The Retro 3-Ingredient Muffins I Make on Repeat (It Goes With Every Meal)

They take five minutes to prep.

Mayonnaise is serious business in the South. Just like a football team, you will be asked to pick a favorite. Regional favorites reign, from Blue Plate to Bama to Duke’s and even Hellman’s. Just like wearing the wrong colors at a tailgate, having the “wrong” mayo in your fridge can cause your friends to think twice—good-naturedly, of course—about your chicken salad, your pimento cheese, or even (gasp) one of your summer heirloom tomato sandwiches.

This fierce connection to specific brands probably stems from the fact that before the 1920s, most people made mayonnaise at home instead of purchasing pre-made; therefore, family and regional flavor profiles reigned. As a Carolinas native, my favorite is Duke’s. Eugenia Duke began selling Duke’s in Greenville, South Carolina in the 1920s and is now one of the leading brands in the South, beloved by chefs and home cooks alike for its tangy flavor without added sugar.

Regardless of brand affinity, mayonnaise is a pantry staple across the country. Its rise in availability coincided with the lean years of the Depression and the rationed years of WWII, and the premade combo of egg, oil, and acid (either lemon juice or vinegar) remained for many an affordable luxury. 

Around this era, the mayonnaise muffin began showing up on Southern tables, utilizing another convenience pantry staple, self-rising flour. Combine the two with a little half-and-half or milk, and you have these three-ingredient savory muffins.

3-Ingredient Savory Muffins

These tender, flaky muffins are a weeknight quick bread that utilizes the ease of both, along with some liquid, to make a muffin that is more biscuit than cake but doesn’t require a rolling pin. 

My variation swaps out half and half for milk, making the muffins a little less crumbly but still tender and rich. However, if milk is all you have, my grandmother would say “go with what you got.” These muffins feel like a baking party trick that tastes much richer than the time investment would suggest.

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Mayonnaise Muffins

Adapted from Judy Elliott, “Feeding the Flock,” Herbert United Methodist Church, Georgetown, S.C. 1989

For 12 muffins, you’ll need:

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups (240g) self-rising flour
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 cup half and half or whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup standard muffin pan.

In a mixing bowl, add the self-rising flour and mayonnaise until loosely combined. Slowly add the half and half or milk and continue whisking until the batter becomes smooth. You’re going for a lump-free consistency.

Divide the batter equally between the greased muffin cups so that they are about 2/3 full. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. 

These are best eaten warm out of the oven, but will last up to 1 day in an airtight container. Gently reheat before serving.

If You Don’t Have Self-Rising Flour

It’s easy to whip up with pantry ingredients at home. For this recipe, add 2 cups (240g) of all-purpose flour to a bowl. Remove 3 1/2 teaspoons. Add 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Proceed with the recipe as written. 

A Sweet Variation

Instead of putting jam on a warm muffin, bake it in! Using your favorite jam or jelly, fill each muffin cup halfway with batter, place a teaspoon of jam in the center, then another dollop of batter to bake in a sweet surprise. Or you can fill each cup 2/3 full, place a spoonful of jam on top, then swirl with a chopstick for a sweet topping. These are great as part of a brunch spread or holiday gathering.