This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I have always loved Irish soda bread—and I love muffins even more.
So turning soda bread into individual muffins felt like a natural fit. These Irish soda bread muffins are lightly sweet, tender, and just a little rustic—somewhere between a biscuit and a traditional muffin.
They are simple enough for everyday baking but especially nice around St. Patrick’s Day.
Why I Love These Irish Soda Bread Muffins
- All the flavor of soda bread, in individual portions.
You get that classic tender crumb and subtle tang from the buttermilk, but in a muffin that’s easy to serve and share. - Lightly sweet, not dessert-sweet.
These lean more biscuit than cupcake, which is exactly how I prefer them. Just enough sweetness to feel special, but not sugary. - Simple pantry ingredients.
No mixer required and nothing fancy—just flour, dried fruit, and a few staples. - Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day—or anytime.
They feel festive in March, but honestly, they are good any time you want something simple with butter and jam. - Freezer-friendly and practical.
I like baking a batch, freezing a few, and pulling one out when I want something warm with my coffee.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – Provides structure. You can substitute part white whole wheat flour if desired.
- White whole wheat flour – Adds a bit of whole-grain flavor without heaviness. Can use all all-purpose if preferred.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Work together for lift and tenderness.
- Salt – Balances flavor.
- Granulated sugar – Adds light sweetness. You can reduce slightly if you prefer less sweet muffins of sub your favorite non-calorie sweetener for bakiing.
- Currants, raisins, or chopped dried fruit – Traditional soda bread often uses currants. Raisins or mixed dried fruit work just as well.
- Caraway seeds (optional) – Add classic Irish soda bread flavor. Skip if you’re not a fan.
- Egg – Provides structure.
- Buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream – Adds tenderness and slight tang. Plain yogurt is an easy substitute.
- Butter (melted) or vegetable oil – Butter adds flavor; oil keeps them especially moist.
- Sparkling sugar (optional) – Adds a light crunch on top. Not necessary.
Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each muffin has about 181 calories.
WW Points: 9
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make Irish Soda Bread Muffins
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease or line a standard muffin pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, dried fruit, and caraway seeds (if using).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, and melted butter.
- Gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until combined.
- Fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Batter will be thick.
- Bake about 20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool briefly, then transfer to a rack.
Recipe Notes
These muffins lean more toward biscuit texture than soft cupcake-style muffins. They are lightly sweet and pair well with butter or jam.
If using yogurt instead of buttermilk, you may need to thin it slightly with milk.
They freeze well and reheat nicely in a warm oven.
If you’ve made these Irish Soda Bread Muffins, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour, or use all all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 cups currants, raisins or other chopped dried fruit
- 1/2 – 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, to taste (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted; or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- sparkling white sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the cups of a standard muffin pan; or line with papers, and then grease the papers.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, currants or raisins, and caraway seeds (if using).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter. Quickly and gently stir together the dry and wet ingredients, just until combined. (Stirring more will cause the muffins to be tough.)
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. The stiff batter will look mounded in the cups. Top with sparkling white sugar, if desired.
- Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven. Tip the muffins in the pan, so their bottoms don’t get soggy. Wait 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool.
- Serve these muffins plain or with butter and/or your favorite jam.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) These easy Irish soda bread muffins remind me more of a biscuit than a traditional muffin. They are simple and not too sweet, which is how I prefer them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More WW-Friendly Muffin and Soda Bread Recipes
If you like these Easy Irish Soda Bread Muffins, you may also like:
- Darina Allen’s Easy Whole Wheat Soda Bread – A traditional Irish-style soda bread made with whole wheat flour and simple pantry ingredients.
- Irish Soda Bread Recipe Roundup – A collection of classic and modern soda bread variations to suit every taste.
- Irish Brown Bread – A hearty, rustic Irish loaf with a deeper, nutty flavor.
- Broccoli Cheese Muffins – A savory muffin option with sharp cheddar and tender broccoli.
I made these today for a St Paddy’s Day party. People gobbled them up, before I knew it they were gone!!! I doubled the recipe so that means 24. I used dried cranberries and orange zest instead of raisins because I just like them better. Thanks so much for all of your experimenting. Makes it easier for us newbies to baking to be a little more comfortable when playing around with a recipe. ??
Thanks for letting me know Judy!!
Please explain to this old lady what you mean by tip the pan in this recipe? won’t the muffins fall out. I want to try the recipe but certainly don’t want soggy bottoms. Looking forward to all your recipes.
Hi Mary Lee. I think a picture probably works best. Click to see a photo of what I mean: http://www.kitchentreaty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/honey-sweetened-spiced-banana-muffins.jpg
I ran these through WW recipe builder today. They look really yummy and I wanted to make them to go with the corned beef and cabbage soup I’m making for St. Patrick’s Day. These came out to 9 smart points each and while I enjoy an indulgence every now and then, 9 smart points for a muffin is just too many points for me. Thank you for sharing the recipe, though.
Martha thank you soooo much for taking time to post the nutrition and WW points for all of us. I dont bother buying cookbook anymore unless they have the nutrition listed. Thank you again
You are so welcome, Margaret! I know what you mean about cookbooks without nutrition information. It just is so much extra work for us Weight Watchers when it’s not readily available!