Perfect Plum Muffins (Made with Yogurt)
These perfect plum muffins made with yogurt will make everyone happy because they’re not only healthy and nutritious, but delightfully tasty, too. Just read all the rave reviews!
I was sent this recipe for plum muffins last year after my cousin Concetta raved about how delicious and moist the muffins were.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Obviously, I tried the recipe myself, and have been making them religiously ever since! I now call them “perfect plum muffins” because that’s what they truly are. So light, delicious, full of fruit and not too sweet: they’re just perfect. Look at this texture and you can see how light and fluffy they are!
What I also enjoy, besides the flavor and texture, is that it’s a really healthy recipe: yogurt, plums, no butter and very little sugar. (I cut down the sugar from the original recipe.)
EDITED 8/2020: this muffin recipe is great with so many other types of fruit, like classic blueberry muffins, too! If you read the post on the peach muffins you’ll see that a loyal reader got upset with me for not letting her know JUST how good these are! She’s disappointed that she didn’t try them sooner, and is now going by the nickname, “The Muffin Lady” because she makes them so frequently, and shares with friends and neighbors!
You can make the entire recipe in a loaf tin, or make 12 small muffins. Alternatively, you can make 6 large muffins and one mini loaf, which is what I usually do.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with me, Concetta!
You can watch a short video of how to make the muffins if you like; you’ll see just how easy they are to make.
Perfect Plum Muffins
adapted from a Waitrose recipe makes 8 large muffins or 12 regular muffins
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients:
- good quality all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- sugar
- eggs
- olive oil
- yogurt
- plums
- Demerara (Sugar in the Raw), or Swedish or Belgian Pearl Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350ºF
Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl.
DO NOT MISS THIS STEP -> Stir in the sugar. (A few readers have commented that they forgot to add the sugar.)
In a separate bowl or measuring jug, whisk together: eggs, olive oil, and yogurt until smooth.
Wash the plums and chop into pieces.
Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients.
Slowly stir the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients in the large bowl, until just combined. DO NOT OVER STIR as it will make the muffins too dense.
Gently stir in the plums, with just a few turns. (Keep a few aside for putting on top of the muffins, if you like.)
Fill the muffin cups.
Top with pieces of plum, if desired.
Sprinkle with a little raw sugar (Demerara or Swedish pearl sugar) for a crunchy top.
Remove the perfect plum muffins from the from the oven when ready.
Remove them from the tray and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes or longer, before serving.
So moist and delicious, you’ll never make another muffin recipe again, no matter what size or shape you make them.
I like to line a basked in a pretty napkin and put the warm muffins in it to serve them. This keeps them warm, too.
Look at that crumb and juicy pieces of fruit!
Here is my cranberry orange muffins version.
Try making these blueberry muffins with this muffin recipe using your favorite fruit.
Don’t miss another post! Sign up for my FREE subscription at the top.
Perfect Plum Muffins (made with yogurt)...don't knock 'em till you try 'em!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour good quality, unbleached, unbromated, non GMO
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup light olive oil
- 1 cup yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, add 1 Tbsp milk or buttermilk)
- 8 plums small (or 6 medium plums)
- 1 tsp Demerara or Swedish pearl sugar to top (optional - if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl.
- Stir in the sugar.
- In a separate bowl or measuring jug, whisk together: eggs, olive oil, and yogurt, until smooth.
- Wash the plums and chop into pieces.
- Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Slowly stir the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients in the large bowl, until just combined. DO NOT OVER STIR, it will make the muffins too dense.
- Gently stir in the plums, with just a few turns. (Keep a few aside for putting on top of the muffins, if you like.) Then fill the muffin cups. Sprinkle with a little raw sugar (Demerara) if desired, for a crunchy top.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- PLEASE use a scale for best results.
- If you are making larger muffins, bake for another 5 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, as ovens vary.
Nutrition
Have too many plums? Try this easy plum cake, spiced plum jam, or plum crumble.
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
In the video I noticed you added buttermilk but there is no mention of it in the ingredients! Please advise! Thank you
Hi Goly, yes it is in the ingredients. If you use Greek yogurt it says to add buttermilk. Enjoy!
Roughly how much chopped fruit would this end up using? I’m sorry, my brain works strangely sometimes.
Hello Christina,
Made these muffins yesterday and were great! First fruiting of one plum tree has yielded approx 20 kilos and another variety on a fully laden tree not too far off so this recipe will be used a lot! Apple trees also have fruit which will be ready soon so will use this recipe for those too as the apple muffins I made the other day from a different recipe didn’t rise and were somewhat dense. I used extra virgin olive oil as didn’t have light olive oil (maybe it’s the same? – I am in Australia). Used Greek yoghurt with the milk as suggested. Added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the mix. Perfect!
As a side note… Read through all comments to see how people tweaked the recipe and found Dan and read your blog re ‘comments’. I completely understand as we run a B&B. People do not understand the hard work and time that goes into providing beautiful clean rooms and a lovely experience and how their, sometimes very petty comments, can affect your business. We are 2 kilometres from town which is noted and advertised everywhere. They choose to stay then mark us as 7.5 out of 10 for location; a location which is actually wonderful so as to be out of the absolute madness in town and quiet in comparison. When did 2klms become long distance? “Should have better signage” – which is actually compliant with council etc etc etc. Even if they leave a 10/10 score, if they note in any ‘cons’, then the score gets marked down. There is a percentage of people who it seems wander this earth with a glass half empty and complain instead of enjoying the precious life they have the opportunity and choice to live with abundance, whatever that abundance looks like. They could spend their time being positive!
Thank you for taking the time to share what you do.
I hear you, Linda! You should see some of the comments on my recipes, too! Painful, especially when others are raving about the same recipe! Ugh, I agree about the glass half full. Anyway, I’m delighted that you enjoyed the plum muffin recipe, too! I just love it beyond words! Lucky you with all those beautiful plums! Wow! Thank you for your lovely review and I hope you find more of my recipes to enjoy! Can I suggest this apple cake and/or apple scones since you’re going to be blessed with fruit from your tree?
Ooooooh, just read both of those recipes. I will be trying both! Thanks for the links :-). Quick easy recipes make my life easier! I forgot to mention the other thing I did when I made the plum muffins – used raw sugar. I use raw sugar for literally everything including jams and marmalades and turn it into caster sugar when needed. Thanks again!
Wonderful, and yes, less processed is great! Lmk what you think, Linda!
Linda, With all those plums, you might like to try this recipe. I’ve made it so many times. Freezes fine, though as with many baked things, it’s best on the day it’s made. Downside – you will eat more than you shud. Christima, I think you will love it, too. If however it’s inappropriate that I have added this, please delete it – I will understand!
A wonderful recipe – esp. with Italian plums (their texture, flavour and they cut apart so neatly). A gorgeous Eastern European taste. It’s called Hungarian Plum Kuchen/Yeast Cake (aka Gwetche Kuchen or Szilvaslepeny) http://www.junemeyer.com/plumcakes.html
I’m making your plum muffins tomorrow, Christina.
I’ve made only slight changes to the Kuchen natter. This recipe makes 3 x 8” round metal pan cakes. Can use a 9×13” glass pan, too. I follow her method.
Including my changes for the dough:
whole or 2% organic milk – 6 oz
good quality butter (lightly salted) – 120 gms
granulated white sugar – 2 TBSP
unbleached a.p. flour – about 3 cups
kosher salt – 1/4 heaping tsp
barely warm water – 1/4 cup
sugar – 2 tsp
granulated yeast (regular) – 2-1/2 tsp
L egg yolks x 5
ripe, Italian freestone purple plums (not over-ripe) I use about 1-3/4 lbs UNpitted weight – rinsed, then cut in half and stoned. About 8-9 plums per 8-inch cake.
fresh L juice (1 TBSP) + 3/4 tsp lemon peel – I add to the cut plums in the bowl.
I don’t usually allow other recipes on my site as it rather defeat the purpose of using my recipes, but I’m leaving yours as it’s clearly not someone promoting their own recipe, Helen. It does sound wonderful, too! Thank you!
I make these muffins whenever I see plums in the store.
I know they would be excellent with an espresso made in a gorgeous moka pot!
I made 4 mini loaves of this today. I did use Vanilla yogurt. Other than that, I followed the recipe and was very pleased with the texture and taste. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for another great recipe.
Wonderful, Bonnie! I love making mini loaves, too! Try it with other fruits as well :)
I tried making these muffins with plain yogurt but the result wasn’t sweet at all (and I did remember to include the 1/2 cup of sugar). They were edible and likely healthier but the dough itself was very bland. Do you normally recommend using vanilla or a different flavor of yogurt? I also felt it could have benefited greatly from some sort of spice. I will say, however, that the recipe was beautifully moist. Please let me know what you think I could do to improve for next time!
Hi Alexis, did you top with pearl or another sprinkle of sugar? They really need as they aren’t very sweet at all. You can add a pinch of salt and a spice if you like, but I think the main problem of no flavor is from the fruit. There’s so much fruit in this recipe, that if it’s a not a really good-flavored fruit, the muffins won’t be as spectacular as they should be. I would try to find a really tasty, fruit (you’re in season with plums, but it all depends on which ones you find), add a bit of salt and top with sugar. Skip the spice this time and see if you are happier with the result. Let me know, too! :)
These are delicious and easy to make. Thank you.
So happy you tried them!
This is the first year my plum tree has blessed me with a full tree of prunes, they are sweet and delicious…..perfect to try a new recipe. And yours is the one I picked and my husband loved it. He had three muffins within an hour. I’ll be see friends this week end and have a recipe printed for them to go along with a great big bag full of prunes. I know they will just love your muffins!
Your muffins are really easy to make and are excellent, this recipe is a keeper,,,,,,thanks for sharing it.
So happy you tried it, Doris! I wish I could tell the world about this muffin recipe (although I’d love to take credit, it’s not mine). It is so wonderful, and I know exactly why your husband had three in an hour! :)
Thank you for sharing your wonderful plums and my recipe! I appreciate it (and this comment)! :)
Hi, I made this recipe and love that its a healthy version of plum muffins. However, the cupcake holders were soaked in oil after baking – is 1/2 cup too much oil? Is there any workaround for this? Otherwise they taste awesome, just don’t look the nicest.
Hi Niki, I have made these so many times (including yesterday morning) and never had this happen. The amount is fine, but what oil are you using?