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
I tried this recipe once about 6 mo ths ago and they were by far the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever made, if not the nest I’ve ever had. I just made them again tonight and this time the tops had spread into each other on the top of the muffin tin. I think the issue is that I used the Kerry Irish butter instead of regular butter. Maybe the higher fat content messed up the ratios, Sally correct me if I’m wrong there. I just wanted to post this to warn others against using the “fancy” butter, I thought it would make these better but it actually kind of ruined them! But this recipe is amazing if you stick to normal butter!!
Hi Malynda, we would guess the same—the Irish butter is likely the culprit! We’re glad you enjoyed the muffins first time around!
Perfect light fluffy muffins,I’m making today for the second time,I did add 1/4 tea spoon nutmeg and 1 tea spoon cinnamon to batter.
Sally!!! These muffins are delicious! Your recipes never disappoint:)))
Per usual your recipe for BB Muffins is as fabulous as all of your recipes are ! You are slowly becoming my “go to” for baking !!
I would love to try this recipe but I don’t own a mixer – can I whisk by hand instead?
Hi Sarah, This recipe calls for softened butter which needs to be creamed with the sugar. It would take a lot of arm muscle to cream them together by hand! This recipe for blueberry oatmeal muffins does not require a mixer if you would like to try that instead.
This recipe is a keeper! My teenage son (16) ate 3 and I’m guessing they’re not going to last long once his friend comes over. Thank you! We love these!
These were delicious and sky high! Definitely my new go-to recipe. My only qualms are that my batter only made 12 when filled to the top and also the recipe for the crumb topping was waaayyyy too much. I ended up throwing out most of it after spooning it over the top. I omitted the nuts, so maybe that was why, but maybe not. Next time I’ll cut that in half and also only plan for 12 or underfill a bit.
I overcooked the muffins a little because I forgot to lower the temp from 425° to 350°, but they turned out phenomenal!! Definitely do the streusel topping, plus add a small sprinkle of granulated sugar on top. These are delicious!
Luv your muffin recipes – how would you adapt to turn into muffin tops ?
Hi Larry, It would likely work to make just the muffin tops but we have never tried it so we are unsure of the bake time they would need. Let us know if you give it a try!
Best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had! Will be keeping this recipe as I do with many of Sally’s recipes ❤️
Followed the recipe to the letter and thought that the mix looked very wet. Still trusted the recipe and went ahead. Ended up with really disappointing muffins that rose in the oven but collapsed eventually. These were meant to be used for a charity bake and I don’t think I can offer them up.
Hi S, we’re so sorry you had troubles with these muffins. When muffins collapse like that, it usually means that they have been underbaked. If you wish to try again, extending the bake time by a few minutes should help.
My family loves these muffins! Now they want more! Can I make a double batch, or should I do them separately?
We’re so happy to hear that! For best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling.
I have tried too many blueberry muffin recipes to count! The search is over! These muffins were by far the best. Thank you for sharing this. Mine were done in 18 minutes.
With a big heat wave we were about to lose a bunch of blueberries on our bush, so I “had” to make muffins. These are terrific, and not difficult. My house smells divine.
Best muffin recipe ever. They are absolutely perfect!
Best muffins EVER!!!!! Everybody goes nuts over these fabulous blueberry muffins! Thank you, Sally!
Perfectly fluffy and flavorful bakery style muffins! The key is baking them for the first part at 425 and then dropping the temp. If you are looking for the hack that gives you huge bakery style muffins, this is it! Do not be afraid to fill the muffin cups to the top! I added lemon zest and cinnamon to the batter. Will use this as a base recipe for other flavors and substitute the blueberries with other fillings.
Sally’s recipes are so easy to make and come out perfectly. These muffins are no exception. Everyone loves the topping.
Can I make this recipe without the topping? If so, would it be the same baking time and temperature?
Absolutely. Same baking time and temperature, just omit the topping.
I felt inclined to make blueberry muffins one morning and I was lucky enough to find this recipe. These are delicious! I don’t have any nuts so I substituted oats in the topping. Worked like a charm. Recipes on this site never disappoint!
When baking muffins, why do you start at a high temperature like 400 degrees and then decrease it to 350 degrees to finish the bake? What is the purpose?
Hi Thinh, the initial high burst of heat helps give the muffins an initial boost so that they can rise high. But you only want that high burst of heat for a few minutes, then reduce the temperature as stated to complete the baking.
The blueberries all sank to bottom making it every watery and not very edible. Tasted nice otherwise. But not suitable for gifting as intended! Perhaps need to toss them in flour first
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.
This recipe works. Just be sure your baking powder is not old and that cold items are indeed at room temperature. I also used a low calorie sugar substitute to help reduce calories. The only reason I didn’t give this recipe 5 stars is because there is no nutritional information about it.
Hi Suzette, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 Glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Wonderful recipe and super delicious muffins!! My father in law did they were the best muffins he’d ever had and that I shoul “open a muffin restaurant” 🙂 High praise from a person who loves baked goods! Thanks, Sally, for another fabulous recipe!
**said they were
** should open
Sorry for the typos!
I’m normally not a muffin lover . I like cupcakes better. I was surprised how much I like these muffins.very good recipe
I put everything to room temperature as instructed and the muffins spread all over my oven. Not a good recipe…
Hi Cynthia, I’m so sorry to hear that! Happy to help troubleshoot. Could there just be too much batter in each muffin cup? This recipe yields 12-14, so try spreading it out to 14 next time.
Finally found my recipe amazing this is a keeper for sure my go to recipe blows the other ones away great job thanks.
Best muffins ever! It’s so different than any other!
Best muffin ever!! So unlike any I have made! Worthy off my home grown blueberries! Thank you!!
Loved this recipe! I added semi-sweet chocolate chips to it and it’s just amazing! I also opted for the buttermilk option instead of using milk and sour cream. My husband ate 9 in one sitting LOL. Definetly will be making again
What a great recipe! I had no all purpose flour so I used almond flour, wasn’t holding out much hope for a rise, but they are amazing! I used 1 cup almond and the rest in self raising flour, all other ingredients the same