Blueberry Streusel Muffin Tops
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These Blueberry Streusel Muffin Tops have crisp, golden edges, a soft center, and a thick layer of lemon-zest streusel. You get the best part of a blueberry muffin, without the stump. This recipe makes 12 muffin tops in a muffin top pan and takes about 35 minutes from start to finish.
This recipe comes from my Simply Perfect Blueberry Muffins, which I tested several times before sharing with family and neighbors. The batter is the same, but using a muffin top pan gives you more crunchy edges and extra streusel in every bite.
If you like to eat just the top of a muffin and leave the rest, you'll love these. They also make a great Mother's Day breakfast in bed with coffee, fresh fruit, and a bit of lemon curd.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You get all the best parts. Every bite has golden edges, juicy blueberries, and crunchy streusel.
- The streusel is easy. You stir it together with melted butter with a fork, so you don't have to cut in cold butter.
- They're quick. Prep takes 15 minutes, and they bake in about 20.
- The batter is easy to mix. It comes together in two bowls and a measuring cup, no mixer needed.
- They freeze well. Make a batch now and warm them up on busy mornings.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking. You'll need a muffin top pan for this recipe. I like this muffin top pan. Its shallow wells are what give you wide muffin tops with crisp edges.
For the streusel topping
- Unsalted butter, melted: Binds the streusel into crumbs without any cutting in.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the topping.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the streusel and adds crunch.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Lemon zest: Adds a fresh, bright flavor that goes well with blueberries.
For the muffin batter
- All-purpose flour: Bread flour works in a pinch, but all-purpose gives the best texture.
- Granulated sugar: Brown sugar works too, though it adds a little molasses flavor.
- Baking powder: Gives the muffin tops their lift.
- Kosher salt: If you only have salted butter, use it in place of unsalted and leave out the added salt in both the streusel and the batter.
- Unsalted butter, melted: Adds richness and a tender crumb. I haven't tested oil as a substitute.
- Sour cream: Keeps the muffin tops moist. Greek yogurt or buttermilk can stand in.
- Milk: Loosens the batter.
- Eggs: Bind the batter and add structure.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen wild blueberries. Wild blueberries are smaller and more flavorful, and you can mix them with regular blueberries.
In Photos: How To Make Blueberry Muffin Tops
Step 1: Make the streusel
Stir the melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest together with a fork until crumbly.
Step 2: Heat the oven and prep the pan
Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the muffin top pan with nonstick spray.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients
In a large measuring cup, whisk the melted butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 5: Combine
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mostly combined. A few streaks of flour should still be visible.
Step 6: Fold in the blueberries
Gently fold in the berries so they don't break down and toughen the batter.
Step 7: Fill the pan and add the streusel
Divide the batter among the 12 wells of the muffin top pan, then sprinkle the streusel evenly over each one.
Step 8: Bake
Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the heat to 350°F and bake for about 15 more minutes, until a toothpick in the thickest part comes out clean.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Don't overmix. Overmixing makes the berries bleed and the muffin tops tough.
- Use frozen wild blueberries straight from the freezer. They keep their color better and bleed less into the batter.
- Bake right after mixing. The baking powder starts working right away, which helps create nicely domed tops.
- Don't worry about a soft center. Slightly soft, sticky centers are normal. If the center feels wet, bake an extra minute or two next time.
- Grease the pan well. The shallow wells and streusel can stick, so spray generously.
How To Store Blueberry Muffin Tops
- Room temperature: Keep loosely covered for a day or two.
- Refrigerator: Store for up to about a week.
- Freezer: Freeze for several weeks. Microwave frozen muffin tops for 30 to 45 seconds to thaw.
Variations
- Different fruit: Swap the blueberries for strawberries, peaches, or diced apples tossed with a little cinnamon.
- Homemade buttermilk: If you want to use buttermilk instead of sour cream and don't have any, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and use it.
Recipe FAQ
A muffin top pan has shallow, wide wells instead of deep muffin cups. The batter spreads as it bakes, so you get more golden, crunchy edges and no muffin stump.
Yes. Use my original Simply Perfect Blueberry Muffins recipe, which uses the same batter and streusel in a standard pan.
Yes. Use frozen wild blueberries straight from the freezer, and fold them in gently so they don't bleed into the batter.
Yes, either one works. Use the same amount.
Overmixing is the usual cause, or letting the batter sit too long before baking. Mix until just mostly combined and get the pan into the oven right away.
Fold them in gently at the end, and fill the wells right after mixing so the batter stays thick.
Try them with coffee, fresh fruit, and a spoonful of Homemade Lemon Curd.
Browse all of my Muffin Recipes! For more blueberry ideas, see my 15 Best Blueberry Recipes.
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, 113.5 g
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 187.5 g
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1.5 g
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 6 g
Muffin Batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 312.5 g
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 g
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, 12 g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1.5 g
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, 113.5 g
- 1 cup sour cream , 230 g (Greek yogurt or buttermilk can be substituted)
- ¼ cup milk, 61 g
- 2 large eggs, 100 g
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 6 g
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, 296 g (or 1 ½ cups frozen wild blueberries)
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the streusel: Stir the melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest together with a fork until crumbly.
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease your muffin top pans with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk the melted butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mostly combined. A few streaks of flour should remain.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter among the 12 wells of the muffin top pan and sprinkle the streusel evenly over each.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for about 15 more minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
Notes
- Don't overmix, or the berries will bleed, and the muffin tops will get tough.
- Use frozen wild blueberries straight from the freezer to limit color bleeding.
- Bake right after mixing for the best domed tops.
- Store at room temperature, loosely covered, for 1 to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to about 1 week, or in the freezer for several weeks. Microwave frozen muffin tops for 30 to 45 seconds to thaw.
Author
More Uncategorized
Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:
