The Best Blueberry Muffins

A reliable recipe for classic homemade lemon blueberry muffins, with do-ahead options, plus tips + tricks for success.

Blueberry muffins are a classic bake, timeless and nostalgic. One bite brings us back to childhood and a slow Sunday morning around the brunch table or an after-school snack.

Today’s recipe is one worth passing down to the next generation. It delivers on every aspect that’s required to claim the best blueberry muffins: tender crumb, balanced sweetness/tang, lofty tall tops, and heaps of fruit.

I’ve also included tried and tested tips for you, the home baker, to achieve maximum success. Try these muffins once, and you’ll be a fan for life!

100 Morning Treats Cookbook

Here’s the recipe inspiration! The cookbook collector in me was thrilled to receive a copy of 100 Morning Treats, a new release from the supremely talented Sarah Kieffer.

You know her from The Vanilla Bean Blog and multiple cookbooks; we’ve loved her Triple Berry Scones for years now, here on Simple Bites.

Sarah has such a great way of explaining baking techniques. She takes a recipe that might feel intimidating and makes it approachable for the home baker.

100 Morning Treats is a practical cookbook to keep forever and pass down to your children! I know I’ll be baking from it for years to come. I will attempt Cruffins one day, not to mention the Pumpkin Caramel Monkey Bread.

This spring, however, it’s all about these blueberry muffins. I’ve made them four times in the past week!

I’ve packed them into the kid’s lunchboxes, delivered a batch to friends, and served them warm for a sunny backyard brunch. These best blueberry muffins are our new favourite baking project.

Tips for the Best Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Sarah made some bold claims with this muffin recipe (and throughout the cookbook!) While I do trust her as a baker, I like to put things to the test in the Simple Bites kitchen. Read on for the results.

Psst! For even more solid baking advice review 10 Tips to Making the Best Muffins Ever.

True or False: Almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light.

This was true! I love the addition of almond flour in these muffins and the beautiful crumb it produced. It’s a flavour that pairs so well with lemon and blueberry, I was tempted to swap out almond extract for vanilla. Next time.

True or False: Muffins rise better when every other muffin tin cavity is filled.

This was true! And it makes perfect sense, because that hot air can circulate more easily resulting in an even bake.

However, the look of the muffin isn’t super important to me. I’d rather fill the tin and bake everything in one shot. You still get a super delicious, absolutely perfect muffin when you fill every muffin cup.

Pro Tip: If you decide to bake the muffins in two 12-cup muffin tins, only grease every other cup.

Chef’s Tip: Use Fresh or Frozen Berries

Frozen berries work just as well as fresh in this recipe, making it a year-round breakfast treat. Of course, if fresh berries are in season, or even better, you’ve managed to forage them yourself, bake them into these muffins for the ultimate summer treat. (Closely followed by my Wild Blueberry Slab Cheesecake, of course)

The muffins of my youth featured fat locally grown blueberries or wild saskatoon berries, as we lived in the Yukon. Now that I call Nova Scotia home, my berry of choice is our wild blueberry.

I buy them frozen by the kilo when they are not in season. They are small and sweet, and contribute to making these the best blueberry muffins.

Do-Ahead Tips for Blueberry Muffins

True or False: The prepared muffin batter can be refrigerated for 24 hours.

This was true! And what a helpful baker’s tip to add to my knowledge. I love a do-ahead tip when possible, especially for breakfast and brunch baking.

I noticed NO difference between the muffins that were mixed up ahead of time and a fresh batch. Genius!

Chef’s Tip for adding Berries

If you’re working with frozen blueberries, as I was, I do recommend only adding the berries just before baking. This worked well for me.

This recipe also works with raspberries or blackberries, though you will need to increase the baking time by 2-4 minutes.

Bake and Reheat

For a truly effortless morning treat, bake the muffins in advance, then cool completely. Pack up in an airtight container or resealable bag and freeze. Muffins can keep in the freezer for up to 6 week.

Thaw on the counter and reheat in a low oven until warm throughout. The blueberries keep the muffins moist and you’ll find they are just as good as freshly baked.

RECIPE: The Best Blueberry Muffins

As far as muffin recipes go, this one is slightly more complicated. Butter AND oil. Sour cream AND buttermilk. But trust the process, because it all works very well.

The Best Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from Blueberry Muffins in 100 Morning Treats cookbook.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bakery
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vegetarian
Essential Ingredient: Blueberries
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 343kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  • Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter a standard twelve-cup muffin tin, including the top.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Zest a lemon over the top of the bowl, aiming for about a teaspoon of zest. Whisk in the buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour in the melted butter and oil and whisk until creamy and smooth.
    2 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/3 cup canola oil
  • Use a large silicone spatula to scrape the wet ingredients into the dry. Gently fold the two together to make the batter; don't worry if there are a few lumps. Fold in the blueberries until just barely mixed.
    2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups, dividing the batter evenly among all 12. They will be full and heaping.
  • Mix together the sugar and nutmeg topping. Sprinkle on top of the muffins.
    1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Place the muffin pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 18-23 minutes, rotating once, after 10 minutes. Ovens many vary in their temperatures, so look for the edges to be light golden and the muffins properly puffed in the center. You can do a toothpick test; it should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs.
  • Cool the muffins in the tin on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Gently loosen around the edges and carefully ease each muffin out. Cool for a few more minutes, then serve warm

Notes

I use frozen wild blueberries when local berries are not in season.

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg

Got loads of fresh blueberries? Try these recipes:

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    thank you for sharing this and glad you confirmed the test re: almond flour, I also love lemon flavor so these work very well for me!

  2. What flour would you recommend for replacing the almond (maybe spelt or more all purpose) since there’s a nut allergy in our house?

  3. 5 stars
    Delicious! Moist and just the right level of sweet. I used coconut flour in place of the almond flour. I made these with my four year old and somehow ended up with 17 muffins, but I’m not complaining.