In this post, I provide some general guidelines on the differences between the two.

1. Cupcakes have frosting. Muffins do not.

2. The ingredient ratio is different. “A basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tablespoons sugar, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 egg, ¼ cup oil, shortening or butter and 1 cup milk,” wrote Diana from Diana’s Desserts. When the fat, sugar, and egg to flour ratio in a recipe reaches double that of a muffin, you create a more open crumb and a sweeter end product – a cupcake. When the ratio is right and you get a cupcake, it’s a joyous thing!

My pizza muffins are made like you would make monkey bread – the muffins are made up of lots of small balls of dough, each filled with toppings, cheese, and sauce. Share one for an after-school snack or bake them as a quick and easy dinner for the whole family.