Leftover Rice Muffins

Got leftover rice sitting in the fridge? Fold it into muffin batter. The cooked brown rice adds a chewy, slightly nutty texture to these whole wheat muffins that you won’t get from flour alone. Each bite has tiny pockets of tender grain running through a soft, wholesome crumb.

The almond extract is subtle but it makes a difference. Just a quarter teaspoon adds a warm, fragrant note that complements the nuttiness of both the whole wheat flour and the brown rice. It’s one of those background flavors that people can’t quite identify but keeps them reaching for another muffin.

Mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately before combining them is the standard muffin method, and there’s a reason it’s standard: it prevents overmixing. Stir just until the flour is moistened. Visible streaks of dry flour are fine. A few extra stirs past “just combined” and the gluten develops enough to turn your muffins dense and tough.

Stir the rice in last so it stays in whole grains rather than breaking apart into the batter.

Kitchen Tips

• Cold leftover rice works best. Freshly cooked rice is too sticky and clumps together instead of distributing evenly.
• Use skim milk to keep these on the lighter side, but whole milk works too if that’s what you have.
• These freeze well. Pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds for a quick breakfast.

Variations

• Cinnamon raisin: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of raisins to the batter for a sweeter version.
• Savory spin: Skip the brown sugar and almond extract, add shredded cheese and chopped herbs instead for a savory rice muffin.