How to Prevent Your Muffins from Drying Out When Adding Gems

It starts with good intentions —perhaps you want to make something nice for the children, or perhaps you are simply adding a sweet spin to a tea-time treat. You take out the muffin tin, get it ready, and add a handful of gems in for a bit of colour and fun. But when they come out of the oven, something is not right. They appear lovely, but the taste does not live up to the appearance. Dry, hard, or just not soft enough. Sounds familiar?

In many Indian homes, baking has transitioned from being an upscale experiment to a relaxed weekend habit. Muffins are now the preferred treat, especially for birthdays, potlucks, or school snacks. And although it may add a playful touch to add gems (those colorful sugar-coated chocolates we all adored as children), it tends to interfere with keeping your muffins moist.

You don't have to abandon gems from your recipe. You just have to bake smarter. Whether you are using an OTG or a convection microwave, some subtle changes in technique and ingredients can make your muffins remain soft even after they have cooled. Let's demystify it—from the correct ingredients to the method of baking—and lastly, how to rectify the gem issue.

Muffin Recipe (With Gems)

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour – 1½ cups
• Baking powder – 1½ tsp
• Baking soda – ¼ tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Powdered sugar – ¾ cup
• Curd – ¾ cup
• Milk – ½ cup (balance as required)
• Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
• Neutral oil (such as sunflower) – ½ cup
• Gems – ½ cup (and some spare for garnish)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the sugar and curd until smooth. Add oil and vanilla essence and mix well. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gently. Gradually add milk to achieve a smooth, thick batter.

Once combined, toss half of the gems in a teaspoon of flour and fold them into the batter—to prevent sinking. Spoon the batter into lined muffin trays, fill only ¾ of every cup. Sprinkle a few gems on top for that splash of color. Bake for 18–20 minutes or when a toothpick is clean. Allow cooling before unmolding from the tray.

Use Curd Instead of Eggs for Better Moisture Retention

In Indian kitchens, curd is gold. It keeps baked goods soft, holds everything together, and adds a light tang that works well in muffins. More importantly, it locks in moisture better than eggs when baking at high temperatures. If you’ve been using eggs and ending up with dry muffins, try replacing them with thick homemade dahi. It softens the crumb and prevents the muffins from becoming dry even the following day. Also, curd works well with gems and doesn't respond as much to the sugar shell, preventing that strange dry spot around the gems.

Toss Gems in Flour Before Mixing Them In

One of the reasons muffins become dry when you add gems is that the gems settle at the bottom and get overbaked. They nest next to the hot pan bottom, caramelizing sugar too much and extracting moisture from the surrounding batter. Dusting gems with a teaspoon of all-purpose flour before folding them into the batter suspends them evenly. This prevents sugar overload in one area and maintains the crumb soft throughout. And it spares you those sad, sticky bottoms.

Don't Overbake—Check Early and Cover If Needed

Your oven might be 20 minutes but always check after about the 15-minute mark. All ovens are different. Overbaking is the number one reason your muffin becomes a hockey puck. And when you're baking with gems, the sugar-coating melts and sets fast, accelerating the drying out. If you find the tops browning too quickly but the insides still aren't done, loosely cover the tray with foil. This prevents excess heat on the top while allowing the interior to bake through. Less direct heat equals to softer crumb, equals to happier muffins.

Add a Touch of Honey or Jaggery Syrup to Lock Moisture

This trick is a winner. As soon as your muffins are out and cooled just a little, brush the tops with a warm honey and water or jaggery syrup mixture. This not only gives a soft sheen but also serves as a natural sealant. It keeps the moisture trapped within the muffin and stops the gems from drying out the crumb surrounding them. Particularly helpful when storing them overnight or giving them away. Just don't overdo it—you want a light swipe, not a glaze.

Store Muffins Right—Warm Wrap, Then Airtight

Even the best muffin can become dry if stored thoughtlessly. As soon as they’re slightly warm (not hot), wrap each muffin gently in butter paper or parchment. This lets some heat escape but traps just enough moisture. Once cooled, store them in an airtight box. If you’re using a steel dabba, line it with a kitchen napkin to prevent sweating. Avoid storing them in the fridge unless it’s too hot outside. Refrigeration dries them faster. Want them warm the following day? Heat for 5 seconds in the microwave, wrapped in a napkin.