Most likely, you're overmixing them. You should stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones just until they're moistened. Muffin batter is usually lumpy but that's normal.

I'll have to agree with Ruthanna. Overmixing will make them tough.

One more thing, make sure your baking powder is active. Just put some in warm water. If it doesn't fizz, toss it & buy new.

Over mixing makes them dry.....gives them "peaks and tunnels"....sharp points on top and big holes inside....but doesn't make them dense and heavy.
Either your oven is too hot and they get brown before they cook, or you BP is bad.....or maybe you are just using a bad recipe.
Get a Jiffy corn muffin mix and make then exactly by the directions and see if they turn out OK....
Then if so....you know it's your recipe. But if the Jiffy muffins are heavy and dense you know it's either your method or your oven.
Linda C

{{!gwi}}

Streusel topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter; melted
3/4 cup half & half (or whole milk)
2 eggs; slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups blueberries (or other fruit)

Combine streusel topping ingredients until crumbly; set aside. Heat oven to 400°. Melt 1/2 cup butter and set aside to cool slightly. Grease muffin tins and place waxed paper in the bottom only of each cup and grease again or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened, do not over mix for tender muffins. Gently fold in berries (if frozen berries toss with 1 tablespoon flour before folding into batter to prevent berries from sinking). Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups 2/3rds full and sprinkle with streusel topping.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden and toothpick test done. Immediately remove to rack to cool completely. Makes 12 to 14 regular size or 8 large muffins.

*For Lemon Muffins, add 2 tablespoon lemon zest in place of fruit also add 1 tablespoon juice.

*If using buttermilk in muffins reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Marilyn

Really good idea, Linda, for testing it out with a mix.

Read the info below. It should help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Muffins

Ginger, I was hoping to make the Buttermilk Berry Muffins (from your link) tomorrow morning, but I don't have enough flour and I'm not running to the store at this hour. I'll do it tomorrow and maybe make them on Wednesday.

Never made it to the store, then when I found cake flour in the pantry decided to use that instead.

The muffins were really good! Loved the lemon zest ... it added a nice brightness to the flavor.

And now 4 recipes later (pancakes, dumplings, coffee cake muffins, buttermilk berry muffins) I STILL have buttermilk left. Who knew a quart could go so far.

HanArt, if you like lemon flavor in muffins, you might like these:

BURST O'LEMON MUFFINS

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (8 oz.) lemon or vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup flaked coconut

TOPPING:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat the yogurt, egg, butter, lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the coconut.

Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and muffins test done. Cool for 5 min. before removing from pan to a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in toasted coconut. Using a toothpick, poke 6-8 holes in each muffin. Spoon the coconut mixture over the muffins. Serve warm or cool to room temperature. Yield: 1 dozen

Anyone know of a recipe for Apple Muffins that contains hunks of apple within - not applesauce or finely chopped apples? Thanks for any help.

Pink, here is a recipe that takes chopped apples, I never chop them fine, I like to find a "chunk" of apple when I bite. They are pumpkin, however, not just plain apple.

PUMPKIN APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS

2-1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
2 cups chopped McIntosh apples

Streusel Topping:

4 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients, then mix with dry ingredients, just until moistened. Scoop batter into 18 greased muffin cups. Top with streusel topping (cut together butter, sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.Makes: 18 muffins

This one has just apples, no other fruit.

Apple Muffins

Ingredients/Directions

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped

Blend milk, oil and egg; add to combined dry ingredients. Mix until moistened; fold in chopped apples. Bake in paperlined or greased muffins tins at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Finally, when I make my favorite bran muffins I often just chop up a couple of apples and add them to the batter. They always turn out fine and are even more yummy.

Annie

You can modify any recipe to your personal taste. If you don't like shredded than cut them into small chunks, but just be aware the muffin may bake differently.

Morning Glory Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 1/2 cups shredded apples
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil (I use peanut)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

In separate bowl toss together carrots, apples, coconut, and pecans. Stir in eggs, oil, and vanilla.

Add wet mixture to dry and stir until blended.

Fill tins 3/4 full and bake 18-20 minutes in 375° oven. Makes 12 large muffins or 18 regular size muffins (not mini).

Pink....
Here is my favourite apple muffin recipe.

You can see there are chunks of apple inside.
I get 12 perfect muffins from this recipe:

Light & diet friendly

Ingredients:

3/4 cup All-Bran cereal
1 cup skim milk
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
Sweetener - equivalent to 1/3 cup sugar
2 teasp baking powder
1/2 teasp baking soda
1/4 teasp salt
1 teasp allspice
1/2 teasp cloves
1 1/2 cups

2/3 cup raisins
1 large apple peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 low-cholesterol (omega-3) egg, lightly beaten
2 teasp vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1. Mix the All-Bran and skim milk in a bowl and let stand for a few minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir in the oat bran, raisins and apple.

3. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vegetable oil and applesauce. Stir, along with the All-Bran mixture, into the dry ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into an oil-sprayed 12-muffin tray. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Source: The Glycemic Index Diet
Rick Gallop ©2002
Random House Canada

My Notes:

You may have to find the oat bran in a diet or health food store.

I used sucrose for the sweetener but for anyone on a strict no-sugar diet use the artificial sweetener of your choice. Otherwise non-dieters use granulated white sugar.
The mixture is thick and dry-ish. Keep stirring until all is well mixed and don't think you made a mistake in the amount of milk.

SharonCb