Why I Won’t Be Making Martha Stewart’s “Favorite” Blueberry Muffins Again

This week on Kitchn, we’re battling off the most popular blueberry muffin recipes on the internet — and it comes as no surprise that Martha Stewart, the domestic goddess and expert entertainer that she is, has one of the most-searched-for recipes. At first glance, they certainly look like winners, with their domed tops and classic crumb topping. But would they become my new go-to? I took to the kitchen to find out.

Get the recipe: Martha Stewart’s Our Favorite Blueberry Muffins

If you’re looking for a last-minute, easy-peasy blueberry muffin recipe, this isn’t it. (For that, I recommend Smitten Kitchen’s recipe). That’s because it takes some extra time to make the crumb topping, and once you do move onto the muffin batter, you have to pull out your electric mixer.

You’ll start by mixing together flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then drizzling in melted butter until large crumbs form. Set this aside while you mix up the muffin batter.

For the batter, you’ll first mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in one bowl before creaming together room-temperature butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. When it’s fluffy, you’ll beat in a whole egg, two egg yolks, and a splash of vanilla, then alternate between adding the dry ingredients and milk. Gently fold in the blueberries, divide the batter between greased muffin cups, sprinkle with the crumb topping, and bake until light golden, about 30 minutes.

While they’re baking, you’ll clean up — which will take a fair amount of time, since at this point you’ve dirtied at least three bowls.

These muffins simply aren’t worth the work that goes into them. I found them to be dry, and the crumb topping only made them taste more dry. Technically, the topping is optional — Martha also gives the option of sprinkling the muffins with granulated sugar and freshly grated mace — but a whole blade of fresh mace isn’t exactly a common pantry staple.

I figured these muffins would at least look the part of a bakery-style blueberry muffin, but the topping sort of spreads out over the tops of the muffins as they bake, so it really only covers small patches of the muffin tops. The topping did, however, make them stand out from the other battle contenders, and they were therefore the first muffins my friends and coworkers reached for.

The flavor of the muffins was also just so-so. I was spoiled by the generous amount of blueberries and freshly grated lemon zest in some of the other recipes I tested, so these tasted bland in comparison. I did like the addition of vanilla extract, which enhanced the sweetness of the muffins and gave off a delicious aroma as they baked.

1. Skip the crumb topping and sprinkle with turbinado sugar instead. Replacing the dry crumb topping with a sprinkle of coarse sugar will get these in the oven faster, while still adding a touch of sweetness and crunch.

2. Add more blueberries. Go ahead and add a full 3 cups. It will boost the flavor of the muffins and add some much-needed pops of juiciness.

3. Replace the milk with yogurt. I haven’t tried this myself, but I suspect it would make these muffins more moist and tender. To further reduce the risk of drying these out, bake just until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean, and pop them out of the hot tin as soon as you can handle them without them falling apart.

Overall rating: 6/10

Get the recipe: Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Muffins

Have you ever made Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Muffins? Tell us what you thought! 

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