How to Make Blueberry Muffins

These tender blueberry muffins are bursting with juicy berries in every single bite! Moist yet fluffy, with a perfectly balanced sweetness level that lets the natural blueberry flavor shine through, these aren’t one of those sugar-bomb muffins that are really just cupcakes without frosting. What makes our recipe special is the combination of vanilla and almond extracts that enhance the berry flavor without overpowering it, plus a sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top for the perfect crunch. One of our taste testers even said “this is the best muffin I have ever had,” so you know these are going to be a hit!

Are You Ready for the BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe?

I absolutely love breakfast and brunch, which is probably why I’ve developed over 40 breakfast recipes for this website (and counting!). When we’re in the mood for a sweet breakfast, I always aim to create treats that aren’t loaded with unnecessary amounts of sugar but still satisfy that sweet craving (have you tried our epic whole wheat waffles or our wheat germ muffins?!). In perfecting this recipe, I’ve tested various ratios of wet to dry ingredients, experimented with different amounts of blueberries, and really worked to find that perfect balance between sweet and not-too-sweet.

After making several rounds of test batches and getting feedback from over a dozen family members and friends, I can confidently say these blueberry muffins are fabulous. The batter comes together easily without any fuss, the blueberries stay perfectly suspended throughout each muffin, and the texture is exactly what you want: moist and tender with the ideal bakery-style texture. Once you make these, they’re likely to become your go-to muffin recipe for a quick grab-and-go weekday breakfast to special weekend gatherings.

Homemade Blueberry Muffins ingredients

• Salted butter. Butter adds flavor and richness to our muffins as well as well as contributing to the texture and keeping our muffins moist.
• Granulated sugar. We’re using a little bit of white sugar to sweeten and help make our muffins wonderfully tender.
• Milk (we use 2% or whole dairy milk). Milk is used to create a softer and moist muffin. If you want to use a non-dairy milk, I have had good success using oat milk in baked goods.
• Vanilla extract AND almond extract. A lot of people know to use vanilla extract in baked goods to add depth of flavor and enhance the other flavors of the bake. BUT, in combination with almond extract… oh man. This extract combination takes this recipe to the next level because both vanilla and almond naturally enhance fruit flavors rather than masking them, with the vanilla extract bringing a warm, sweet, and subtly complex flavor and the almond extract adding subtle, nutty notes.
• Large eggs. Using whole eggs help create structure and also adds moisture to our muffins.
• Salt. Used as a flavor enhancer, and helps balance our sweetness.
• Baking powder AND baking soda. Using a combination of baking powder and baking soda as our leavening agents helps our muffins get the best texture and rise, resulting in lovely domed muffin tops.
• All-purpose flour. This type of flour common (you likely have it in your pantry already) and versatile for all kinds of baked goods. In muffins, it helps result in a tender muffin with a sturdy structure.
• Blueberries. Lots and lots of blueberries (no skimping here)! Fresh, in-season blueberries can’t be beat when making these, but these can also be made with frozen blueberries (I personally love using frozen wild blueberries). I’ll tell you more below!
• Turbinado sugar for topping. Sprinkling turbinado sugar on top of our batter before baking creates a domed top with a delightful crunch that takes these from good to absolutely irresistible! And it’s a quick and easy addition (instead of making a streusel topping).

Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for measurements and detailed recipe directions.

How to Make Blueberry Muffins

Prep. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners (or generously grease them).

Make the batter. Add the butter, sugar, milk, extracts, and eggs to a large mixing bowl.

Whisk to combine.

Slowly add in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.

Mixing it until it’s about 75% combined (you’ll still see large streaks of flour in the batter).

Add the blueberries to the batter.

Gently fold them into the batter, stopping mixing when the batter is JUST combined (lumps in your batter is ok!).

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. We like to do this with a large-sized cookie scoop for even distribution.

Top with turbinado sugar. We give ours a generous sprinkle!

Bake until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (a few crumbs are ok!).

Cool in the tin for a few moments, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Moist Blueberry Muffin Recipe Variations

If desired, add some lemon zest to your batter for a little lemon-blueberry twist.

You can also swap out the butter 1-for-1 with a neutral oil (like vegetable or canola oil) if desired. This is a great choice if you’re looking to make your muffins dairy-free (along with using a dairy-free milk).

Make a streusel topping to replace the sprinkle of the turbinado sugar on top. If desired, grab the streusel topping details from our pumpkin streusel muffins recipe and use it on these muffins, replacing the pumpkin pie spice with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.

Can You Make Blueberry Muffins with Frozen Blueberries?

Yes, you can use frozen blueberries for blueberry muffins! To do so, simply add them to your batter while still frozen (do no thaw). This helps prevent the batter from turning purple (or at least reduce it, I find if you use frozen wild blueberries they still often start to color the batter… but I don’t mind because wild blueberries are SO GOOD).

Can You Make These Into Mini Muffins?

Of course you can make mini muffins! In general, mini muffin cups about about ⅓ the size of a standard muffin cup. So a single batch of 12 regular muffins will yield about 36 mini muffins. Fill your lined or greased mini muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake for 8-10 minutes as a starting point. Do the toothpick test to confirm they’re done and pull them out of the oven as soon as possible to avoid overbaking.

How to Store this Recipe for Blueberry Muffins

Store fully cooled blueberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months (more details below).

Do Blueberry Muffins Need to be Refrigerated?

No, blueberry muffins do not need to be refrigerated and are better stored at room temperature in an airtight container because placing them in the fridge tends to dry them out. To store for a longer period, freezing is a better option.

How Long Do Blueberry Muffins Last?

They will last for up to 4 days at room temperature and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Can You Freeze Blueberry Muffins?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry muffins for up to 3 months. To do so, allow muffins to fully cool, then place them into a freezer-friendly zip top bag or airtight container. When ready to eat, thaw the muffins in the fridge overnight, on the counter at room temperature for a few hours. To warm them up, microwave the thawed muffins for about 20-seconds, or use an oven preheated to 300°F to 5-10 minutes.