If you've never tried Irish soda bread, you are in for a treat. Classic Irish soda bread recipes combine wheat flour. The resulting soda bread is lightly sweet, and its texture is beguiling. It’s unquestionably soft and tender yet dense enough to feel wholesome and satisfying. Because Irish soda bread isn’t overly sweet, it’s ultra versatile too.
Why Muffin Form?
Also, since the recipe yields 12 tidy Irish Soda Bread Muffins instead of an entire loaf, they’re easier to manage and transport. Making them in muffin tins is perfect for better portion control, and you can freeze the extras! These individual portions of classic soda bread combine the heartiness of the traditional quickbread with the convenience of muffins, making them perfect for everything from a St.
Traditional Irish soda bread gets a fun twist in these cute little muffins. In muffin form, these strike the perfect balance of crusty exterior and tender interior, with a hint of sweetness that makes them irresistible. And the texture is chef’s kiss They’re slightly denser than a traditional muffin (without being crumbly), but not as dry as a scone.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread Muffin Recipe
This recipe is a quick, cozy twist on classic Irish soda bread - with a tender crumb, slightly sweet flavor, and a perfectly crusty top. Easy to make with simple ingredients and minimal equipment, these Irish soda bread muffins are a fast and cozy win.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Caraway seed
- Egg
- Milk
- Butter
- Greek yogurt
- Currants
- Sparkling sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and caraway seed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, butter, and Greek yogurt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir just until combined.
- Fold in currants.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar, if using.
- Bake the muffins for 13 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to a rack to continue cooling.
Tips and Variations
- Flour: I used a combination of King Arthur unbleached white whole wheat flour and unbleached all-purpose flour, and the flavor and texture were perfect.
- Baking Powder: Baking Powder is a combination of baking soda and an acid, and it activates when liquid is added and when baking in the oven.
- Sweetness: These muffins are lightly sweetened, but if you prefer sweeter bread, add more honey.
- Caraway: If you like caraway seeds in your bread, add an eighth of a teaspoon.
- Mini Irish Soda Bread Muffins: Place the batter in a mini muffin tin and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
- The biggest culprit of dense bread is overmixing the dough.
- Don't overmix the batter! Treat these like any quick bread - mix until just combined.
Keto Irish Soda Bread Muffin Recipe
For those following a ketogenic diet, a low-carb version of Irish soda bread muffins is a welcome treat, providing a grain-free alternative to the traditional recipe. This keto-friendly recipe has 7 total grams of carbs and had 4 grams of dietary fiber so it’s 3 g net carbs.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- Sunflower seeds
- Flaxseed
- Coconut flour
- Sweetener
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Eggs
- Coconut milk
- Raisins or currants (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grind the sunflower seeds in a food processor.
- Add the dry ingredients; flaxseed, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder and salt to the ground sunflower seeds.
- Pulse in the butter.
- Add in the wet ingredients; eggs and coconut milk.
- Remove dough and transfer to a bowl.
- Mix in raisins or currants if using.
- Grease a muffin pan or use cupcake liners.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 325 and bake another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown on top and toothpick in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool, approximately 10 minutes, then remove from the muffin pan before serving.
Tips and Variations
- If you don’t have nut allergies like our family, try using the same amount of almond flour in place of the sunflower seeds.
- Also replace the baking powder with baking soda.
- You can choose to add currants or raisins, my family loved the currants in these, but honestly you can hardly taste a difference in my opinion.
- The nutrition info in the recipe card below does not include using raisins. But I’ve also included in the Notes section in the recipe card, the nutritional information if you do include raisins.
- Almond Allergy: Coconut flour would require changing the entire recipe, so I recommend using sunflower seed flour instead. You can use it 1:1 to replace the almond flour.
- Dairy-Free: Try using coconut milk in place of the heavy cream.
- Sweetener: This keto Irish soda bread does not rely on the sweetener for consistency so anything you like best should work. You can also leave out the sweetener entirely, if you prefer.
Keto Irish Soda Bread Loaf Recipe
This tender almond flour bread has a crusty exterior and sugar-free dried cranberries in place of the traditional currants.
Ingredients
- Almond flour
- Protein powder
- Sweetener
- Coconut flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter, cold
- Dried cranberries, sugar-free
- Heavy cream
- Vinegar
- Egg whites
- Melted butter, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream and vinegar.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients and stir to distribute.
- Stir in the dried cranberries, if using.
- Stir in the cream mixture and the egg whites until well combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.
- With wet hands, form into a high, round loaf.
- Brush all over with the melted butter.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a large X in the center of the loaf.
- Place the baking sheet on the second highest rack in the oven and bake 20 minutes, until the outside is turning golden brown.
- Turn off the oven and let the bread sit inside until the top is firm to the touch and not spongy, another 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove and let cool completely before cutting into slices.
Serving and Storing
Let the pan cool on a wire rack for five minutes before removing the muffins.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is great with anything! I like mine lightly toasted with a little butter. It’s only mildly sweet so it also goes well with soups and stews.
Irish beef stew and corned beef and cabbage are classic options, but these would be great with any soup or stew, or as an addition to a cozy brunch spread.
Storage Instructions
Because it is quite moist, you should store keto Irish soda bread in the fridge, tightly wrapped. It will last for up to a week.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Once cooled, store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds for a fresh-from-the-oven taste.
Freezing Instructions
You can also freeze it for several months.
Yes, these muffins are great to keep in your freezer for when you need a last-minute side! Simply bake and cool the muffins completely, pop them in a plastic zip-top bag, and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Absolutely! They freeze beautifully and can be reheated as needed.
The Science Behind Soda Bread
The science behind soda bread is fascinating - Irish soda bread is a traditional quick bread that doesn’t require any yeast.
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Many cuisines have their own version of soda bread, as it’s faster and easier to make than yeast-leavened dough. And baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is inexpensive and easy to procure.
Classic Irish soda bread takes flour, baking soda, butter, and buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda to create little bubbles that cause the bread to rise.