Quick Answer: Muffins sink in the middle due to overmixing, incorrect oven temperature, too much leavening, too little leavening, or opening the oven door too early during baking.
The 4 Main Causes and Quick Fixes
Overmixing the Batter
- The Problem: Overmixing develops gluten, and too much gluten means tough muffins that cannot hold their structure as they cool. Overmixing also introduces too much air into the batter, and too much air means a dense, flat batter.
- The Fix: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together only until they have combined. The batter should look lumpy. If you mix your batter until perfectly smooth, you have overmixed it. For a basic muffin recipe and a complete overview of mixing technique, see our basic muffin guide.
Wrong Oven Temperature
- The Problem: If the oven is too hot, your muffins will rise too fast and then collapse. If the oven is too cool, this provides insufficient rise.
- The Fix: An oven thermometer. Muffins rise perfectly at a temperature between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Too Much or Too Little Leavening
- The Problem: Too much baking soda or baking powder (leavening) will cause the muffins to rise quickly, followed by a dramatic collapse, since the muffins will have risen before they have cooked enough to support their rise. Too little leavening, on the other hand, will not allow them to rise at all.
- The Fix: Use between 1 and 2 teaspoons of baking powder and/or baking powder per cup of flour. If using both baking soda and baking powder, the total amount should not exceed 2 teaspoons per cup of flour. Notice the combination of the two in my Peach Muffins recipe does equate to one teaspoon of leavening per 1 cup of flour, and my 2 teaspoons of baking powder for 2 cups of flour in my Jordan Marsh Muffins recipe.
Opening the Oven Door
- The Problem: Yes, it can be tempting to open the oven door and adore your muffins as they bake. But seriously, don't do this. This causes a big shift in temperature (rapid cooling by letting out oven air) along with disturbing the muffins via motion (disturbing the delicate batter as it's rising). Both of these things causes muffins to collapse.
- The Fix: Just don't open the oven door. Don't open the door for at least the first 15 minutes of bake time.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Muffins
- Fill cups 2/3 full: Do not overfill (or underfill) your muffin tins. Two-thirds the way full is the official sweet spot.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: I say this every chance I get. Room temperature ingredients make a difference. They allow for easier and more even mixing, as well as more even cooking.
- Test Doneness Properly: The toothpick test is the way to go. It should come out clean, with just a few moist crumbs.
The Bottom Line
In short, sunken muffins are almost always caused by structural issues during baking. To avoid these issues, ensure gentle mixing, proper temperature, correct measurements, and patience (keep that oven door shut!).
And that's my answer to why your muffins sink during baking.
Happy Baking!
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