Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins without Buttermilk

Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins without Buttermilk

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

Every year around St. Patrick’s Day I decide we need to have Irish soda bread, only to find that a traditional Irish soda bread recipe requires buttermilk. Buttermilk!? Who has buttermilk? Conveniently, my local grocery store starts stocking buttermilk in March – but then I buy it, make a loaf or two of soda bread, and throw the rest down the sink. Clearly the only solution was to create my own recipe, thus Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins without Buttermilk! Herein we are freed from the need for buttermilk or for buttermilk substitutes, but are still rewarded with a moist and flavorful soda bread that will satisfy the Irish in you just as well the classic recipe.

Some of the best features of this recipe:

No buttermilk! Have I made that clear? We are freed from the need to find a relatively obscure ingredient that will most likely get discarded.

Muffins! I do love a traditional loaf of Irish soda bread, but these little bits of soda bread are so convenient when grabbing a cup of tea. They also transport very easily; perfect for lunchboxes.

Low sugar. Unlike a cupcake, these are not a dessert, so there is only 1/4 cup of brown sugar in the entire recipe. I like an added touch of sparkling sugar on top, but that is totally optional.

As with all of my recipes, this one is super simple and relatively quick to make. Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins without Buttermilk is an easy soda bread recipe that does not require any complex cooking techniques, special equipment, or hard to find ingredients. Like buttermilk. Or a weird buttermilk substitute like milk with white vinegar. 

And if you feel moved to purchase some buttermilk, you can always use it to make these delicious Quick & Easy Food Processor Irish Soda Bread Scones to use it up!

Recipe Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup sour cream (room temperature)

1/4 cup milk (room temperature; whole milk or low-fat milk are fine)

1 large egg (room temperature)

​1 cup raisins

Sparkling sugar (optional)

Helpful Tools

• Large bowl
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wire whisk
• Liquid measuring cup
• Stand mixer/electric mixer/wood spoon
• ​Rubber spatula
• Muffin tin (12 cups)
• ​Paper muffin/cupcake liners
• Cookie scoop/large spoon
• Wire rack

Ingredient Notes

Make sure the flour, baking powder, and baking soda are whisked together so that everything goes into the batter. Missing out on part of a leavening agent because it got stuck on the side of the bowl will affect the already limited dough rise and the density.

Bring the refrigerated ingredients – except for the butter – to room temperature before you begin. This will keep the butter from reforming into small, solid pieces when mixing.

You can use whole milk or low-fat milk in this recipe.

You can melt the butter in the microwave, but it doesn’t have to be completely liquid. I usually have a few very small soft bits left. I prefer not to let the butter overheat or bubble in the microwave.

Sparkling sugar is optional, but it adds a nice touch of sweetness and crunch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Line each muffin cup with a paper liner. Set aside.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda to a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

4. Place the melted butter and packed brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

5. Mix on low speed until combined.

6. Add the egg and mix on low speed until combined.

7. Add the sour cream to the butter mixture and combine.

8. Pour in the milk and combine on low speed.

9. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

10. Add the raisins. You can use the mixer on low to combine them or you can mix them in with a wooden spoon.

11. Using a cookie scoop, place a large scoop of dough into each well of the prepared muffin tin. It should almost fill the cup. You can flatten it down a bit with the back of a spoon.

12. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with sparkling sugar.

13. Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

14. When cool enough to handle, remove the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Check out the printable recipe card below for easy to follow step-by-step directions for the full recipe!

Storage

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. I like to keep the muffins in a large Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing.

Tips & Tricks

Keep in mind that this a kind of non yeast bread. It is not a cake or a muffin in the sense of a blueberry muffin. That means the dough is very thick and the resulting muffin is dense, just like traditional soda bread.

Be sure that you regularly scrape down from the sides and up from the bottom when mixing to ensure you aren’t leaving any ingredient uncombined.

Like so many quick breads, serving these slightly warm is a great treat. I heat them a few seconds in the microwave and then spread them with butter – Irish butter is great! – and a little bit of jam. So good! You can also serve it alongside Guinness Beef Stew for an Irish-themed meal.

Homemade breads of all kind are so satisfying, so get in there and give it a try.

If you want to stick with a quick bread, you can try this Best Two Banana Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Recipe.

Don’t be afraid to branch out to some yeast breads, too! These Easy Soft and Chewy Homemade Pretzel Bread Rolls are a great side for things like this Easy Creamy Spicy Homemade Tomato Soup. 

Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning and Crusty Country French Bread are also super simple but super tasty. Pair them alongside comforting Chicken Tortellini Soup or hearty Corn Chowder with Bacon and Shrimp.