Coconut Lime Mini Muffins

Coconut Lime Mini Muffins are the perfect little treat

I first made these Coconut Lime Mini Muffins quite a few years ago.  The recipe originally appeared on my old blog, but now I’ve updated it a bit and I want to share it again, today.

If you love citrus the way that I do, these are going to be something you’ll love.  How do you feel about coconut?  If you like coconut, you’ll love these muffins even more.

Why make them small?

I like mini muffins myself.  They’re a perfect little two-bite snack.  You get twice as many from a recipe, which is great for sharing or taking to some kind of gathering.  You can, or course, make them bigger, and if you look in the recipe below, I do provide a baking time for regular size muffins. With the glaze, these are just a tad rich too, so a mini-size might be perfect.  You can always eat two of them, you know?

Amazing flavor combo

Don’t say I didn’t warn you ahead of time – these are evilly delicious.  Still, you should make them because they are worth every minute of extra time you have to spend on the treadmill.  And – they have oatmeal which not only adds a nice texture but is also supposed to be good for lowering your cholesterol. See how I look after your health?  Not to mention your taste buds and your brain, which is going to get a jolt of pure joy when you bite into one of these.

You probably already have most of these ingredients, with the possible exception of fresh limes.  You absolutely need fresh limes for these because they are what makes the glaze so special.

What is the muffin method?

Way back when I was in high school, all the girls had to take Home Ec.  I don’t think they teach it in school anymore, which is a pity, because everyone should have at least a bare idea of how to cook.  That is where I learned about “The Muffin Method”.  This is how you mix most quick breads.  The dry ingredients are combined in one bowl and the wet ingredients are combined in a separate bowl.  It’s important that both mixtures are very well combined, and uniform.  Then, the two mixtures are combined [typically the dry ingredients are in the larger bowl, and the wet ingredients are added to that larger bowl.], mixing just enough to achieve a “shaggy batter”.  It’s not going to be completely smooth, because mixing it until it’s completely smooth makes the final result tough.  You don’t want tough baked goods.  You want tender muffins, right? Use the muffin method!

Halfway there

Stop when it looks like this

See?  Little spots of the dry ingredients here and there – exactly what you want.  I know it’s tempting to mix it until it’s smooth, but don’t do it.  Muffins are drier than something like cake batter, which usually has more fat and liquid to keep gluten from developing.  Gluten is great in yeast bread, but not so much in a muffin or in cornbread.

Mini Muffins make a great snack

And if one isn’t enough, by all means, have two! Seriously, I do like making these smaller size muffins – they bake up more quickly, stay nice and moist in the middle, and keep a nice bit of crispness on the bottoms. See the recipe for equipment suggestions.

This is how to make Coconut Lime Mini Muffins

You can wait to add the glaze

These are quite delicious, even without the glaze, though that is where the lime flavor comes from so don’t skip that yummy stuff.  If you are making a day ahead, you can wait to glaze these Coconut Lime Mini Muffins until just a little while before serving. I would keep them [and the glaze] in the fridge, and then bring them both out to come to room temperature before glazing and serving.

On the other hand, muffins take so little time to make, that you can fit them in right before serving. But, they are best if you eat them the same day that you make them.

Imagine being a kid and coming home from a hard day at school to this sight!  It would make everything better, don’t you think?