Soft and fluffy muffins with hints of vanilla packed full of sweet plump blueberries and slightly sugared tops, these are the BEST blueberry muffins, and they’re made completely from scratch!
Today’s post is packed full of tips for getting the fluffiest muffins with bakery-style tops, and even includes a video of how I make these muffins in my own kitchen (see video at the bottom of the post just below the recipe).
“I need a recipe for a good blueberry muffin”.
Can I start by saying how much I love it when I get recipe requests?
The request has come to me through e-mail, through the comments section, from social media, and from the mouths of family members, and today I am happy to oblige (plus it’s a great way to continue my blueberry recipe streak… have you tried my blueberry cobbler yet?!).
Over a year and a half ago I developed the perfect (in my opinion, anyway, though many of you have agreed in the comments!) muffin recipe base and I shared that on the blog in the form of my chocolate chip muffins.
Since then, that recipe has received rave reviews and I’ve adapted the recipe for my banana muffins, which are probably the most popular on my whole blog.
So, if today’s blueberry muffin recipe sounds a little familiar to you, that’s because the basic foundation of it, as well as much of the technique, comes from my previous muffin recipes. It’s a solid, tested, and proven (over and over again) recipe, so I think you’ll love it just as much with today’s blueberry muffins.
If you haven’t tried those recipes before, I’ll cover the most important tips and tricks below. Plus, I’ve included a video just below the recipe showing exactly how I make these in my own kitchen.
Why I Bake My Muffins on 2 Different Temperatures
As with my other muffin recipes, I start by baking my blueberry muffins on a high temperature (425F) and then drop the temperature (to 350F) halfway through baking. It is very important that you do not open the oven door when you drop the temperature, as opening the door allows a lot of heat to escape (hopefully you’re better than I am about remembering this part!).
Starting your muffin batter off on a higher temperature allows the muffin batter to begin to rise and then dropping the temperature allows the interiors of your muffins to finish cooking without drying out, keeping the centers nice, soft, and fluffy.
Can I use Frozen Blueberries to Make Blueberry Muffins?
Yes! This recipe works well with 1 ½ cups of either fresh or frozen blueberries! If you do use frozen berries you should add them to the batter while they are still frozen — no need to thaw.
One word of caution: I’ve found that using “wild” frozen blueberries can cause bright purple streaks in your muffin batter! If your batter ends up vibrantly streaked, your muffins will still taste just as good, the color will just be a little different!
Anyway, how is your Monday going so far?
How to Make Blueberry Muffins
Please see below the recipe for a video on how I make these Blueberry Muffins at home! If you enjoy watching these videos, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel!
The Best Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted (57g)
- ¼ cup canola oil may substitute vegetable oil (60ml)
- 1 cup sugar 200g (granulated sugar)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg white room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature preferred -- please see note for buttermilk substitute (120ml)
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (220g)
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch (cornflour UK)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup blueberries (210g) I use frozen -- if you use frozen "wild" blueberries the color will bleed and you'll have purple-swirled muffins. Not a bad thing, just a heads up! 😉
- additional coarse sugar (or regular granulated) for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Combine the melted butter and canola oil in a large bowl. Stir well.
- Add sugar and stir to combine.
- Add egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Stir very well, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add buttermilk and stir again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet, taking care not to over-mix. Once about half of the dry ingredients have been combined, add in blueberries and continue to fold in to batter until just combined.
- Cover bowl with a dry towel and allow batter to rest for 15 minutes**
- Preheat oven to 425F (215C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners.
- Once oven has preheated, portion batter into prepared tin, filling each liner at least ¾ of the way full.
- Sprinkle tops generously with sugar and place muffin tin in preheated oven.
- Bake on 425F (215C) for 8 minutes and then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350 (175C) and bake another 12 minutes, or until tops are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published 02/15/2017
Pam
How would I turn these into lemon blueberry muffins? Just add lemon zest? Thanks and btw all your recipes that I have made have turned out perfect! (Especially the chocolate bundt cake!)
Sam
Hi Pam! You could just add some lemon zest to them. 🙂
Yamit
Hey
Can these be made with fresh blueberries and how would you suggest to do that?
As always, 🙏
Sam
Absolutely, you would just make as instructed 🙂
Karen
Can I substitute or omit the corn starch in this recipe?
Sam
Hi Karen! You can replace it with a little extra flour. 🙂
Karen
Thank you. Will that make a big difference in the finished product, by replacing flour for corn starch?
Sam
The corn starch helps make them tender and fluffy so you may lose a little bit of that, but they’ll still be delicious. 🙂
Faith
These muffins were great! I did use wild frozen blueberries, and I was expecting lots of purple streaks but was definitely not expecting the entire muffin to turn lilac! I’m not sure what I did, but they are gorgeous. I also forgot to let them rest, but I think they still turned out alright. I love the crust the sanding sugar forms on top. I do have a couple questions, though: do they freeze well? And how would you thaw them? My mom has been on a diet and it lasts another week, she asked me to save her a few for when it ends. Will I have to make another batch later, or can I save these?
And another question: I am pretty sure my oven is running low, everything I’ve made recently has needed several extra minutes. These muffins took closer to 40 minutes than 20 to bake. Do you have a recommendation for an oven thermometer?
Sam
Hi Faith! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins! I’ve never had the whole muffin turn purple but I’m glad they were beautiful! Yes these freeze well, I have thawed overnight on the counter in an airtight container and I have just heated them in the microwave from frozen, both work well. I recommend enjoying the muffins within 3 days of preparing, if not frozen. I definitely would recommend this oven thermometer that I use!
Bruce
If you use 1 1/2 cups well drained crushed pineapple in place of the blueberries, you can get decent pineapple muffins. The batter is very liquid, so they don’t turn out nearly as good as the blueberry muffins, but they aren’t bad. Maybe Sam will take the hint and develop a pineapple muffin that is up to her standards, using this as a starting point.
Sam
I will definitely put it on my list. 🙂
Jennifer Chesser
Can this recipe be used for blueberry bread?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jennifer! The baking time will be different of course, but it should work well. Enjoy! 🙂
Bruce
I just made my second batch of these totally addictive muffins. This time I tried them without the resting time, and I have to say that I don’t see any appreciable difference in their height. So, I’ll be skipping that step the MANY times I’ll make these in the future. It’s wonderful that we live in a time when fresh blueberries are available all year!
Sam, have you been introduced to Buttery Sweet Dough Bakery Emulsion, from the Lorann Oils company in Michigan? It is a wonderful flavoring that has a mild citrus taste. I used it in these muffins last week. Since lemon and blueberry are a great flavor combination, it adds another dimension to these great muffins. You might want to try it sometime. I want to stress, though, that this additional flavor is in no way needed. These muffins are amazing with vanilla extract.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins so much! I actually do have that emulsion. I like using it but I try not to use it because not many people have it. 🙂
Bruce
I might keep leaving comments on these! I wish there were a way to keep the berries away from the tops, because wherever the top doesn’t have a berry showing, it develops a very slight crust, which makes the tops a little like cookies, making two treats in one! I could sit and eat the whole batch while they’re still warm.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Bruce
These are in the oven now. Unfortunately, it only made 11 1/2 muffins, so I’ll have to eat that 1/2 muffin as soon as it has cooled enough! I used to go to America’s Test Kitchen for muffin recipes, but yours are so easy and tasty that I have switched. I make muffins every Sunday night, and freeze them for my breakfasts for the week. They are just as good on Friday as they are on Monday. I think I’ll make your strawberry muffins next week, because they sound so good. I am staying with ATK’s “better bran muffins”, just because they are so good, but all the other kinds come from your recipes.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins so much, Bruce! 🙂
Bhumika
Hi can I make a cake 8 or 9 inch with this recipe
Sam
Hmmm I haven’t tried it. It may work. If you do try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Mary
Just made Blueberry Muffins and they are a hit!!!!!
Thank you Sam for amazing recipes with videos and easy to follow instructions 😋
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Mary! 🙂
Mimi
Can I use low-fat buttermilk for the blueberry muffins?
Sam
That should work fine. You may lose a little bit of moisture.
Mimi
Thanks for your reply Sam! Made both the Blueberry muffins & Banana muffins & they were both Amazing! I absolutely love all your recipes!!
Thanks again! 😊
Sam
You’re so welcome! Thank you so much for trying my recipes! <3
Courtney
These were awesome! Nice and fluffy, moist, but not goopy on the inside like some blueberry muffins. I used frozen wild blueberries. 🙂 I also didn’t read the recipe correctly (I was making the chocolate chip ones at the same time) and only made 10 in jumbo liners instead of 12 normal sized muffins. They still worked really well though! Definitely my new go-to blueberry muffins ^.^
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Courtney! 🙂
Kailey
BEST blueberry muffins we’ve ever had! Frozen wild blueberries were perfect in this recipe because they are small (we don’t like large blueberries in muffins). Don’t be surprised if the batter is very stiff after mixing in frozen blueberries and letting it sit for 15 minutes! I thought I had made a mistake, but then realized the blueberries had chilled the batter tremendously.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Kailey! 🙂
Kris Marie
You absolutely nailed it! Love small, little frozen blueberries instead of the large fresh ones and yes the batter did stiffen but they are baking now, cannot wait to try them! Great reviews and comments!
Sam
Thank you so much, Kris! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Ellie Fork
Hi Sam,
I was wondering if I could make the batter the night before and bake the muffins the next morning?
Sam
Hi Ellie! I haven’t tried it but I think if you cover the batter it will work just fine. 🙂
Bruce
I’m guessing they won’t rise nearly as high, since so much of the baking powder will be activated, but they’ll probably be OK otherwise.