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 SOOOOO yummy. I love all your recipes so much.
Hi Sally,
Baking this recipe for the umpteenth time, so thought I’d let you know how much my family and I appreciate your site, and this recipe. We live on a farm, so this recipe lets us enjoy a bit of Summer during the long gray Winter months. We use our walnuts, filberts, blueberries, Marionberries, Loganberries, Boysenberries, raspberries…, so what is not to love? Always great! Thanks! Yes, I add even more berries than the recipe calls for, just extend the baking time out a bit.
Susan in Oregon
I made these muffins exactly as stated. It’s a nice recipe and the muffins were tasty. The only issue was the recipe yielded only 9 muffins when I filled the muffin cups to the brim (no liner).
Made your blueberry muffin receipe. They look and smell amazing. Too hot to eat just yet 🙂 I used coconut greek yogurt and almond milk instead of the recommended. I also took your tip and used the strudel from the blueberry bread.
Hi sally I was wondering if this could be made with blueberry Greek yogurt? I have no plain and only have about 1/4 cup sour cream. Thanks!
Hi Keri! We don’t see why not, though the blueberry Greek yogurt may be sweetened. Would love to hear how they go!
Hi Sally,
I am delighted that this is a very, very forgiving recipe that can adapt well to what is or is not in your pantry/fridge.
It is cold out here and I thought, I NEED to make (again) some of those terrific blueberry muffins … but what to do? no fresh blueberries, sour cream or plain yogurt, only dregs of granulated sugar in the sugar bowl and not much better with white all purpose flour because shopping is to be picked up 3 days from now, and I am really trying to stave off the CoVid -19 (lbs) and eat more healthy …
Replaced (2)
1c of the white flour with Whole wheat all purpose flour,
1/4 granulated sugar with 1/4 less 1 generous tsp. blueberry honey which I added after the butter and sugar were well creamed and before the eggs,
sour cream/yogurt with 1 fruit flavoured Greek yoghurt, a single serving cup,
Added (2)
2 Tbsp of chia seeds
“A shake of nutmeg, cloves, ginger with 2 shakes of cinnamon” to the dry ingredients,
Used
frozen blueberries so left out the milk because I thought, honey has water and the berries thaw giving liquid to the batter.
Inhaled, I swear, the resulting muffin … thanks for an excellent base muffin mix to add to my (ahem, almost 65 year baking history) repertoire.
Is the streusel supposed to have butter in it?
Hi Donna! This streusel has just brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in it.
This is by far the BEST recipe I’ve ever made! Thank you! Husband and kids went through my first batch within a few days. They loved them so much I just made a second. Thanks!!
Mine were completely over baked. I even adjusted the time and cut back on it by 1-2 minutes, but they were still over done. I was disappointed. They were not the best muffin recipe I have used.
Baking time is always something you have to watch, in any recipe. Could be that your oven was running too hot.
I’m in the UK and had the best ever blueberry muffin at a tiny diner when on holiday in Boston, Mass. Been trying to replicate it ever since and this recipe is the closest! It’s the topping that does it ☺.
This recipe is awesome! The texture was fluffy and they looked lovely:) My only adjustments I would make is about the amount of blueberries. I think there is a little to much blueberry, but that could be because we were able to make 12 muffins instead of 14. I also couldn’t taste the walnuts, but overall the recipe is SUPER good and you should try it some time!
Hi Sally! These muffins were so yummy but was wondering if this recipe be made vegan?
Hi Megan, we’re so glad you enjoyed these! We haven’t made a vegan version of these muffins, but we’d love to know if you give any modifications a try. Or, we have all our vegan recipes collected here. Hope you find some to enjoy!
I would give this recipe more than 5 stars if I was able to!
A few extra steps (I toast my pecans) but SO worth it!
My family devours these……best muffins ever!
I made these today. They’re very light and tender, but the vanilla is very overpowering. I questioned the 2 tsps, but went with it. I recommend 1 tsp instead.
Hi Sally! I’ve made these muffins so many times before and I love them! This time however I want to try and make lemon, blueberry muffins. If I want to get that tangy flavour, how much lemon juice would you suggest that I should add?
I always refer to your recipes when I bake, you’re too good!
Hi Anahita, you can try adding 2 Tbs lemon juice plus the zest of a lemon to this batter. Would love to hear how they go!
Hi Sally,
These are the best blueberry muffins ever!!! Within an hour, all the muffins were eaten. Thank you for the recipe!
I made the muffins exactly as the recipe called for. Absolutely delicious!!!
I have tried many blueberry muffin recipes in the past. I baked these yesterday and they got rave reviews by everyone! I had to use applesauce instead of eggs (because I ran out of eggs), I didn’t have time to let ingredients get to room temperature ( I usually try to do this, but was in a hurry), and I melted frozen butter (I know, terrible!) However, much to my surprise, they were delicious! The streusel topping really takes it up a notch!I can’t wait to make them again! Thank you for this recipe. Love this website!
Hi, think I might make these tomorrow ! If I don’t have sour cream, I noticed you also included you like use applesauce or a banana. Is that as a substitute for that? Thanks!
Hi Ashley, correct. You can use the same amount of plain yogurt, applesauce or banana in place of the sour cream. Let us know how they turn out for you!
I did make these, easy recipe to follow, I left out the streusel, husband doesn’t like nuts in muffins, though I did sprinkle brown sugar on top of muffins before cooking. I think the sour cream and milk gives makes the muffins extra creamy. Cooked 5 minutes at 425 degrees and then addition 22 minutes at 350 degrees. Very tasty!
I used plain Greek yogurt for these and they came out perfect! Flavor and texture is absolutely on point. So happy with the turn out, thank you so much for posting this recipe!
I absolutely Iove your recipes! This was the second time I made the muffins. Altered a bit for a vegetarian without eggs. Replaced with 1/4 cup of yogurt for 1 egg and it was delicious. My son absolutely loved it. ❤️
I decided to go all out, full hog, “Go big or go home, and I’m already at home”, on this one. I Ground fresh cinnamon, toasted fresh pecans, homemade vanilla and yogurt… This is legit the greatest thing I’ve ever baked in 20 years of baking. They are mind blowing incredible. Eat your heart out Otis (brand name muffin).
The only difference was that I used dried blueberries and a mini muffin tin; I seem to have lost my normal size tin in the move :(…
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I usually bake from vintage recipes and this was a game changer.
These muffins are a hit!! My family ate the whole dozen in one day. Next time i will make double and a few jumbo. Thank you for such DELICIOUS dessert recipes.
Hi Sally! I want to make 24-28 muffins. Can I simply double the recipe or do you suggest making 2 separate batches?
Hi Christine, for best results, we recommend to make 2 separate batches. Enjoy!
Made these muffins today here in Australia and they were delicious!! Used Greek yoghurt, fresh blueberries and all other ingredients exactly as per recipe. Only thing is that it made 12 muffins for me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to squeeze the batter out to 14 muffins. Didn’t bother using anything room temperature and it was so fluffy and moist and delicious! At first I thought it was WAY too much streusel and I’d half the recipe next time but it seemed okay, they were just covered in it rather than a sprinkle or slight topping. Yum!
How do I get these out of the pan without the topping falling off?
Hi Kay, gently press the streusel topping into the batter before baking, and that should help with keeping it in tact. They should come out of the pan easily with just a few crumbs.
I just made these (used non fat Greek yogurt). They were fantastic! They were dense and so flavorful. So glad I discovered your site will look for more baking ideas. Not so great for my waistline but whatever!
I have been looking for a light moist cake like muffin recipe for some time!!! This one is fantastic!!! Thank you!!!
Love your recipes!! I made these as mini muffins. I didn’t have any sour cream so replaced it by making my own buttermilk as recommended in a previous comment and they turned out amazingly. So light and the topping just makes it! Thank you for another great bake!
I am always looking for recipes that I can convert to gluten-free and end up with something that doesn’t taste like cardboard. This muffin recipe worked beautifully, no one realized they were gluten-free! I substituted King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour and left all other ingredients as written. The result was a light and fluffy muffins with outstanding texture and flavor and none of the grittiness I find in many GF baked goods. This one is definitely a keeper!