How To Make the Best, Easiest Blueberry Muffins

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated Feb 3, 2020
(25)

Makes12

Prep20 minutes

Cook26 minutes to 28 minutes

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Do you often find blueberry muffins disappointing? I don’t blame you. So many muffins are either overly sweet (basically cupcakes in disguise), dry and dusty, or lacking real, fresh blueberries. I’ve spent the last few years in search of an ideal blueberry muffin, and I’m so happy to report that these are it.

These blueberry muffins are not only easy to make (they require just one bowl) but they’re also perfect in nearly every way: they’re not too sweet, boast a tender crumb, and are bursting with blueberries in each and every bite. What really puts them over the top, though, is the vibrant lemon zest stirred into the batter and the sprinkling of crunchy sugar on top.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

One-Bowl Blueberry Muffins

Most muffin recipes are, unsurprisingly, built on the muffin method: wet and dry ingredients are mixed separately, then the dry ingredients are gently folded into the dry. These blueberry muffins have a slightly different mixing method (more similar to a cake mixing method, where the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are both added to a butter, sugar, egg mixture) so that they can be mixed in one bowl and so that they have a moist, tender interior without a ton of sugar.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Key Steps for Making Blueberry Muffins

  • Use melted butter (or oil). The base of this blueberry muffin is melted butter. Most muffin recipes call for oil (which you can use here too), but using butter as our fat adds more flavor while keeping the muffin as moist as those made with oil.
  • Alternate the flour and the milk. Like a classic cake mixing method, the flour and milk for these muffins are added in two intervals, giving these muffins a more cake-like texture without tasting like one.
  • Top with crunchy sugar. You know how wonderful streusel is on top of a bakery muffin? A generous sprinkling of demerara or sanding sugar before baking give these muffins a delightfully crunchy topping.
  • Lemon zest is a must! Lemon really balances the sweetness of the muffins and makes the flavor of even frozen berries a little brighter.
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Serving and Storing Your Blueberry Muffins

These muffins really are the best the day they are baked, but leftovers keep well at room temperature for a few days. Split leftover muffins, toast the halves in a broiler or toaster oven, and slather with butter.

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(25)

Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 26 minutes to 28 minutes

Makes12

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray or paper muffin liners

  • 1/2 cup

    (1 stick) melted unsalted butter or canola oil

  • 3/4 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 2

    large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon

    vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon

    finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

  • 2 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    salt

  • 2 cups

    all-purpose flour, divided

  • 1 cup

    whole or 2% milk, divided

  • 1 1/2 cups

    fresh or frozen blueberries (about 6 1/2 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup

    demerara or sanding sugar

Equipment

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven and prepare a muffin pan. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-well muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

  2. Whisk the wet ingredients together. Place the butter or oil and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk vigorously until the mixture is lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

  3. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk. Add the baking powder, salt, and 1/2 of the flour. Stir gently with the whisk until just combined -- some dry spots are okay. Add 1/2 of the milk and whisk gently to combine. Add the remaining flour and whisk to combine. Add the remaining milk and whisk until the batter is mostly smooth.

  4. Fold in the blueberries. If you'd like to top the muffins with blueberries, set aside 1/4 cup. Add the remaining blueberries and fold to combine, don’t worry too much if any berries burst.

  5. Divide the batter and top. Divide the batter among the muffin wells (about 1/2 cup each). If topping with blueberries, divide them among the muffins. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 teaspoon demerara or sanding sugar.

  6. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Bake until the muffins are domed, lightly golden-brown, and the center muffins bounce back when pressed, 28 to 30 minutes.

  7. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of each muffin to remove it from the pan (even if you used liners you will want to do this). Cool on a wire rack for 10 more minutes before serving, or cool completely before storing.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen and then thawed at room temperature.

Filed in:
baked goods
baking
bread
breakfast
children
easy

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