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
These are the BEST muffins. The family agrees. I’ve had to make these twice this week.
These were amazing and so light! The perfect Corona Virus blueberry muffin treat!
I used 2 tsp baking powder and no baking soda they turned out perfect. Awesome recipe, whole family loved it definitely recommend.
I subbed in bob’s gluten free flour and it worked perfect. I also subbed half cup of mashed banana instead of yogurt which also worked perfect. I decided to add in some cinnamon into the batter cause i love cinnamon. And next time i will add more. I used coconut sugar instead of white sugar, but i believe you must keep in the brown sugar just cause of the chewiness. This recipe is amazing and very versatile! I cant wait to try more of your recipes!
Best muffin recipe ever!
Wonderful muffins! Very light and moist. I used low sugar greek yogurt instead of sour cream and almond milk instead on regular milk because those are what I had on hand.
Can u use gluten free flour? I can’t eat anything with gluten. Thanks.
Hi Lauri, I haven’t tested these with gluten free flour but let me know if you do!
I have made these twice now with Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 gluten free flour and they are perfection!!!! You would never know they are g-free. Light, fluffy, and delicious! They still puffed up and everything! I was out of plain blueberries today, so I did a mixed berry instead- even better!! Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, oh my! I also don’t have pecans or walnuts, so I’ve been using chopped cashews.
I used3/4 c almond flour and 1 cup king Arthur’s one to one GF flour with geek yogurt and they were just as good as the original.
I’m going to try using gluten free flour and will let u know how they come out
Made these this morning and used frozen blueberries so had to add 7 more minutes to the baking time for the middles to fully bake. I found with 1 tsp of baking soda that I could really taste the soda in the finished product. I would use less soda next time.
Amazing recipe will definately be making these again very soon!
I think these are the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had. We recently picked large fresh blueberries and their flavor explodes in your mouth! We added some butter to the crumble to make them extra yummy. It will be our go to recipe from now on.
Made these this morning and best blueberry muffin I’ve eaten, my husband agrees . Do you have any caloric information on how many calories per serving ? There isn’t any in this recipe or in your blueberry cake listed . I made the large muffins .
Thank you
Hi Debbie, I’m so happy you both enjoyed them! I’m unsure of the nutritional info of this recipe, but there are many great online calculators like this one: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
I made these this morning. My family said lightest best muffins ever. I’ll make them often.
Perfection every time!
My kids loved it!
These are THE best blueberry muffins ever! I never do the topping just because they are amazing on their own!! Everyone who eats them gives them rave reviews! Honesty, I wish I could just eat the batter right away and not even have to wait until they are done!! It’s just sooo good!! It’s a treat just to like the beaters!! Personally, I’ve tried making them with yogurt and the sour cream and in a pinch cream cheese! I found the sour cream and cream cheese imparted better flavor…sweeter maybe? I can’t quite put my finger on the difference in taste, but I like it better with the sour cream/cream cheese! Sally, I wanted to know if this recipe is in any of your cookbooks? I’ve been following your blog for years and you are my go to for dessert recipes…yours are absolutely the best!! I have been wanting to buy one of your cookbooks for years now and I NEED the one that has this recipe!! Also congrats on your latest pregnancy, Noelle is going to be an incredible big sister!! 🙂 I have two daughters (3.5 and almost 2) and due with my son in May! I love baking your goodies with my girls and I can’t wait bake with all my babies using your recipes!! <3
Gina, thank you so much for all the kind words! I’m so glad you love these blueberry muffins as much as I do. They’re my go-to for the classic. This recipe isn’t available in my cookbooks– just exclusive to my website. 🙂 Congrats on your pregnancy, too! Wishing you all the best.
The best I’ve ever had, thanks Sally, once again you have given us all an amazing recipe.
Can I use raspberries instead of the blueberries for next time??
Best wishes Dawn x
I’m so happy you enjoyed the muffins, Dawn. You can use raspberries next time – enjoy!
These were delicious! I used a frozen berry mix and they turned out fantastic
I come from a long line of amazing Bakers, I love being in the kitchen.. read this recipe and decided to try it.. “Wonderful”. Didn’t change a thing, used vanilla yogurt ( its what I had) they are a big hit. I have made them now pretty much weekly.. family loves them.. Great recipe.!
Funny..I just got done having enjoying ” tHe bESt ” blueberry muffin I’ve ever made!! And I’ve made a few!! My search is officially over….this will be my go to from now on!!
I made them with milk, but since I will be making these again..I will freeze the buttermilk and try they them that way! I was concerned with the sour cream AND buttermilk it would be too sour!! Thank you so much!!!
Hi Sally – regarding your comments on the healthiness if this delicious-looking muffin, do you think any of the plain all-purpose flour could be substituted with white whole wheat flour to increase the fiber content?
Absolutely! In fact, I love subbing most of the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour. No taste difference. You only start to get a different taste and texture when using whole wheat flour.
Made these for a political community meeting. They were really delicious. I filled the muffin tins to the top and then put the streusel on top & they came out perfectly. I used fresh blueberries. I recommend this recipe.
I’m looking to make these and have a questions. In most recipes I’ve used it always says to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until combined and to not overmix because it can cause them to be tough. I was just wondering because your recipe suggests beating them in with the mixer. I just want them to turn out great. Help?
Hi Deren, You can certainly mix by hand if you wish. I use the mixer on low speed, and add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients just until they are incorporated being carful not to over mix.
Thanks! That’s what I did. In all the steps I managed to forget to add the milk. I was so stressed that they would be awful but they still managed to turn out great if not slightly dry. Thanks
I made the blueberry muffins this morning and they are delicious. I used 8 jumbo muffin liners and filled them 3/4 to the top but they still overflew a little and some of the batter seeped through the topping.
Do you know why? Thanks.
Hi Sarah! Did you follow the batter precisely? When muffin batter is too thin, it will over-flow. This batter should be on the thicker side. Regardless, I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I have made these three times and everyone loves them. Best muffin recipe ever. The second time I made them with blood plum instead of blueberries and third time I added some coconut too. So yummy and versatile!
Made these for the first time this morning. My family of picky muffin connoisseurs said these are their new favorite muffins. Used Fage sour cream and vanilla bean paste – delish. Thanks for a great recipe!
These are the best blueberry muffins I ever made. Husband is a great food critic and he agreed these were great too. Weren’t white and dry like other recipes. Instead of sour cream used unsweetened blueberry apple sauce cup I had on hand. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thank you
I felt the streusel was too dry, needed butter in the cinnamon mix, would have been 100X better. I’d definitely do it different next time, not a fan!
These muffins were the best! I used the exact muffin mix for apple as you had called for in blueberry. We thought they were better than the bakery ones from our neighborhood grocery store. To me they are well worth the time they take to make and bake. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Best blueberry muffins! I changed just a few things but for the most part, followed the recipe. They are super good but bad for my diet.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Made these and kids and wife loved them