Well today’s post was a fun one, and this is a little different from the content I usually share here. To be honest, the most difficult part of today’s post was getting up the nerve to use this photo with my face all contorted like that. I know we’re our own worst critics, but geesh.
Anyway, my vanity issues aside, most of you know Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT have made noisy, if not earth-shattering, entrances onto the internet. Some people think AI will take over the world and end humanity, others worry it will put them out of work. Both are probably valid concerns, but personally I’m just worried it’s going to be putting out super crummy recipes.
One of the reasons I started this blog is because I personally was pretty sick of crummy recipes. Without trying to sound too dramatic, I pour my heart and soul (and way too many $$, gotta hide the grocery store receipts from my husband as I test that pistachio cake for the 8th time after telling him I was happy with it last week) into each and every recipe.
So the thought that some robot in the sky (I know, I know, not really) could come up with a better recipe than I could? It was a bit hard to believe and a bit offensive. I mean, this faceless entity doesn’t even have tastebuds, come on!
So I put it to the test. I went online and I asked ChatGPT (the latest and most advanced version available) to give me its BEST recipe for blueberry muffins. And then, I pitted it against my own personal, carefully tested blueberry muffins.
Here’s what ChatGPT came up with:
I’m going to include the AI recipe in a recipe card at the bottom of this post, as I usually do, but I encourage you to read on before you jump to trying it. Oh, and I also filmed myself making this AI-generated “best” muffin recipe from start to finish, so if you really want to see how this recipe test went down, definitely check that out at the bottom of the post, too.
My Thoughts on the AI-generated recipe
At first blush, this recipe seems very standard and basic. I don’t mean that as a criticism — who doesn’t love a good easy recipe!? In fact, I was a bit worried that my slightly more cumbersome recipe that used slightly less basic ingredients wouldn’t stack up.
But I don’t make my recipes not-basic just to be different. I do it because I really, truly, am trying to make the best recipe out there, and sometimes that means a little extra technique or an ingredient you may not have used before. And typically I’m pretty thrilled with the end results. I mean, here’s my blueberry muffin:
Glorious. I love it. But back to AI.
The nutmeg that was called for in the topping kind of seemed a bit unusual to me, but everything else seemed standard. I committed to giving it my best shot and expected a decent muffin and honestly crossed my fingers it wouldn’t be better than my own.
Following ChatGPT’s Instructions (or trying to)
I prepped all the ingredients for the recipe and got to work. Everything started off without a hitch… until we got to step 3. I’d love for you to read over that part and tell me what you think that means. Do we measure the milk with or without the vegetable oil? What?
I was extremely confused and ultimately decided I should measure the milk separately from the oil, since it had me pour the oil into a bowl and the milk into a measuring cup. Well, after getting this batch of muffins in the oven, I realized why don’t I just ask ChatGPT what it meant? And so I did (see below). And guess what? My assessment was wrong, so I had to then go back and make another batch of muffins the “correct” way.
I was miffed. But I continued. We then ran into another issue fairly quickly.
The recipe has you gently fold the oil, egg, and milk into the dry ingredients and urges you not to over-mix it. I’d say most bakers understand the importance of this and was pleased to see ChatGPT mentioned such an important step. BUT THEN, it had us stir in the vanilla extract.
Well, ChatGPT, it is literally impossible to work vanilla extract into a wet and dry batter without mixing it much more than you need to. The dough was like a cookie dough, it was thick and sticky and I was both relieved and aghast. I mean, are you kidding me?
However, I persevered and popped those babies in the oven for a suspiciously long indicated period of time of 20-25 minutes at 400F.
The final results are below:
Testing ChatGPT’s Blueberry Muffins Against My Own
I’m curious what your first thought is upon seeing these. Mine was that they didn’t look half as bad as I thought they would. I mean, they look like muffins, so they get a point for that. However, remember the first, “messed up” batch of muffins that I made by incorrectly following AI’s messy, convoluted instructions? Those honestly looked much better, so when I did my final taste test (which I also did with several blind taste-testers), I included that version as well.
For all of the images below, muffin #1 is the “correct” and final version from ChatGPT, #2 is the first muffin that I made (the “incorrect” version where I used too much milk because their instructions are, frankly, awful), and #3 is my own dear sweet innocent and gloriously blueberry-y blueberry muffin recipe. Not that I’m biased.
Let’s do a side-view.
Muffin Comparison
ChatGPT’s “best” blueberry muffin is a bit shriveled and small, and if you knock it against a piece of marble it makes a distinct little “knock”ing sound and doesn’t give at all. The bake time was definitely too long and the crumb was just bad, but we’ll talk more about that in just a second.
The second muffin looked better, but the crumb also wasn’t great. It was an acceptable muffin, but not a “good” one.
Then there was mine. With its tall muffin top and nutmeg-free topping, plush melt-in-your-mouth crumb and above-average blueberry count… My personal taste-test wasn’t blind and I’m not unbiased, but it was unquestionable to me which one was the best of the three.
Let me show you their interiors, and I think it’ll be quite plain to you, too:
Muffin Interior Comparison
ChatGPT’s recipe had a flat, dense crumb. It was crumbly like cornbread. If you’ve ever made a vanilla cake that turned out like this, it was likely over-mixed and/or over-baked, and that’s exactly what I think happened here. The “incorrect” version had a better crumb, but it still wasn’t great.
The flavor of the AI recipe was regrettably dominated by the nutmeg on top. It was an odd choice for a blueberry muffin, and not a single one of my taste-testers enjoyed it. To be fair, they were all related, so maybe they share an anti-nutmeg-in-blueberry-muffins taste gene; I can’t be sure without further testing.
Final Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence Recipes
My final thoughts are that Artificial Intelligence simply isn’t “there” yet in terms of recipe development. It’s possible that you may fare better asking for a cooking recipe than baking ones, as baking generally requires a bit more chemistry and science and some cooking recipes may be more forgiving. For now, and hopefully forever, I hope you’ll continue to go to trusted sources for the recipes for baked goods that you prepare for your families.
But also, while I honestly tried my best to make this recipe and comparison as fairly as possible I am super biased!
So, I’m including ChatGPT’s recipe below exactly as it was given to me and I’m inviting those of you who prefer to take research into your own hands to give it a try. If you do, please let me know what you think! Oh, and make sure you check out the video below… Luke almost got kicked out of the family for his take 🤣
ChatGPT’s “Best” Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- Approximately ⅓ cup 80ml milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150g) fresh blueberries
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, add the vegetable oil. To measure the milk, first add the egg to a 1-cup measure. Then, fill the rest of the cup with milk until it reaches the ⅔ mark (you should have a total of ⅔ cup of oil, egg, and milk combined). Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the muffins tough.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, then fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
- For the topping, mix together the sugar and nutmeg in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy your homemade blueberry muffins!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Maria B Rugolo
I can’t believe you thought for a minute there is a recipe out there (in any category) better than yours! I cringe at the waste of ingredients when you could’ve made 3 batches of YOUR blueberry muffins! That said, this was so fun to watch. You’re in no way a recipe snob but you have every right to be recipe confident!
You are blessed to be a master at your craft. You need a cape! We need a Sugar Spun Run Cookbook! I’d love to know how your website name came to be (If you wanted to share that, of course). You are SAMAZING! (Not a typo) 😉
Sam
☺️ Thank you so much, Maria! I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I am working on a cookbook. As far as the name of the site, I liked the alliteration of the “Sugar Spun” but at the time it was not an available domain and I was an avid runner so I added on the run part. 🙂
Louise
Hi! Great experiment. I’m not surprised at the outcome, though. As Bruce said, there are many bad recipes on the internet, so there isn’t yet a good substitute for the art and science that individual bakers use to create their best recipes. I have eaten WAY too many of your blueberry muffins; as a matter of fact, I am thawing some out for my son as we “speak”. I do believe that AI will not take away jobs but will create opportunities for those humans who put their heart and soul into what they do for a living. Thank you, Sam, for a great post.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Louise! 🙂
Bruce
I think they removed that recipe, because when I requested a blueberry muffin recipe, it was totally different. I even requested one with nutmeg in the topping. Anyway, you should have seen AI’s crème brulee recipe before I had it change the recipe. First, the recipe list had 1/2 cup sugar, divided, then at the end, extra sugar for sprinkling. It used 1/4 cup in the recipe, then never said what to do with the remaining 1/4 cup. When I asked about it, AI told me that it was for sprinking on top. I pointed out that it listed that sugar separately. It has changed that now. In addition, it started by putting a large pan of hot water in the oven, but then it had you put the ramekins into a pan with hot water. I asked why it used two water baths, and it apologized and changed the recipe. I also taught AI to list the ingredients in the order that they are used in the recipe. What amazes me is that it isn’t “trained” to check its recipes for inconsistency.
Sam
O man that’s a lot of work! You should be able to just get a recipe that you don’t have to correct all the time!
Bruce
I’ve watched the video now, so I have things to say. First, your recipe is TESTED, so the AI versions had no chance in the contest. Second, think about how many bad recipes are available online. If AI builds its recipes from what is available, it will be combining some good and some bad recipes to come up with its version, and quite possibly more bad than good. Third, there’s still another flaw in Step 3. They dirtied a bowl for no reason at all, as you demonstrated the second time you made theirs. (Although you sometimes do that, too, when you separate eggs, and use two small bowls, then put the yolks into the mixing bowl. You could just separate the whites into the small bowl, then add the yolk directly from the shell into the mixing bowl). Fourth, I’m so glad you made the video and shared it. It is entertaining and informative. Oh, I almost forgot something very important. You have a lot of beginners who try your recipes, and your detailed instructions are important for them. We experienced bakers and cooks can read around the extra information, but always be aware that somebody needs it. Your videos are great, too, especially when they include Luke, and doubly especially when he helps.
Sam
Thank you so much, Bruce! It’s great to know that the efforts I put in are appreciated and recognized. Thank you so much for following along and all of your support. I truly appreciate it. 🙂
Diana
Sam why can’t you add the vanilla to the milk,egg and oil?
Sam
That’s how I would do it, for sure. I just wanted to follow ChatGPT’s instructions which were to add it after stirring those ingredients into the batter.
Nicole
Haha!! Thanks for the entertaining video, Sam! I’ll let you do the taste test and spare my own time and ingredients! I know your recipe is best! 👍🏻
Alexis Morganza
I suspect ChatGPT doesn’t fully understand the difference between nutmeg and cinnamon.
Dawn
What a great idea for a post. I loved reading it and am not surprised at all that your muffins would be the best! I have no interest in going to AI for recipes. I would much rather get them from a wonderful baker, like yourself, who has put their heart and soul into their recipe. AI can’t do that and it seems that will always be a missing ingredient!
Bruce
The look on your face is perfect for the point of the picture. I thought you used the picture BECAUSE of the look.
Kim
This post and video were really fun to read! I’d love to see more of these, Sam! You handled everything so well in the video, and you made it really fun to watch. 🙂 I don’t like AI either for things like this. AI also makes pretty bad stories if you give them a plot… :/
Susan M Wentz
Like I said you can’t trust all recipes on line. Now I know yours are tried and true and well tested! I tried that Samosa cookie, yes I got it online just the technique. I have had success altering recipes. But like I posted it flopped, like your recipe above did. But I was in a hurry to try to help another member out. But in all aspects. Just doing a repeated recipe I have done….every now and then It gets wonky. Was I in a hurry that day?? Probably did not measure as I should have. But things flop some times, other things come into play weather, moisture, when the flour was milled, butter to soft at the time I made whatever I was doing. So all said toss the bad recipe above out and stick with what works well, consistent!!
Mary Dilday
I’m so happy you did this because I secretly want AI to go away! Guess it’s the way of the future but it will never beat personal taste and proven methods from experience. Love your recipes!
Sam
Haha I’m so glad you enjoyed! And I agree with you 100%!
Betty Giles
AI and ChatGPT are such hot topics now. Kudos to you for this article!
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed, Betty! 🙂