There’s something wonderfully comforting about a simple muffin recipe you can count on, and these Yum Yum Muffins are exactly that — soft, tender, lightly sweet, and perfect for breakfast or an anytime treat. Made with everyday pantry ingredients and ready in just minutes, they’re the kind of bake that fills your kitchen with warm, homey aromas and brings everyone wandering in to see what’s fresh from the oven.
Whether you love small‑batch baking, easy muffin recipes, or nostalgic flavors that remind you of childhood kitchen moments, these Yum Yum Muffins deliver every time. They’re quick to mix, beautifully moist, and ideal for busy mornings, lunchboxes, or cozy afternoon snacks. If you’re looking for a reliable muffin recipe that’s simple, delicious, and fuss‑free, a muffin that is not a cake, then this vintage muffin recipe is sure to become a favorite.
I really love muffins, especially muffins that are not like cake. When I eat a muffin I don't want a piece of cake, or muffins that are like eating cake, being overly sweet . . . high in fat. If I want cake, I'll bake a cake.
I want a muffin as it is supposed to be, as they were originally intended to be. A quick bread, slightly raised with rounded pebbly top. The insides filled with nice holes. Perfect for spreading with a tiny pat of butter, that you don't need to feel guilty about eating because the muffins themselves are not high in fat. In short, an old-fashioned muffin.
A muffin just like this old fashioned-muffin recipe I am sharing with you today. This recipe was adapted from one which I found in a vintage Five Roses Cookbook. This book was originally published in 1967 and is one of my prized cookbooks. This adapted recipe is a small batch recipe and produces six perfect muffin. Not loaded with fat and sugar. Delicious, plain and simple. Flavored with ground baking spices, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, and generously studded with raisins. A muffin you can feel good about eating.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE YUM YUM MUFFINS
Simple ingredients put together simply and deliciously.
- 1 cup (120g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (75g) raisins
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 2 TBS butter, melted
INGREDIENTS NOTES
- To measure your flour, spoon it into a metal measuring cup and level off the top with a straight edge. Don't use self-rising flour.
- I used Kirkland brand organic granulated sugar. If you are in the U.K. use caster sugar.
- Use the freshest spices you can. Even better, grate or grind your own. Freshly grated/ground spices will give you amazing flavors.
- Not a fan of raisins? Try using toasted chopped walnuts or pecans in their place.
- Make sure you use fresh eggs. I get mine at a local chicken farm.
- I used whole milk.
- I used salted butter.
HOW TO MAKE YUM YUM MUFFINS
These go together simply and easily.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter six muffin cups really well. Set aside. (Alternately you can use paper liners. I would still grease the liners.)
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Stir in the spices and then stir in the raisins to coat them with the flour. (Coating the raisins with the dry ingredients helps to distribute them easily in the batter.)
- Whisk the egg, milk and melted butter together. (Alternately you could use sunflower oil instead of the butter.)
- Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. The batter should be lumpy, but there should be no big dry streaks in it. (Don't overmix or the muffins will be tough.)
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups. (2/3 full)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. (They should be well risen and the tops should spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the center of one should come out clean.)
- Remove from cups to a wire rack to cool.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR GREAT MUFFINS
Here are my hints and tips for making sure that your muffins turn out beautifully every time:
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to roughly combine.
2. Don't over mix your muffins. The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. What you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Do not stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, and thick with a few floury streaks.
3. Add your flavors last. While spices should be added with all the other dry ingredients, additions like fruit and nuts should be added last. Give the batter one more light-handed stir once you've added them in just to combine.
4. Line the pans. You can choose to either grease the muffin tin or line it with paper liners. If you choose to forgo the liners, make sure you grease the base and sides of the cups with oil spray or a little melted butter. If you're not going to eat the muffins for a while, do use paper liners as these will keep the muffins fresher for longer.
5. Don't overfill your pans. Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups. Often if your tins are over filled the muffins will rise to the top and then collapse on themselves.
6. For extra interest, add a flavorful sprinkle on top. Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts or a crumble topping, even sanding sugar or cinnamon sugar, for even more taste and or crunch. As the muffins rise these toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.
7. Protect your baking pan. If there isn't enough batter to fill all the cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins bake evenly and will help to protect your pan from buckling.
8. Cooling them down. Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise you risk them going soggy as they cool in the pan.
9. Freeze extras for later. Muffins freeze beautifully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're baked, wrap them in plastic wrap tightly, and put them in the freezer for later. They will keep for about 3 months and reheat wonderfully in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high from frozen.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN THESE MUFFINS BE MIXED TOGETHER AHEAD OF TIME?
If you like you can mix together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, ready to mix together when you are ready to bake them. The dry ingredients can be kept in a bowl, covered on the countertop. The wet ingredients should be kept in the refrigerator, covered. Bring them to room temperature before mixing and baking. I would not do this more than 24 hours ahead of time.
CAN I CUT THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?
Yes, you can absolutely double this recipe. Simply multiply all of the ingredients by two and bake in a 12 cup muffin tin. Bake times will remain the same.
CAN THESE BE FROZEN ONCE BAKED?
Yes, these can be frozen after baking. Simply wrap each muffin individually in some cling film and then place them all into a zip lock baggie, label and date. That way you can take out as many or as few as you wish to eat. You can thaw them on the countertop for several hours, or you can gently reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high. You can freeze them for up to three months, properly wrapped.
HOW LONG WILL THESE MUFFINS KEEP ONCE BAKED?
These muffins are best eaten on the day as they are relatively low in fat.
A FEW OTHER MUFFIN RECIPES TO ENJOY
Here are a few other muffin recipes that you might also enjoy!
SPECIAL K BREAKFAST MUFFINS - These are the PERFECT breakfast muffins. Quick and easy to make. Delicious. I highly recommend. Simple and filled with fiber. You can use ordinary Special K cereal, or you can be a bit more extravagant and use one of the varieties which contain fruit. This recipe makes half a dozen fabulous muffins.
GINGERBREAD MUFFINS - I am a hug fan of gingerbread anything. I think gingerbread is probably one of my favorite things to bake and eat! They are moist and delicious with a lovely crumb and beautiful ginger/cinnamon flavor. The recipe makes a full batch of 12 fabulous muffins!
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Yield: Makes 6
Yum Yum Muffins (small batch)
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
This old fashioned recipe makes six tasty muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBS sugar
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (75g) raisins
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 2 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter six muffin cups really well. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Stir in the spices and then stir in the raisins to coat them with the flour.
- Whisk the egg, milk and melted butter together.
- Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. The batter should be lumpy, but there should be no big dry streaks in it.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups. (2/3 full)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from cups to a wire rack to cool.
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If you love easy comfort food with a fun twist, this Baked Hawaiian Hash is about to become a new favorite. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and hearty — a cozy, family‑friendly dish that turns simple ingredients into something wonderfully satisfying. Tender cubes of sweet potato and cubed ham bake together under a sweet layer of pineapple which has been kissed with a sprinkle of brown sugar and rich butter.
This is the kind of recipe you pull out when you want dinner to feel warm and comforting without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s budget‑friendly, great for using leftover ham, and the flavors are so cheerful and bright that it works beautifully any time of year — especially after holidays when you might have a lot of ham that you want to use up.
Whether you serve it as a weeknight dinner, a brunch side, or a potluck dish that everyone will talk about, this Baked Hawaiian Hash delivers big flavor with minimal effort. One pan, simple prep, and a golden, bubbling finish that makes the whole kitchen smell amazing.
As most of you know I really like to try out vintage recipes. This recipe that I am sharing comes from an old meat cookbook that my mother once called Martha Logan's Meat Cookbook. Martha Logan was a prominent figure in the cooking industry, known as the spokesperson for the Home Economics Department of Swift & Company. She was actually a fictitious character, much like Betty Crocker, who was created to act as an authority figure for homemakers, providing advice and recipe booklets on cooking and food preparation. Real or not, I have always loved the recipes in this book.
I copied out quite a few of them when I was a young bride and new homemaker to use in my own kitchen, and then when mom passed, I managed to procure a copy of the same book. I have no idea what happened to the original book.
I love Vintage recipes. I think that in many cases they provide a decent backbone for pretty much any recipe you might want to cook, that you can build upon, and today's recipe for Baked Hawaiian Hash was no exception. It made for a delicious and novel way to use up leftovers from my Easter ham.
What you have here is a delicious combination of smoky, salty ham and the gentle earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes, with a chef's kiss of pineapple juice. Topped with pineapple, brown sugar, and butter prior to baking, it makes for a warm and cozy casserole. It smelled amazing while it was cooking, and tasted really delicious.
I always like to make something the way as written the first time I make it. This was very tasty. I can see it being even better by perhaps adding some diced green peppers and onions to the ham and potato mixture. You could cut the pineapple juice with some of your favorite barbeque sauce for another level of flavor that would be quite appealing.
The topping was perfect just as is. I did add a smattering of finely chopped spring onions to bring a bit of color to it for photography purposes. It did add another layer of flavor, lively and bright, but gentle enough not to overpower anything.
I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who is looking for a delicious and unique way to use up some leftover ham!! Quick, easy, delicious and economical.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
TO MAKE
BAKED HAWAIIAN HASH
There is nothing out of the ordinary here. Simple ingredients done well.
- 2 cups (206g) chopped ham or cooked pork
- 2 cups (400g) chopped cooked sweet potato
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pineapple juice
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 4 slices canned pineapple, well drained (I used a small can of crushed pineapple well drained)
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 2 TBS butter
- finely chopped spring onions to garnish (optional)
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS
I used ham leftover from the dinner ham that I had purchased the other day. Some of it was used in a ham steak recipe and then some for this recipe. I did trim off all of the tough skin as I didn't think it would work well in the casserole.
I didn't have any cooked sweet potato so I peeled a large sweet potato, cut it into 1/3 inch cubes and then cooked it in the microwave until tender with just a bit of water. I then drained it and proceeded as per the recipe.
I did not have pineapple slices so used crushed pineapple. Just make sure in either case that you drain it really well. (Reserve the juice!)
I used Dijon mustard. I love the heat that it brings to the table, especially with ham.
HOW TO MAKE
BAKED HAWAIIAN HASH
This is very quick and easy to make.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch shallow casserole dish well. Set aside. (I used salted butter to butter the dish. Using butter rather than cooking spray adds additional butter flavor.)
- Combine the pineapple juice and the mustard in a bowl, whisking well together. Fold in the sweet potatoes and the ham. Pour into the baking dish, smoothing the top over. (I didn't have any leftover cooked sweet potato, so I peeled and chopped a sweet potato and then cooked the chopped sweet potato in the microwave with a bit of water until tender. Once tender, I drained it well and then continued with the recipe.)
- If using pineapple slices, lay them decently spaced on top of the casserole dish. If using crushed pineapple, sprinkle it all over top of the casserole dish. (I think you could dot the top with maraschino cherries as well, or even toasted pecans, and that would be lovely.)
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over top and then dot with the butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until heated through and beginning to color. (This smells amazing while it is baking.)
- Sprinkle with spring onion, if using, and serve hot.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Read through the recipe several times before you begin to help familiarize yourself with any ingredients, techniques or equipment needed.
- Assemble all of your ingredients before you begin so that you don't leave anything out by accident.
- Make sure you drain your pineapple really well, be it rings or crushed. I squeeze all of the moisture out of the crushed pineapple with my hands.
- Don't overcook. You don't want the ham drying out.
- Use a shallow casserole dish so as to give you more of a surface area to gild.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, you can absolutely put this together ahead of time ready to throw into the oven when you want to eat.
CAN THIS RECIPE BE CUT IN HALF?
Yes, you can cut the recipe in half very easily. Cook times would remain pretty much the same.
CAN I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE?
Certainly. Simply multiply everything by two and use a larger casserole dish. It may take a bit longer for everything to heat through and cook.
DO I NEED TO USE HAM?
You can also use leftover cooked pork and or chicken.
CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Ham has a tendency to absorb moisture in the freezer, creating too many ice crystals and a texture once thawed that is not very palatable. At least that is my experience.
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH BAKED HAWAIIAN HASH?
This is a hearty casserole loaded with ham, sweet potatoes and pineapple. It would work very well with some steamed rice on the side. Or you could enjoy it with a side of baked beans and perhaps some cornbread.
A FEW OTHER LEFTOVER HAM RECIPES
TO ENJOY
A few more delicious ways to use up some leftover ham. Nobody will complain about being fed leftovers when you pop this in front of them!
SLOW COOKER POTATO & HAM CHOWDER - This tasty soup recipe is built on simple, homely ingredients — tender potatoes, savory chunks of leftover ham, sweet onion, garlic, and a fragrant mix of thyme and rosemary — all simmered low and slow in chicken stock until everything becomes soft, rich, and full of flavor. The magic happens when a portion of the soup is blended and stirred back in, giving the chowder its signature velvety texture without needing a roux. A splash of cream at the end brings everything together into a silky, comforting bowl that tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all afternoon. Every spoonful is creamy, smoky, herby, and deeply satisfying — the kind of chowder that begs for warm rolls, buttered toast, or a handful of crackers on the side.
CREAMY HAM & CHEESE CASSEROLE - Ham & Cheese Casserole is everything we love about classic comfort food: creamy, cheesy, cozy, and wonderfully thrifty. It’s the perfect way to turn leftover ham into a brand‑new meal that feels hearty and satisfying. Tender egg noodles are folded together with smoky cubes of cooked ham, a creamy sauce made from condensed chicken soup and milk, and a handful of green beans for color and texture. A generous amount of strong cheddar melts through the casserole. Topped with a buttery cracker crumb topping and more cheese for a golden crunch crust. Quick, easy and budget friendly.
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Yield: 4 servings
Baked Hawaiian Hash
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
This tasty casserole makes four delicious servings when served with sides. I recommend baked beans and some crusty rolls. This is sweet and salty. Very tasty and simple to make. A great repurposing of leftovers. It smells amazing too.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (206g) chopped ham or cooked pork
- 2 cups (400g) chopped cooked sweet potato
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pineapple juice
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
- 4 slices canned pineapple, well drained (I used a small can of crushed pineapple well drained)
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 2 TBS butter
- finely chopped spring onions to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch shallow casserole dish well. Set aside.
- Combine the pineapple juice and the mustard in a bowl, whisking well together. Fold in the sweet potatoes and the ham. Pour into the baking dish, smoothing the top over.
- If using pineapple slices, lay them decently spaced on top of the casserole dish. If using crushed pineapple, sprinkle it all over top of the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over top and then dot with the butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until heated through and beginning to color.
- Sprinkle with spring onion, if using, and serve hot.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.
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