Best Blueberry Muffins

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Here’s the formula for the perfect, bakery-style tender muffin.

This is such an easy, adaptable batter for large muffins, minis or even cake. Blueberries are just one idea. Try chopped apples or pears, grated zucchini or carrots. Or combine ingredients like granola and dried fruit or chocolate chips and nuts.

For a make ahead idea, prepare muffin batter and freeze in greased or paper lined muffin tins, covered, before baking. Once frozen, transfer muffins to a ziplock bag to bake just a few at a time whenever you want a fresh muffin. Frozen muffins will last up to three months.

Use the photos as your guide and get creative with this basic recipe.

Zest the lemon first, then squeeze the juice and strain out the seeds. The lemon juice adds moisture while the zest flavors the sugar topping that bakes up tangy and crunchy in the oven. If you prefer vanilla, replace the lemon juice with one teaspoon of vanilla extract and add just plain sugar to the tops of muffins or a combination of scraped vanilla beans and sugar.

Pour lemon juice into milk and set aside to curdle.

Adding a little bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to milk in baked goods is a great trick. Whenever a recipe calls for buttermilk, you can substitute your milk of choice ( dairy or vegan) and lemon or clear vinegar. The ratio is 1 cup milk +1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.

Combine lemon zest and sugar for a crunchy, zesty topping before muffins go in the oven.

The lemon (or vanilla) sugar topping takes less time to make than an icing or streusel topping, yet adds a simple but elegant extra dimension to the muffins.

Mashed blueberries give the muffins an extra pop of blueberry flavor.

With the mixer on low, fold in the mashed berries, then continue mixing by hand.

To make a tender muffin or cake, DON’T OVER-MIX!

Use a spatula to gently combine the berries into the thick batter, using as few strokes as possible.

Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to fill muffin cups. Don't worry if batter is slightly above the line of paper. It will settle in as it bakes. The muffins look prettiest if you don't mash down the batter into the cups. — Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to fill muffin cups. Don’t worry if batter is slightly above the line of paper. It will settle in as it bakes. The muffins look prettiest if you don’t mash down the batter into the cups.

Let's face it: muffins are really little cakes. Use the same batter to make blueberry loaf cake instead. It's especially good with a dab of lemon curd. Cut into slices or cubes and serve with toothpicks. — Let’s face it: muffins are really little cakes. Use the same batter to make blueberry loaf cake instead.

Blueberry Cake is especially good with a dab of lemon curd.

Cut into slices or cubes and serve with toothpicks.

Dig in to the very best blueberry muffins and discover new ways to adapt this easy recipe to your own taste.

[tasty-recipe id=”7655″]

Nutritional Information based on 12 servings, using real butter, eggs and almond milk.

Comments

Honey and Poppa says

August 8, 2015 at 11:26 PM

looks wonderful. do you have a recipe for jalapeno corn bread? Poppa has a hankering! Love your blog! And more importantly= Love you! H&P

- Dana says
  
  August 10, 2015 at 2:07 PM
  
  Honey and Poppa,
  I do have an easy sour cream cornbread muffin recipe on the blog. I will follow up later this month with a spicier version. That’s a great idea, thank you!
  
Dana says

November 18, 2015 at 12:36 PM

Five star recipe- add to your list of favorites!

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