Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Tender, cakey muffins loaded with fresh blueberries, cinnamon, and a hint of maple syrup. Uses buttermilk for tang, butter and oil for moist texture. Cinnamon-sugar topping for slight crunch. Adjust baking times by watching muffin tops turn golden and edges pulling slightly from liners. Substitutions include yogurt for buttermilk and honey in place of maple syrup. Mix dry ingredients separately to avoid clumps. Fold berries gently to avoid blue streaks. Lower oven temp after initial blast to get dome-shaped tops without cracking. A muffin with a tender crumb but sturdy enough to hold. No overmixing to keep crumb fine. Batter is runny but that’s expected.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
17 min
Total:
29 min
Servings:
13 servings
#baking
#muffins
#blueberry
#American cuisine
#quick breads
#breakfast
#dessert
Ever struggled with muffins that spread instead of rise? Kiss the flat tops goodbye with this method. Start high heat, drop it quick. Buttermilk or yogurt adds acidity for tender crumb. Butter and oil combo keeps moisture locked in but don’t overdo oil or muffins get greasy. Brown sugar for depth, a hint of cinnamon warms everything up. Blueberries bursting inside, slight crisp from cinnamon sugar on top — balance of texture and flavors. Batter will look runny—don’t panic, that’s how you avoid dense bricks. Timing varies with your oven; watch color and texture cues over strict clocks. Years messing around taught me: muffin success is all in the timing and folding technique. No overmixing, gentle berry fold, or risk blue batter disasters. This muffin isn’t shy — aromas fill kitchen early on.
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk substituted with plain yogurt slightly thinned with water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil replaced with melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure honey instead of maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
About the ingredients
Flour measurement can fluctuate with humidity; fluff and spoon into cup before leveling. Baking powder age matters—freshness guarantees lift. Cinnamon adds warmth but don’t overpower or it turns bitter. Butter must be softened, not melted—melting breaks creaming and affects rise. Swapping buttermilk with yogurt is fine but thin yogurt slightly with water to mimic buttermilk’s fluidity and acidity. Oil can be any mild vegetable oil; coconut oil adds slight tropical twist but use refined to avoid strong coconut flavor. Honey substitutes maple syrup well though flavor changes subtly. Fresh blueberries are best; frozen can add excess moisture if thawed. Toss blueberries in a bit of flour before folding to avoid sinking or purple streaks in batter. Sprinkle topping sugar mixture generously for crunch; feel free to add chopped nuts for texture variation.
Method
- Warmed oven to 425°F. Lined muffin pan with paper liners sprayed lightly with non-stick for easy release. High heat jumpstarts muffin dome but watch closely.
- Mixed flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Important to sift or whisk well to avoid salty pockets.
- Using stand mixer, creamed softened butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy. Adds air, critical for crumb structure. Added buttermilk (or yogurt), oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla gradually. Batter will be liquidy, not thick. Don’t freak.
- Reduced speed to medium, incorporated dry mix slowly. Too fast or overmix and gluten kicks in, muffins get tough. Stopped mixing when just combined. Folded blueberries gently with rubber spatula, trying not to bruise berries or turn batter purple.
- Spooned batter into muffin cups using quarter-cup measure for even sizing. Mixed cinnamon and sugar, sprinkled on top for crisp, fragrant crust.
- Dropped oven temp from 425°F to 350°F immediately after loading. That blast of heat helps muffin start rising fast but then lower heat ensures even cooking inside without too dark tops.
- Baked 15 to 20 minutes, checking visually. Tops golden and edges pulling away from liners means done. Inserted toothpick; clean or with a few moist crumbs, perfect. Overbaking dries crumb, underbaking leaves raw pockets.
- Let muffins cool completely on rack before digging in. Fragile crumb, moist pockets. Scent of cinnamon and maple-honey lingers.
Cooking tips
Start baking at high temperature for initial rise—watch batter bubble around edges, cue it’s working. Lowering temp prevents burnt crust and allows interior to cook fully. Don’t trust timer blindly; pull muffins when tops turn golden and slight pull from paper. Toothpick test always wise but also press lightly on muffin top after 15 minutes—spring back means done. Overworked batter creates holes and tunnels, so fold carefully. Creaming butter and sugar introduces air but avoid melting butter or too cold butter, balance matters. Measuring batter consistently ensures even bake; a disorganized scoop leads to uneven cooking. Cool muffins upright on a wire rack; cooling in pan traps steam causing sogginess. Freeze extras wrapped tightly and reheat gently to preserve crumb. Experiment with add-ins but fold in last and gently, keep that crumb tender.
Chef's notes
- 💡 High oven heat first jumpstarts top dome rise fast. Don’t ignore initial blast; batter bubbles edges, look close. Drop temp quick after loading muffins to 350°F. Keeps crust from burning, ensures even baking inside. Watch muffin edges pulling slightly from liners. That means almost done. Use paper liners sprayed lightly with non-stick — helps release without tearing fragile crumb.
- 💡 Butter soft not melted. Melting kills creaming step, no airy crumb. Brown sugar creamed in gets air pockets inside. Adds depth and moistness but don’t rush blending. Slower mixing dry ingredients; sift or whisk dry mix separately. Avoid clumps, affects taste and texture. Fold berries gently last step; bruising turns batter purple, unappealing but worse affects texture. Toss berries in a touch flour if using frozen or very wet berries.
- 💡 Batter looks runny. That’s okay. Resist temptation to thicken or overmix. Overmixing develops gluten, tough muffins. Fold dry into wet ingredients at medium mixer speed, stop as soon as combined. Use rubber spatula to fold in berries carefully. Consistent scoop sizes equal bake times. Use quarter-cup scoop measure. Uneven batter means some muffins under or overbaked.
- 💡 Sugary cinnamon topping adds crunch and aroma that contrast with tender crumb inside. Mix cinnamon + granulated sugar before sprinkling on batter cups. Don’t skip; sets muffin apart with texture variation. Lower oven temperature after first 5 minutes lets muffin bake through, no burnt tops. Timing based on color and texture, not exact minutes only. Toothpick test standard, but slight moist crumbs okay. Too dry means overbaked.
- 💡 Cool muffins fully on wire rack after baking. Cooling in pan traps steam and soggy bottoms. Muffins fragile when fresh, crumb moist pockets but firm enough. Freeze extras tightly wrapped; thaw gently to preserve texture. Swap buttermilk with yogurt thinned lightly with water — acidity close enough for tender crumb. Honey exchanges with maple syrup no problem but expect altered flavor balance. Coconut oil swap for vegetable oil adds light tropical hint but use refined type.
Common questions
Why fold berries gently?
Makes sense for texture. Bruised berries seep color making batter purplish and patchy. Also avoid destroying fragile crumb. Folding keeps juicy pockets intact yet distributes fruit evenly. Careful fold prevents blue streaks. Using flour toss on berries stops them sinking during bake. Frozen thawed berries extra risky, add moisture, careful handling critical.
Can I replace buttermilk with something else?
Plain yogurt is go-to substitute. Thin with water to mimic buttermilk fluidity and acidity level. Lemon juice or vinegar + milk also works if no yogurt around. Acidity important for crumb tender texture, rise and flavor balance. Skip acid? Muffins get heavy, dense. Adjust liquid when substituting so batter consistency stays runny but pourable.
What if muffins turn tough?
Most often overmix dry with wet ingredients. Gluten overdeveloped makes crumb chewy and tough. Beat low medium speed, fold dry slowly after combining wet. Also butter temp matters; too warm butter ruins creaming aeration. Watch baking temps too – oven too hot long time burns edges, dries crumb. Take muffins out as soon as golden, slight pull from liners noticed.
How best to store muffins?
Room temp in airtight container okay couple days but risk sogginess from trapped steam. Cooling fully first essential. Refrigerate if longer storage but drys crumb fast. Freezing best for extended storage; wrap in foil or plastic wrap, then bag. Reheat low in oven or microwave gently to revive warmth without drying. Don’t forget liner removal before freezing if plastic or wax paper involved.
