Confession: if I find myself at the end of a rainbow, I still look for the pot of gold, just like I did when I was a kid. Wishful thinking, I guess.

Now that these Irish soda bread muffins are all gone – gobbled up in a flash – I think I’d be equally okay with finding another basket of these at the end of a rainbow. Okay, fine, maybe the muffins alongside a 5 1/2 quart round soleil Le Creuset french oven with even just a handful of gold pieces thrown in. What, I can’t be specific about the pot?!

But I digress. Irish soda bread muffins. Yes, yes.

Irish soda bread muffins | Kitchen Treaty

I adore my Irish soda bread this time of year, but a couple of days ago, I was craving something a little different. So these muffins came into being.

Irish soda bread muffins | Kitchen Treaty

With their caraway seeds, raisins (currants would have been better, but I was out), and a just-right, subtle amount of sweetness, I was actually surprised by how much these muffins resembled little versions of the real thing. Except they’re moist and spongy, and sport a cute paper liner, and boast a crunchy coarse sugar topping.

These are more dense than your typical muffin, which had me a little worried when I first pulled them out of the oven. But they were just perfect. A muffin-bread hybrid in the best possible way.

Irish soda bread muffins | Kitchen Treaty

I say take a couple, slather them with butter, and then go find a rainbow. I’d like to think it’s never too late to wish for something extraordinary at the end.

I adapted these muffins from King Arthur Flour. Have you visited their website and browsed their recipes? If not, go, go! They’ve got a gazillion on their site. I could get lost for hours in a big ol’ puff of flour.

More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

Irish soda bread muffins | Kitchen Treaty
3.50 from 2 votes

Irish Soda Bread Muffins

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 12 muffins
Currants, caraway seeds, and orange zest dot these these Irish soda bread inspired muffins. A dusting of coarse sugar along the top gives them an irresistibly sweet crunch.
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or substitute more all-purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup currants or raisins (I used half regular raisins and half golden raisins)
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla yogurt is fine too)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • Demerara or other coarse sugar for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup, standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants/raisins, and caraway seeds.
  • In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, vegetable oil, and orange zest.
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently combine with a large spoon, mixing just until the batter comes together. The batter will be very thick.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly between the 12 cups. I used an ice cream scoop which made quick work of it.
  • Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of each muffin.
  • Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and tip each muffin in their pan to help the steam escape and avoid soggy bottoms. Let cool for 5 minutes, then move the muffins to a rack to finish cooling enough to serve.
  • Serve with butter and/or jam.
  1. Serve with butter and/or jam.
 

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