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
This is a great muffin recipe. I subbed 1 tsp of the vanilla for 1 tsp of almond extract. I also added zest of a lemon with the blueberries. Will be making again.
These are very yummy! But I like to add a bit of cinnamon and alter the amount of sugar slightly, so it’s more like Sally’s “1 batter for infinite muffins” recipe (which I like best). These are still great, though!
i usuallymake muffin recipe from my head andfolks say they are great! But this recipe is over the top,heavenly! i doubled the recipe and made 12 giant muffins The only tip I have iis when doing twice the amount, if planning 12 big ones, no need to double the topping! I have enough for another normal batch of 12 muffins
I have made these muffins sooooo many times….matter of fact they are my most requested muffin from family and friends! Of course I give you all the credit Sally.
So delicious.
Thank you
Best Blueberry Muffin Ever!
And thanks for the tips. I have been cooking and baking for many years and had never heard about baking at a higher temperature for the first 5 minutes. Worked like a dream!! I did add the zest of a lemon based on your Blueberry Bar recipe. Perfect. You are my go to blog now…thanks again!!!
Made the recipe exactly as written- used fresh blueberries and sour cream. It was DELICIOUS! literally so soft and bouncy.
The only change is for the topping? I put walnuts in the food processor so there weren’t chunks- this allowed it to blend well with the brown sugar and cinny. I will definitely make again
This is my daughter’s favorite muffin recipe. I make them about once a month. I always use fresh blueberries, never frozen. I add lemon zest and rub it with sugar. Follow the recipe with no substitutions and they come out perfect. They are not too sweet themselves, but the sugar topping adds some extra sweetness. In my oven they bake a little longer.
Unfortunately not very good. Muffins weren’t very sweet and tasted a lot like baking soda/powder. Had to toss
Hi Amanda! Usually when you can taste baking soda or powder, it means they’ve gone bad. We recommend buying new. Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
I was suprised to learn ( from Sally’s site) that both Baking Soda snd baking powder ” can ” become much less effective BEFORE the expiration date. ALSO i have had great results using aluminum free b. Soda & B. Powder. to help avoid that metalic or soapy taste.
Love this recipe, absolutely moist. Just wanna check if it’s normal for the blueberries to ‘sink’ to the bottom of the batter? Or should the berries be at room temperature too?
Hi Cindy, So glad you tried these blueberry muffins and enjoyed them! Did you use frozen blueberries? They tend to sink. You can toss them (or fresh blueberries) in 1 Tablespoon of flour before stirring into the batter. That helps keep them lifted in the muffins.
SOOOOO good. I used the sour cream option and frozen blue berries . The only difference between the recipe and what I did was I added the milk and wet ingredients to the dry bowl instead of the other way around, slightly more than the recommended blueberries, and the topping was just brown sugar and oats. I ended up cooking for an extra 2 minutes because the batter started to freeze.
Slightly crispy muffin top and super fully and moist inside.
I made these into mini muffins and my kiddos gobbled them so quick.
Can one add banana as well yo this recipe
Hi June, Adding banana is a great idea. We would leave out the yogurt and sub in 2 small mashed bananas. Or you may love our quick and easy banana muffins!
This recipe came out beautifully! I’ve made it as is and recently again using Gluten-free flour to accommodate dietary needs. It was perfect both times. I’ve used several of your recipes before, so when I needed a trustworthy blueberry muffin recipe, this was the first place I looked. Thank you for your amazing recipes.
Do you recommend this recipe in a mini muffin tin?
For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
Nice crumb and moist. For me, though, it needed to be sweeter. I did not use the topping. Next time, I will.
Yummy! But the batter turned purple from the frozen wild blueberries. Should I try rinsing and draining them before I fold them into the batter?
Hi Cheryl, if using frozen blueberries, we don’t recommend thawing first. A little bit of color bleeding is normal, but you can try tossing them in a bit of flour to help for next time. So glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Fantastic recipe and super quick! I did substitute a few things since I didn’t have the time to go to the supermarket, but the end result is delicious!!
I really like this recipe. I substituted the 0.5 cups unsalted butter for about 0.4 cups vegetable oil, and switched the milk for almond milk. It turned out really good, fluffy, savory with sweetness from the blueberry’s – even better when batter is refrigerated. Also don’t feel obligated to make the sugary toppin, I enjoyed the unadorned muffin greatly!
Favorite blueberry muffins by far. However, mine occasionally fall after they rest. The only thing I change is that I substitute half of the butter for canola oil. Could that be the culprit?
Hi Matt! How is the texture inside? When muffins sink, they tend to be underbaked just slightly. An additional minute or two in the oven should help for next time.
I’m baking these for my son’s birthday (he wanted muffins instead of cupcakes) and one of his friends has a milk and egg allergy. I’m planning to use soy milk instead of regular milk, but for the egg, I saw online I could substitute a mashed banana for eggs. Would that work for this recipe?? Thanks in advance!!!
Hi JB, we haven’t tested these muffins with that substitute, so we’re unsure of the results. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Best Blueberry muffin recipe! Thank you very much!
I love this muffin recipe. I added the zest of one lemon to the dough which made the muffins extra tasty. Will make these again.
Recipe turned out wonderful. I decided to use frozen cranberries and frozen blueberries and no topping. I like to use frozen berries instead of fresh. I mix them in with the dry mixture the batter being so cold suspends the berries so they are evenly distributed through the muffin. Happy Baking!
I hate to write this because I’ve never had one of your recipes fail me, but I’ve tried these muffins twice now, and they have just not turned out well for me at all. The second time was better than the first, but they are droopy and not very good tasting. The crumble disappears. I’m so bummed!
Hey, I dont usually add reviews but I love this recipe so I thought I’d write back. Do you use the metric measurements? Also for me I just dont use the sugar topping because I like to use a strussel. I’ve made it once with the sugar topping but I added alot less to each one and they turned out so good. I also use frozen blueberries. Best of luck :))
Hi – Can I use dried blueberries in this recipe instead of fresh? If yes, is it 1 to 1? Thanks.
Yes, you can use dried blueberries. I recommend 1 cup of dried blueberries.
These muffins were really good. Taste and texture were perfect! Next time, I will make them without the topping as I don’t think it was necessary. It also made eating them a little messy and they are surely sweet enough without the added sugar.
I really don’t enjoy creaming butter and sugar together.
So I tried it with melted butter instead.
I think that was a mistake
Just as perfectly wonderful as the banana muffins and pumpkin muffins which are two of my favorites. Follow the directions and you can’t go wrong.
This recipe turned out perfect. My husband ate 3 while they were still warm
Can I substitute in blackberries??
Absolutely!
Whoa…way good muffins! Will be making again for sure.
So good! I spooned a little of topping in the bottom of the muffin liner for something a little extra!