Berry Best Blueberry Muffin Recipe That You’ll Love
It’s blueberry season! Have you been searching for the perfect blueberry muffins recipe? Today I am going to share the berry best blueberry muffin recipe that you’ll love.
Summer is blueberry loving time
Summer offers an abundance of so many yummy fruits and veggies. In Northern Michigan, buying farm-fresh juicy blueberries is the best. I am always anxious to make homemade blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, and more.
Bakery-style blueberry muffins
Fresh blueberries have always been one of my favorite fruits (behind apricots, which are my very fave due to the apricot tree in the backyard of the house I grew up in). When my kids were growing up, I used to regularly make homemade bread and muffins. Muffins were my thing back then. I would make a few different kinds, and everyone had their favorites.
This recipe originally came from an old book about muffin recipes, but over the years, I have tweaked it. I always do that to recipes. Don’t ever be afraid to start with a good recipe, and then make it a great recipe by changing it to your taste. It’s always best to trust your own tastebuds.
I have been making this easy blueberry muffin recipe for over 3 decades, and I hope you will love it as much as I do. I’ll share with you the step by step, and offer a few ways that you can tweak it to your liking as well. It has been a family favorite, and will always remain as my best blueberry muffin recipe of all time!
Let’s talk about the berries
For this recipe, I always start with frozen blueberries. Not blueberries that I have purchased frozen, but fresh to me blueberries, then I freeze in a plastic bag. In fact, I purposely buy more fresh berries than I typically need, knowing I will wash and toss them into freezer bags so I can make muffins or pancakes on demand.
I love the big, fat, Michigan blueberries for this recipe. I do not use the wild blueberries, which are mostly found in Maine. Although they are delicious, they are smaller than the normal ones that you will typically find.
Blueberry memories
But let me share a quick memory about wild blueberries. Back when I was pregnant with my baby girl, who was born in 1992 so this must have been the fall of 1991, we took a trip to Maine. Leaf peeping and all those fun autumn activities in the upper Eastern states, we stayed in a bed and breakfast in Kennebunkport.
The Sunday morning we were there, we were served the best French toast I have ever had in my life. It had been soaked overnight in a custard, grilled to perfection, with a hint of lemon zest, and topped with wild blueberries and served with fresh Maple syrup from neighboring Vermont.
As long as I live, I will never forget that French toast. I have never been able to recreate it (another thing I like to try to do when knowing the key ingredients). It will remain the best blueberry thing I have ever had.
Okay, back to the homemade muffin. So I start with frozen blueberries, always.
At the peek of blueberry season, many grocery stores will offer a large flat of blueberries at a reduced price. Always buy those when you can, so you can freeze the fruit for future use. Off season, a tiny package of blueberries can be very expensive.
Blueberry muffin size matters
When I make muffins, I always use the standard cupcake size muffin tins. I find this size is the best muffin pan for a moist muffin, as it is not too big where you could get dry edges and a doughy center, if your bake time is not monitored correctly.
I also never make this in mini muffins, due to the size of the blueberries. Save that mini muffin tin size for your tiny chocolate chip ones.
Along with the right size, I do not use paper liners. I prefer the slight crispiness of the bottom of the muffins when they are baked directly in the muffin pans. I generously grease the pans with room temperature butter and sprinkle with a little flour, tamping off excess. You can also use a non-stick food spray if you desire. But no one ever hated the taste of extra butter, am I right?
Gathering all you need for blueberry muffins
Once you have the blueberries, I would guess that most people have the additional needed items on hand. This is a very simple, yet delicious, recipe and can be made very quickly while hungry tummies wait for the bounty.
The wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, cream together a stick of butter (1/2 cup) at room temperature, with 1 cup of granulated sugar. Beat it until these are light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure each is well incorporated. Next, you will add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Are you one of those, like me, that eyeballs this or uses the cap of the vanilla bottle? Obviously, a measuring spoon isn’t always necessary, but do what you like to do. However, I do always accurately measure out the baking powder, since that enables the batter to rise. Add 2 teaspoons, along with a generous pinch of kosher salt.
Grab a handful of the frozen blueberries (about 1/2 cup) and place in a baggie. Smash the frozen blueberries and add all the bits to the batter. The rest will be added whole later.
The dry ingredients
The dry ingredients consist only of flour. How easy is that? I always use an unbleached all-purpose flour, but I did make this recipe once for my Dad (who was a health food nut his whole life, guess that’s why he is turning 93 next month).
I ground whole wheat flour in my flour mill, which I had during my bread making days, and he loved it! And I also used turbinado sugar for him because he wasn’t a fan of white sugar. But for us, I use the regular stuff. But feel free to modify as you need to for your own dietary needs and desires.
When adding the flour, you alternate it with some milk. So I add 1 cup of flour and mix it in, then add half of the milk, and then repeat that process once again. See the recipe below to make sure you are counting all the measurements correctly and I am not confusing you with all this storytelling!
Regarding the milk, I have never used anything other than regular milk. If you are used to baking with coconut milk or almond milk or something like that, with success, then try that out if you like. It shouldn’t change the texture of the muffin much, but may tweak the flavor.
Finishing off the fluffiest muffins
Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stir in the remaining cups of frozen blueberries. Fold them in carefully.
Use an ice cream scoop with a release button to fill the greased muffin tins for uniformity . You can also use a medium measuring cup and rubber spatula if you don’t have a big scoop. This will make about 12 muffins. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. I don’t always do this, but when I do I love it and always want to remember to do it more often. It adds a sweet crunch to the top.
These will be baked in a preheated oven set at 375 degrees. Know your oven, and adjust the temperature if needed. Some ovens will bake too hot, or not hot enough, so keep that in mind. I know that the back of my oven cooks a bit hotter and browns things quicker, so I always know to rotate mid-baking.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking on the muffins the last 10 minutes, every so often, so you don’t overcook them if your oven temp runs hot. Make sure to note for next time, if you need to adjust the baking time for your oven. With my oven, I go the full 30 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool inside the tin for at least 20 minutes after removing them from the oven. Resisting them while they cool is probably the hardest part, as these are very yummy blueberry muffins to make, and I always want to eat one quickly.
Before releasing the muffins from their tins, run a knife edge under any spots where the berries have exploded over. This will allow an easy release and keep that gooey area from tearing the side of the muffin as they come out.
The muffins are so yummy simply by themselves. But if you are feeling it, serve with softened butter.
Variations as desired
I am a purist, so I tend to not mess with perfection, but I have added several tablespoons of lemon zest and some juice (reducing the milk a bit) before to make these into lemon blueberry muffins.
You can even mix berries. I have made them with 1 cup of blueberries, and 1 cup of blackberries (both frozen) and they are equally delicious.
If you like nutmeg or cinnamon, you can mix a bit in with the coarse sugar and sprinkle that on top for a bit of zing. However, with the tops left plain, they are classic and delicious!
Recipe card
Berry Best Blueberry Muffins
Moist and delicious blueberry muffins that are easy to make for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 heaping cups of frozen blueberries
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- coarse confectioners sugar for garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Use convection bake, if you have that setting.
Grease a 12-muffin tin pan with butter. Sprinkle with a little flour and tamp off excess. You can also use a non-stick spray, if desired.
In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
Smash at least a 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries in a baggie with a meat tenderizer. Add blueberry bits to batter.
Fold in half of the flour into the batter. Add half of the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
Carefully fold in the rest of the frozen blueberries into the batter.
Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until muffins are golden brown. Allow muffins to cool inside the tins for about 20 minutes.
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Other family favorites
My other favorite thing I love to bake from the past is my Zucchini and Cream Cheese Cake that I have shared before. It is my sons favorite, and he still requests it after all these years. He also loves my Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins, which I will have to share that recipe soon. You will love it! If muffins are your thing too, stay tuned!
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Omgeeee, did you try it? It’s sooooo yummy!
That BB recipe may be the best ever!
Hahaha, thanks! You know, it’s important to match your nails to your kitchen decor (wink, wink)!
These sound amazing! I’m pinning it for later! I also love the blue bowl and how perfectly it matches your nails!😊