These Sweet Beer Pretzel Muffins are an unexpected delight – a wonderfully moist, subtly sweet muffin with a delightful salty crunch from the pretzels and a hint of malty goodness from the beer. It's the perfect blend of sweet and savory, and they're surprisingly easy to make! I came up with this recipe after a particularly stressful week and needed something sweet, and comforting that wasn't too time consuming.
I’ve always been a huge fan of pretzel and beer, but I was a bit hesistant adding beer into baked goods. After a chat with my neighbor, Carol, I found that beer actually acts as a great moistner for recipes. After some experimenting, I found that the beer's subtle notes of malt beautifully complemented the sweetness of the muffins, creating a complex and satisfying flavor profile. The addition of pretzels created that perfect textural balance. These muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or even dessert! They're surprisingly versatile and always a crowd-pleaser.
Required Equipments
- Mixing bowls
- Muffin tin
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Oven
- Spatula
Sweet-Beer-Pretzel-Muffins
These Sweet Beer Pretzel Muffins are a delightful mix of sweet and salty flavors, perfect for any occasion. The beer adds a unique moistness to the muffins, while the pretzels provide a satisfying crunch.
⏳ Yield & Time
Yield: 12 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time:
🍽 Ingredients
📖 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin generously with butter or cooking spray. This step is crucial for easy removal later!
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Make sure everything is well combined; you dont want any dry clumps!
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of your favorite beer (I used a nice amber ale), 1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is smooth. If using a dark beer, you might have to add a little more butter to balance out the richness.
- Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined; don't overmix! A few lumps are totally fine. Overmixing will result in tough muffins. Trust me on this one!
- Fold in 1 cup of crushed pretzels. Make sure they're fairly fine— you don't want huge chunks of pretzel in your bite.
- Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check them at 18 minutes to make sure they aren't browning too quickly—ovens can vary!
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Resist the urge to eat them warm—it's hard, I know, but they taste better once they've fully cooled and the textures have set.
- Once cooled, drizzle with your favorite icing or glaze (optional). A simple powdered sugar glaze is delicious, or you can get fancy with a caramel drizzle!
📝 Notes
- For best results, use a good quality beer. Don't worry about the alcohol cooking off; It adds flavor and moistness!
- Feel free to adjust the amount of pretzels to your liking. I like a nice pretzel-to-muffin ratio!
- These muffins are best served slightly warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They freeze well too!
🍎 Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal
Protein: 4g
Fat: 12g
Carbohydrates: 40g
Fiber: 2g
Calcium: 20mg
