This easy recipe yields a dozen of the softest, fluffiest, most deliciously buttery blueberry muffins. Topped with a crunchy cinnamon brown sugar streusel, these rival any bakery muffin, but come together quickly in your own kitchen. They’re prepared with simple ingredients, so you can be biting into a fresh, warm blueberry muffin in under an hour.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.
Muffins are a perennial favorite because they’re quick and easy to make and the flavors are endless (just like scones). Everyone appreciates a fresh batch of muffins and, best of all, muffins double as breakfast and snack. (Or in the case of double chocolate muffins… dessert!)
But when it comes to muffin varieties, blueberry muffins hold the crown. Nothing compares to the classic blueberry muffin, and today I’m showing you exactly how to prepare my very best version.
This is my family’s favorite blueberry muffins recipe, and going by the hundreds of 5-star reviews it’s received, it’s a family favorite for many other home bakers, too!
One reader, Jes, commented: “Best blueberry muffins I have ever had—no bakery or store or restaurant that I’ve ever visited has ever produced a blueberry muffin that could compare to this. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Sara, commented: “Best blueberry muffins I have ever had in my 80 years! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Kathy, commented: “This truly is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. You just can’t go wrong with it. Everyone loves the streusel topping. ★★★★★“
Why Are These Our Favorite Blueberry Muffins?
They’re a texture lover’s dream with a buttery soft crumb, juicy blueberries, and a sweet crunch on top. They’re not as large and dense as my jumbo blueberry muffins and have a little more flavor from the brown sugar and butter.
These muffins stand out from the rest because they’re:
- Buttery and moist
- Soft and cakey, not dense
- Easy to prepare
- Made with EXTRA blueberries (and you can use fresh or frozen)
- Topped with an easy 3-ingredient sweet streusel
Since I first developed this blueberry muffin recipe, I’ve baked dozens of variations—swapping blueberries for apples, peaches, and other fruits. In fact, this blueberry muffin recipe quickly turned into my go-to base muffin recipe, a batter you can turn into infinite muffin flavors. I also have the recipe in my newest cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
How to Make the Best Blueberry Muffins
There are no secret ingredients or complicated steps in this blueberry muffin recipe. You only need a few bowls and a mixer… and a muffin pan, of course!
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Flour, leaveners, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Butter, sugars, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Combine wet & dry, then add milk: You can use any type of milk, dairy or nondairy, or even buttermilk (see Notes).
- Spoon into muffin pan: Fill those liners all the way to the top!
- Add streusel topping: Just brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. See below for suggested alternatives.
- Bake!
That’s it! The sour cream is the magical ingredient because it adds so much moisture and produces the softest blueberry muffins ever. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use yogurt like we do in lemon blueberry muffins. Or you can use buttermilk to replace both the milk and the sour cream.
How to Create the Perfect Tall Muffin Tops
For tall bakery-style domed muffin tops, there are 3 directions to follow closely:
- Make sure your muffin batter is THICK. (This one is!)
- Fill your muffin tins/liners all the way to the top.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at a high temperature, and then lower the temperature while keeping the oven door closed. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is reduced, the centers of the muffins bake. I recommend this in nearly all of my muffin recipes. (These crumb cake muffins are an exception to the rule!)
Have I mentioned what a treat these are with a swipe of homemade honey butter, too? Cinnamon butter is also an amazing pairing with these muffins!
It depends on the recipe. My team and I wouldn’t consider these healthy blueberry muffins because they’re made with butter, flour, and sugar. However, they’re homemade and you know exactly what’s in them, vs. something store-bought. If you are looking for a healthier alternative, you’ll appreciate these blueberry banana muffins, bran muffins, or applesauce muffins.
Absolutely. You can simply omit the nuts, or swap the streusel here for the crumb topping from this recipe for peach streusel muffins. Or skip the streusel topping entirely, and just top the muffins with some coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet crunch that’s also pretty!
Yes! If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before adding to the batter.
You can toss the blueberries with a Tablespoon of flour before you add them to the batter, but it’s not really necessary here because the muffin batter is so thick.
How to Freeze Blueberry Muffins
You can freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Cool completely and then place the muffins in a freezer-friendly container or bag. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator (overnight) or at room temperature on the counter. To warm up, microwave the thawed muffins for about 20 seconds or bake at 300°F (149°C) for 6–10 minutes.
Blueberry Muffin Variations
- Blueberry Muffin Cookies
- Blueberry Muffin Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Blueberry Almond Power Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Breakfast Casserole (so easy!)
- Homemade Bagels & Homemade English Muffins
- Perfect Homemade Quiche
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Scones Recipe
My Best Blueberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These blueberry muffins are buttery, soft, and moist. For that bakery-style goodness, add an easy cinnamon brown sugar topping. This thick muffin batter combined with my initial high oven temperature trick guarantees tall muffin tops. Prepared with basic ingredients and a couple mixing bowls, you’ll appreciate this easy breakfast recipe.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (67g) chopped walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Muffins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use muffin liners. Set aside.
- For the topping: Mix all of the topping ingredients together. Set aside.
- For the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Batter is thick and creamy. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Spoon brown sugar topping on each, gently pressing it down into the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23–25 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Muffin Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Sour cream adds so much moisture. Plain yogurt is a great substitute—I recommend plain Greek yogurt, any fat content. Unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana may also be used.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy. I recommend avoiding nonfat milk, however.
- Can I Use Buttermilk? Yes, you can use buttermilk in this recipe. Use it to replace BOTH the sour cream and milk. Use 3/4 cup (180ml).
- Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw.
- Can I Make the Streusel Without Nuts? Yes! You can simply omit the nuts, or swap the streusel here for the crumb topping from this recipe for peach streusel muffins. Or skip the streusel topping entirely, and just top the muffins with some coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet crunch that’s also pretty!
- Why the initial high oven temperature? As instructed, bake the muffins for 5 minutes at an initial high temperature, then lower it. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up and sets the tall muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes including zucchini muffins, lemon poppy seed muffins, and banana muffins, too.
- Jumbo & Mini Muffins: For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
- Quick Bread: Here is my blueberry muffin bread, which is essentially the same recipe in a loaf pan.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated ingredients should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Excellent recipe! Made 1 gf batch with King Arthur’s Measure for Measure gf flour & turned out perfect! Yum!
I think the muffin DOES NOT NEED the overly sweet topping. The The muffin was fine on its own and needs no embellishment. I will make this again without the topping.
Thanks. Was reading thru reviews to confirm this.
Amazing! I have used lots of blueberry muffin recipes but this is by far the best!!! I used Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream and they still turned out perfect.
I have made these blueberry muffins about four times and each time they were absolutely perfect. I am thinking about doing this recipe with diced apples instead. I Loved them
These are divine! The toasted walnut topping is fabulous! My sister, an excellent baker, said they looked like they came from a bakery, and my mom said, “You MADE these??” All I changed was adding about an extra half cup of Georgia blueberries because I couldn’t help myself!
Hi! Could these be made with plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Janessa, Absolutely. Same amount.
This is the best muffin I ever made. Got a ton of compliments. I used frozen blueberries and extended the initial higher temperature a bit to get the oven spring. Thank you, Sally, for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Muffins were fantastic. Made them with my 4 yr old tonight and she had 2!
It doesn’t taste like a regular muffin. It is cake style which is ok But not a muffin. Not really a fan of this recipe
Hi Vicky, thank you so much for giving these a try. For a denser, bakery-style muffin, you might enjoy these jumbo blueberry muffins instead. You can make them in a jumbo pan or a regular sized muffin pan.
Wow they are amazing! So easy
Blueberry questions
should i cut the berries in half if making them mini muffins?
Hi Julia, no need!
This recipe was easy and made a light, fluffy muffin. But my blueberries sank to the bottom of the muffins. I used frozen blueberries and did not thaw them as per the recipe instructions. I definitely will bake these again but would like a suggestion to prevent the sinking of the berries. Would coating them in flour help prevent sinking?
Hi Kat! Frozen blueberries tend to sink. You can toss them (or fresh blueberries) in 1 Tablespoon of flour before stirring into the batter. That helps keep them lifted in the muffins.
Would it be possible to make this with whole wheat flour? If so, is it the same measurements?
We don’t recommend using all whole wheat flour as the muffins would turn out quite dense. You could try replacing half the flour with whole wheat instead. Would love to hear how they go!
Do yourself a favour and make these muffins straight away! Packed with so much yummyness I used fresh blueberries and they burst in your mouth. ❤️
These are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! Just ate one fresh out of the oven and it’s taking serious willpower not to devour a second! Thanks for the recipe!
i used raspberries because that’s what I had and these muffins turned out so light and fluffy. my husband commented it would be easy to eat two at a time. great muffins.
This is absolutely best blueberry muffin recipe! I’ve made it three times now and each time it comes out great. My husband and some very good friends love them too. I’ve shared your
recipe with them. Otherwise I’d have to make them every week! Ha!
can I add other fruits to this? like strawberries,blackberries.etc??
Yes, absolutely!
These were absolutely delicious! Since Sally says how well blueberries & lemon go together, I added a tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter & it made it even better! Will be making these often!
These truly are the best blueberry muffins ever! Everyone raves when I make them. I’m thankful to have found this recipe. The larger muffin cups helps to keep the streusel topping confined. ❤️
Can you make these gluten free?
Hi Suzanne, we haven’t tested a gluten free version of these muffins, but let us know if you give anything a try.
I made this with 1 less egg and a banana in stead. Also cut de blueberry fine because my kids don’t like the cooked blueberries. They were delicious
Definitely loved the recipe! Husband absolutely enjoyed them
Fantastic muffins. I followed the recipe as is. I used frozen blueberries. The recipe made 12 muffins and I had a little left over that I put in an oven proof Dish and baked as well. The topping really set the blueberry muffins off. You could substitute a thin icing in place of the crumble. The next time I make those I think I’ll add a little lemon juice to brighten them up. However, the are delicious, moist and quite large they way they are. I will be making these again.
Loved this recipe! I used wild blueberries and they are amazing. Made a double batch to have some in my freezer 🙂
These are always the best recipes!!! Thank you!! They were a hit.
Made mini muffins according to instructions and they didn’t dome well. Should I try an initial blast of heat?
Hi Patty, it would be very easy to over-bake mini muffins at such a high temperature.
Can I make these muffins in mini muffin tins? Planning a Fairy party themed event.
Definitely! For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
What would you suggest to stop the Blueberries from sinking to the bottom in the baked Blueberry Muffins? Thanks
Hi Ann, Did you use frozen blueberries? They tend to sink. You can toss them (or fresh blueberries) in 1 Tablespoon of flour before stirring into the batter. That helps keep them lifted in the muffins.
Hello! Was wondering if there was any bake ahead the night before option? If I made the batter and put in the fridge overnight would that work?
Hi Lauran! We do not recommend making muffin batter ahead of time as they may not rise properly when baked.
To save time, you might try mixing the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients ahead of time, but keep them separate. Then all you need to do the next day is mix the ingredients together and bake. I love to do this when planning an event.