Blueberry Muffins
These tender blueberry muffins are made with pantry basics, a little melted butter, and plenty of berries. They are simple enough for a weekday bake and sturdy enough to pack for breakfast or snacks.
Total
37 min
Servings
12 muffins
Level
Easy
Blueberry muffins are the kind of baking project that feels generous without asking much from you. The batter comes together by hand, so there is no mixer to pull out and no butter to soften ahead of time.
This recipe uses the muffin method: mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, then combine them gently. A few lumps are fine. In fact, overmixing is the main reason muffins turn tough.
Fresh blueberries are lovely here, but frozen berries work too. Keep them frozen until the moment you fold them in, and expect the batter to streak a little purple.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
12 items · 12 muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for coating the blueberries
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature if possible
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, optional
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Coarse sugar or extra granulated sugar, for topping, optional
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease the cups well with butter or cooking spray.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Whisking spreads the baking powder evenly, which helps the muffins rise.
3. Mix the wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, yogurt or sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, if using, until smooth. The butter should be warm, not hot, so it does not scramble the eggs.
4. Coat the blueberries
Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss them with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. This light coating helps keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
5. Combine the batter
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula just until most of the flour is moistened. The batter should look thick and a little lumpy.
6. Fold in the berries
Add the blueberries and gently fold them through the batter. To fold, slide the spatula down the side of the bowl and lift the batter over the berries. Stop as soon as the berries are evenly spread.
7. Fill the muffin tin
Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups, filling each one nearly to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar or a small pinch of granulated sugar if you want a lightly crisp top.
8. Bake the muffins
Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If you hit a blueberry, test a second spot.
9. Cool before serving
Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Serve warm, or cool completely before storing.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: Mix the dry ingredients the night before and store them covered at room temperature. Mix the wet ingredients separately and refrigerate them. Combine and bake in the morning.
- Storage: Keep cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Add a paper towel to the container to absorb extra moisture.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled muffins in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or warm from frozen in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- Fresh or frozen berries: Frozen blueberries do not need to be thawed. Fold them in straight from the freezer to reduce purple streaks in the batter.
- Dairy swaps: Sour cream and plain Greek yogurt both work well. For a lighter texture, use whole milk if you have it, but 2% milk is fine.
- Flavor swaps: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients, or replace the lemon zest with orange zest. You can also use half blueberries and half raspberries.
Cook's note
For tall muffin tops, fill the cups close to the rim and bake the batter right after mixing. Letting the batter sit too long can weaken the rise, especially once the baking powder is wet.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
Can I use frozen blueberries in blueberry muffins?
Yes. Use them straight from the freezer and fold them in gently. The batter may turn slightly purple, but the muffins will still bake well.
Why are my muffins tough?
The batter was probably mixed too much. Once the wet and dry ingredients meet, stir only until the flour disappears. A lumpy batter is normal for muffins.
How do I know when blueberry muffins are done?
The tops should be lightly golden and spring back when touched. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Can I make these muffins without yogurt or sour cream?
Yes. Replace the yogurt or sour cream with the same amount of milk, but the muffins may be a little less tender. If you have buttermilk, it is a good substitute.
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the sugar to 2/3 cup. The muffins will be less sweet and may brown a little less, but the recipe will still work.
05Keep cooking
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