped peanuts for crunch and contrast.
• Swirl a teaspoon of strawberry jam into each muffin top before baking for a PB and J effect.
• Substitute brown sugar for white for a deeper, slightly molasses-tinted muffin.