I love a good blueberry muffin. It’s one of the only ways I’ll happily eat a blueberry, honestly. Raw? Jam? Pie? Turnovers? Forget it, I want nothing to do with blueberries in any of those states. They just don’t do it for me, blueberries need the support of a fluffy exterior for me to go anywhere near them. Pancakes? Great. Quick bread? Fantastic. Scones? If they’re made correctly, delicious. A match made in breakfast baked good heaven.
My blueberry muffins do the blueberry worlds of justice. Soft, fragrant inside, just the right amount of sweetness with a crusty, crunchy top in the best way possible. The overfilled cups of batter produce those beautiful, massive muffin tops you get from bakeries. Plus, they’re easy enough to bake with your kids on a tired, rainy afternoon! Serve them at breakfast, at brunch, on a picnic, or just a random Tuesday night.
FAQs and Science
Do I have to use frozen wild blueberries?
That’s what I’ve tested this recipe with, so if you opt for regular (bigger) blueberries, I can’t guarantee they’ll come out correctly. If you choose to use fresh wild blueberries, it should work just fine!
Does it really make a difference if you use room temperature eggs?
Yes, using room temperature eggs makes a big difference because ingredients come together more easily when they’re all the same temperature. To do this quickly, at the beginning of the recipe, place the eggs in a small bowl together and cover them with the hottest water that will come out of your tap. By the time you’re ready to use them, they’ll be the perfect temperature!
What if I want blueberry lemon muffins? Is there an easy way to adjust these so they include lemon?
Absolutely! Place the zest of 1-2 lemons into the sugar in the large mixing bowl and rub them together. Allow the lemon sugar to sit for 5 minutes before adding the other dry goods into the mix. You could also replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with lemon extract.
Why overfill the muffin cups?
Overfilling the cups is how you get those big, over-sized muffin tops like what you’d find in a bakery!
Can these muffins be frozen?
Muffins freeze fantastically! Freeze any extra muffins for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer bag. Pull the desired amount an hour before eating them, leaving them to gently thaw out on the counter.
What You’ll Need
- 2 muffin pans
- 12 paper cupcake wrappers
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium microwave-safe mixing bowl
- Dry measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Cooling rack
The Process
Begin by preheating the oven to 350F, on the convection setting if possible, and prepare two muffin pans. Line every other cup with a paper wrapper so there will be an empty space in between each baked muffin. Giving that extra space in between each muffin will allow those beautiful huge muffin tops to spread out as much as they need to. Set these pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry goods aside.
In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until it’s just melted. If the butter is too hot, it will cook the eggs when they’re added, so be careful not to heat it for too long. If it does get too hot, don’t panic! Just let it cool for a few minutes, then proceed. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla into the melted butter and whisk them together until they become one homogeneous mixture.
Toss the frozen blueberries into the dry goods and stir them together using a rubber spatula until they’re evenly distributed and each blueberry is now coated in flour. This will help prevent all of the blueberries from sinking directly to the bottom of the batter when it’s baking.
Make a well in the center of the dry goods. This well will help the liquid mixture reach the bottom layer of dry goods, so it’s easier to bring the batter all together.
Pour the butter mixture into the center of the well you’ve created in the dry goods. Gently stir the two together using the rubber spatula, until there are no streaks of flour remaining in the batter. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, or you run the risk of developing too much gluten. Too much gluten in the batter will make tough muffins. No one wants a tough muffin.
Scoop ½ cup or 8 Tablespoons worth of batter into each paper wrapper in the prepared muffin pans. It seems like a lot, but over-filling the cups this way is what makes those beautiful bakery style muffin tops. If you’d like, you can garnish your muffins with sparkling sugar.
Place the pans in the center rack of the heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center of a center-placed muffin comes out clean, flipping halfway through.
Allow the muffins to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them over to a cooling rack. Those 5 minutes are a necessity. They allow the muffins to set up enough not to fall apart the second you try and remove one from the pan. Give them the 5 minutes. Once the muffins have cooled (at least close to) room temperature, unwrap one and enjoy! Store any remaining muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Blueberry Muffins
Bake Time: 350F for 25-30 minutes
Servings: 12 Muffins
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 18 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups frozen wild blueberries
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350F, on the convection setting if possible, and prepare two muffin pans. Line every other cup with a paper wrapper, as shown above, so there will be an empty space in between each baked muffin. Set these pans aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry goods aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until it’s just melted. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla into the melted butter and whisk them together until they become one homogeneous mixture.
- Toss the frozen blueberries into the dry goods and stir them together using a rubber spatula until they’re evenly distributed and each blueberry is now coated in flour. Make a well in the center of the dry goods, as shown above.
- Pour the butter mixture into the center of the well you’ve created in the dry goods. Gently stir the two together using the rubber spatula, until there are no streaks of flour remaining in the batter.
- Scoop ½ cup or 8 Tablespoons worth of batter into each paper wrapper in the prepared muffin pans. If you’d like, you can garnish your muffins with sparkling sugar. Place the pans in the center rack of the heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center of a center-placed muffin comes out clean, flipping halfway through.
- Allow the muffins to rest in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and transfer them over to a cooling rack. Once the muffins have cooled (at least close to) room temperature, unwrap one and enjoy! Store any remaining muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Tips
- Warm the milk for 30 seconds before adding it to the rest of the liquids, to help prevent the butter from appearing curdled.
- Freeze any extra muffins for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer bag. Pull the desired amount an hour before eating them, leaving them to gently thaw out on the counter.
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