Sweet, light, and fluffy, these to die for blueberry muffins are the perfect way to start the day!
Just the aroma of these goodies baking in the oven gives me glee.
There’s nothing like a blueberry muffin paired with coffee or tea in the morning. It’s definitely a breakfast worth getting up early for.
You can enjoy to die for blueberry muffins on their own or slather them with butter. Either way, you know your breakfast will be terrific.
To Die For Blueberry Muffins
These muffins are crazy delicious! They’re insanely soft, fluffy, and bursting with sweetly tart blueberries.
Let’s also not forget about the sugar-cinnamon streusel crumble. That buttery, crumbly topping makes for an even more exciting experience.
One muffin is a meal on its own, but I won’t judge you if you ask for seconds. Or thirds. Or sneak a few more in your bag for work. You do you, Boo!
Ingredients
These muffins have two components: the muffins themselves and the streusel topping. The following is a list of what you’ll need for each:
For the muffins:
- Flour. The base of the muffins. Regular all-purpose flour works best.
- Sugar. For sweetness. Use white sugar for the batter.
- Salt. Just a pinch to contrast the sweetness and enhance the muffins’ flavor.
- Baking powder. The leavening agent responsible for creating big muffins with lovely domed tops.
- Vegetable oil. Some recipes call for butter instead of oil for a richer flavor. While that’s completely fine, I prefer oil because it makes the muffins ridiculously moist.
- Egg. Binds the ingredients together and helps make the muffins light and fluffy. Use room-temperature egg for best results.
- Buttermilk. For maximum muffin moisture.
- Vanilla extract. For a more intense flavor.
- Blueberries. Fresh is best. If they’re not in season, frozen berries also work.
For the streusel topping:
- Brown sugar. While white sugar is fine for the batter, you need brown for the topping. It gives it a rich, caramel-like flavor.
- All-purpose flour. To make the topping thick and crumbly.
- Butter. Ensure your butter is cold and cut into cubes. It’s essential for ensuring you get the topping right.
- Ground cinnamon. For warmth, spice, and extra flavor.
Tips for the Best Muffins
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Use a room-temperature egg. It blends easier with the rest of the ingredients. If you forgot to take it out of the fridge, just submerge it in warm water for 2 minutes.
- No fresh berries? Use frozen! Simply thaw and pat them dry so they won’t make the batter runny.
- Toss the blueberries with flour. Doing so will stop them from bleeding and sinking to the bottom.
- Add coarse sugar. Sprinkling a little over the muffins pre-baking will give you a wonderfully crunchy topping. Even WITHOUT the streusel topping.
- Add more flavor. Mix lemon zest and almond extract into the batter for extra flavor.
- DIY buttermilk. If buttermilk isn’t available, make it yourself! My other article about buttermilk substitutes has a recipe.
- Pick your edges. For soft edges, use muffin liners. For crisp edges, grease the muffin cups with oil.
- Bake immediately. Baking powder starts to react when it comes in contact with liquid. You want that reaction to take place in the oven. So, bake the batter as soon as you combine the dry and wet ingredients.
How Can I Make My Muffins Light and Fluffy?
Muffins are not as good if they’re not light, fluffy, and moist. Here are three tips to ensure muffin success:
- Use buttermilk instead of milk. Not only will it help lift the batter. It will also make the muffins extra moist.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Over-mixing is the primary culprit of dry, dense, and rubbery muffins. Stop mixing the batter as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Also, there’s no need to use an electric mixer for this recipe. A good old-fashioned whisk will do.
- Use vegetable oil instead of butter. Butter adds more flavor, but it yields dense muffins with greasy bottoms. If you want ultra-moist muffins, stick to vegetable oil. Add a splash of vanilla to make up for the flavor.
What Can I Use Instead of Blueberries in Muffins?
The great thing about muffins is that you can use other fruits and berries, and they’ll still taste amazing.
If you’re not a fan of or don’t have blueberries, try these instead:
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Cranberries
- Chopped apples
- Bananas
- Mangoes
- Orange zest
- Lemon juice
- Chocolate chips