Simply Perfect Blueberry Muffins
The most perfect blueberry muffin recipe ever! These muffins are light and moist, studded throughout with sweet berries, and sprinkled with a buttery, lemon-y crumb topping.
*This post originally published on May 7, 2014. I thought it was about time for a refresh. Hopefully you’ll enjoy these blueberry muffins as much as my family and I do.*
Wow. All I can say is, I really hope you guys like blueberry muffins, because an awful lotta love has gone into this post.
I think my family wants to kill me. I have been force-feeding them blueberry muffins for weeks. And my neighbors too.
This recipe has been tested, tasted, tweaked, and re-tested so many times I’ve completely lost count. But the good news is, I really, really, REALLY think I’ve nailed it.
These are the blueberry muffins of your dreams. They are tender. They are buttery-tasting. They are studded throughout with sweet berries. They are light-as-air, thoroughly encrusted with crumbly streusel, and, well- just look at them!
I hate to toot my own horn, but I mean, come on! Are those not the most gorgeous blueberry muffins? How about the shape on those beauties? Is that not exactly what you’re imagining when that blueberry muffin craving hits?
HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Blueberry muffins fall into that baking category known as “quick breads.” They are a bread that doesn’t have yeast. Instead, they get their “lift” from baking powder.
Quick breads are easy to make, and they always follow the same simple formula:
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Mix the liquid ingredients together.
- Stir the liquid into the dry.
- And bake!
One of the most important things to remember (with all quick breads) is not to overmix the batter. This can develop the glutens in the flour and cause toughness.
It’s ok (it’s actually best!) if there are still a few streaks or lumps of flour in the batter when the blueberry muffins go into the oven. Don’t worry, they will bake out! And you’ll be happy, because your muffins will be as tender as can be.
Muffins, certain breads, pancakes, waffles, scones, shortcakes, biscuits, and baked donuts all fall into the quick bread category. So, many of them are sort of interchangeable. In other words, you can bake a muffin recipe in a donut pan or a loaf pan, or put a pancake batter in a waffle maker.
As always, if you choose to do this, it can affect the yield and bake time, so just keep an eye on them as they bake. You’ll know your quick breads are done when they feel springy and light, and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
Here are a few of my favorite quick bread recipes, just to get you inspired:
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Coconut Bread
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Cheddar Chive Biscuits
- Baked Strawberry Donuts
- Raspberry Cream Scones with Rosewater Glaze
- Double Chocolate Scones
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits
- Baked Chocolate Crumb Donuts
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Iced Lemon Loaf
- Whole Wheat Greek Yogurt Freezer Waffles
- Toasted Pecan Pancakes with Brown Butter Bourbon Peach Syrup
- Coconut Lime Glazed Muffins
SHOULD I USE FRESH OR FROZEN BERRIES?
I have made this blueberry muffin recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries, and either way, you won’t be disappointed!
Since we are on the cusp of blueberry season right now, I used fresh blueberries for the muffins you see in these photos. The fruit becomes soft and jammy as the muffins bake, there are pockets of juicy blueberry in every delicious bite.
But I have to say, I really prefer frozen berries in my blueberry muffins!
And not just any frozen berries; frozen WILD blueberries! They are in a class by themselves. They’re small and they pack such an intense blueberry flavor punch. Because they’re so tiny, you get tons of them running all throughout your muffins.
They’re easy to find in most US grocery stores, right in the frozen foods section. I highly recommend keeping a bag in your freezer at all times, for whenever that blueberry muffin craving strikes!
Just fold them into the muffin batter while they’re still frozen solid. That way they won’t bleed quite so much juice.
HOW LONG DO BLUEBERRY MUFFINS KEEP?
You can keep these blueberry muffins at room temperature for a day or two. Normally, I would say to put anything freshly baked in an airtight container, but quick breads are different somehow. They tend to get soggy, so I prefer to just *lightly* cover them with plastic wrap or foil. Enough so they don’t dry out, but with a little air flow so they don’t become wet either.
In the fridge, they’ll last up to a week.
But my favorite way to store them is in the freezer. Just pop them into a zip-top bag, and at breakfast time, thaw them in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds. They come out perfect! Just like the day they were baked.
They should stay good in the freezer for several weeks.
With Mother’s Day coming up, I think this would make a lovely breakfast-in-bed. A cup of coffee, a little fresh fruit, juice, maybe some soft butter and/or lemon curd to spread on the muffins…
I know I’d be a happy mommy if these appeared on my bedside table on Sunday morning!
And since they only take about 15 minutes of prep, they’re easy enough to whip up in a hurry, so she can enjoy them freshly baked and warm as toast 😉
A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST RECIPES:
More great breakfast recipes on my “Breakfast & Brunch Recipes” Pinterest board!
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Simply Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
For the streusel crumb topping
- 1/2 cup (88.72 g) unsalted butter,, melted
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the blueberry muffins
- 2 1/2 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, , melted
- 1 cup (200 g) sour cream, (Greek yogurt or buttermilk* can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup (61 g) milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (296 g) fresh blueberries, (or 1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries)
Instructions
To make the streusel crumb topping:
- Toss the melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest together with a fork, until crumbly.
To make the blueberry muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly mist a muffin pan with non-stick spray.
- Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, and vanilla together in a large liquid measure until well incorporated.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and stir together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, just until ALMOST combined (you should still see streaks of flour).
- Add the berries, and fold carefully. (Overmixing will cause the berries to bleed and the muffins to be tough.)
- Divide the batter equally between each well of the muffin tin, and top with the reserved streusel.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F (without opening the oven door), and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a muffin comes out clean.
My husband and I live 30 miles from a grocery store so rather than going to town, I substituted buttermilk for the sour cream and also used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in the struesel. They turned out wonderful. I did have to bake them an additional 5 minutes but, every oven is different. I will definitely make them again but, will want to purchase a “jumbo” muffin pan to make a dozen.
Today is Dec 23rd in Ontario, Canada. We are in the middle of a snow storm with the winds just howling away. I came across this recipe and just had to try it. We had the most beautiful fresh blueberries!
Oh my goodness, these are the BEST muffins EVER!! I used vanilla yogurt as well as the flavoring. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!I got 14 great big muffins and still have a lot of the streusel left. Will freeze that for another batch on another day. Merry Christmas to all!!
Your muffins were very good. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made dozen and half and before you know it my husband and I polished off 4 muffin. SO SO GOOD
I made your blueberry muffin recipe last night and I have to tell you that it is absolutely wonderful!! I used Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream as your recipe recommended and I also added the zest of one whole lemon to the batter. Citrus and blueberries go so well together and the results were amazing. This will be my new go to recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that Rosetta! Thank you so much for the great feedback!
My favorite blueberry muffins in the world! Am I the only one who had extra topping? I tried to dump it all on there but there wasn’t enough space! I’m not complaining – it’s soooo good and I ate the extra topping out of the bowl! So, so good!
I try to make sure there’s plenty of topping since so many people like that part the best! I don’t want to skimp!
This is exactly what I was looking for in a muffin. Thank you so much. These are easy and delicious. Will definitely be putting them into my regular baking routine.
Hey, awesome looking muffins! If I leave out the sour cream and add 1 cup of buttermilk do I still need to add the 1/4 cup of milk? Also, do you have a basic/plain muffin recipe?
Hey there! So happy you’re going to give these a try. I think that sub should work just fine, and I would still add the milk. You can use this as a basic muffin recipe, or my chocolate chip muffins would work too (just type that into the search window at the top of this site and it should come right up). Replace the berries or chips with any kind of fruit, nut, or whatever, and add any other kind of flavoring you like (ie: citrus zest, spices, extracts). Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
I would like to make these, but want to clarify if the flour is 2 1/2 cups as listed in the recipe, or 3 cups as listed in some of your comments. A couple people asked if 3 cups was the correct amount and you said yes. Thanks.
The recipe has been updated as per reader feedback. You may have been seeing comments that were made prior to the update.
Thank you. I did go ahead and make them with 2 1/2 cups flour. They are delicious!!! Only change I made was in the crumble. I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup sugar. The crumb topping is so good and I liked that there was enough to pile it on! I ended up baking them for about 25 minutes total. I got 16 muffins. It was good to know in advance that the batter is very thick, or I might have wanted to add more liquid. I also put the blueberries in the flour mixture and then added the liquid and stirred. Blueberries held up fine and no coloring of the batter. I will definitely make them again. Great recipe And thanks again for getting back to me so quickly!
Something went wrong with the crumbes on top. The pastry was like sand, not cruble at all. How to measure 6 tablespoon butter, melted? I melted the butter and then put 6 tblspoons. As it was too dry, I added even more butter. Still the outcome was dry like sand. Maybe it was meant I have to take 6 times butter with tblspoon and then melt it? What do you think how many grams butter have to be? I put 80 grams, still sand. Muffins are great, but the topping like sand 🙁
https://bakingamoment.com/how-to-measure-ingredients-for-baking/
Thanks! Anyway, I live in Europe and no buttersticks here with corresponding tablespoon marks. We only have 150 or 200 or 250 grams buttersticks. No additive markings 🙂
10/10 love this recipe, thank you for sharing.
These muffins are truly delicious and beautiful to look at. Directions were perfect. I did put some in liners but it was not needed. They released perfectly from the pan. Loved the lemon zest in the streusel. These will now become my go to recipe for Blueberry Muffins.
Do your muffins really cook in just 20 minutes? Seems short for muffins…
Yes!
These blueberry muffins were amazing! We picked blueberries locally and wanted something we knew would be delicious. These did not dissappoint. I also wanted more than 12 so I doubled the recipe and had enough batter to make 36 muffins! Would definitely make these again!
Did anyone’s take much longer to bake? Perhaps it’s my dumb oven. I’ve baked them already for 25 min and they’re still not done. Also are these supposed to be 12 jumbo muffins? I have a regular muffin tin and had loads of extra muffin mix (and I filled them basically to the top)
I made this for my coworkers, it came out perfect -and they loved it. I didn’t have buttermilk instead I used heavy cream and it still worked out great.
So great to know. I’m really glad you and your coworkers enjoyed!