Blueberry muffins are a quintessential breakfast treat, so for our tried-and-true favorite, we’ve channeled that small-town bakery vibe to create a muffin that hits every nostalgic note. Light, fluffy, and absolutely bursting with blueberries, these muffins will delight everyone who tastes one. Read on for our tips for making them the best they can be:
How to make the best blueberry muffins:
— The batter. Creaming the butter and sugar with a hand mixer is a little extra work, but it's the secret to the light, super-tender crumb we love so much in a muffin. Once the batter is in the pan, top each muffin-to-be with more berries and some sparkling sugar so they really have that fresh-from-the-bakery look.
— The best blueberries to use. You can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh if you like, and you don’t even have to thaw them. Just mix them frozen straight into the batter before baking.
— Spray your pan. To line or not to line is one of the hottest debates in the muffin world. After extensive research (and a LOT of muffin-sampling), we found that we prefer spraying the wells of the pan with nonstick spray rather than lining them with muffin liners. Baking without liners creates a gorgeous caramelized crust on the bottom and sides of the muffin, which adds tons of great flavor and texture. We think it’s worth the 2 minutes it takes to clean the pan.
How long to bake blueberry muffins:
Many muffin recipes call for baking at one steady temp, but we found that starting at a higher heat for exactly 8 minutes (set a timer!) before dropping the temperature is the best way to get that beautiful height and golden brown color, not to mention all those pockets of jammy burst blueberries.
You're going to want your timer handy once the muffins come out of the oven, too. After 5 minutes, move the muffins from the tin to a wire rack. Muffins that cool completely in the muffin pan will get soggy as they sit, and lose a lot of that great crisp exterior and crunchy top. You might have to use a paring knife to loosen the muffins where the blueberries have burst and stuck to the sides of the pan, but once that’s done, you should be able to gently twist the muffins and pop them right out.
Storage & freezing:
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 1 week. If you want a grab-and-go breakfast you can rely on, you can also freeze them for up to 1 month and defrost before eating.
Made these? Let us know in the comments below.
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- Yields:
- 12 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Total Time:
- 40 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 268
Ingredients
Cooking spray
- 2 c.
(240 g.) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp.
baking powder
- 1/2 tsp.
baking soda
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/2 c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 c.
(100 g.) granulated sugar
- 1/4 c.
(55 g.) packed light brown sugar
- 2
large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 c.
sour cream
- 1/4 c.
whole milk
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 c.
fresh blueberries, divided
- 1/4 c.
coarse sparkling sugar
Directions
- Step 1Preheat oven to 425°. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Step 2In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add sour cream, milk, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Step 3Fold in dry ingredients until only a few streaks of flour remain, then fold in 1 3/4 cups blueberries.
- Step 4Divide batter among prepared cups. Press remaining 1/2 cup blueberries into top of batter and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sparkling sugar.
- Step 5Bake 8 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°. Continue to bake until muffins are risen and golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Step 6Let cool in muffin tin 2 minutes. Using a butter knife, carefully lift muffins from tin and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
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