The Best Blueberry Muffins

These easy blueberry muffins mix together quickly for a perfect morning treat. Soft and tender from sour cream and bursting with blueberries (use fresh or frozen!), these muffins have been a long-time family favorite. Read below for different flavor combinations and topping ideas!

Growing up, I can’t remember my mom making muffins too often, but I fell hard for them during my freshman year in college. A friend got regular deliveries of the gigantic Sam’s Club muffins and was always gracious enough to share. They were an assortment of blueberry, banana nut, and chocolate, and those have forever remained my very favorite flavors of muffins.

Years and years later, I was thrilled to land this recipe for a classic, delicious blueberry muffin. The batter is quite thick and there’s no skimping – the muffin cups are packed full which makes for generous-sized muffins once they come rolling out of the oven. They are, without a doubt, the most amazing, the most perfect blueberry muffins I have ever eaten.

Truly, the best of the best when it comes to blueberry muffins.

Fresh versus frozen blueberries

When fresh blueberries are in season, there is nothing better!

However, what if you are craving blueberry muffins in the dead of winter and the price of fresh blueberries is through the roof?

You can absolutely use frozen blueberries in this recipe. My favorite are frozen wild blueberries, but any variety will do. You do not need to thaw them or make any other adjustments to the recipe.

Blueberry muffins, step-by-step

Muffins are such a fantastic morning treat, typically made in quick bread fashion with just a bowl or two and a whisk, they come together quickly and are meant to be enjoyed warm and fresh from the oven. Here’s how we make them:

1. Preheat oven and line a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Whisk the sugar and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Toss the blueberries in the dry ingredients.
5. Fold in the sour cream mixture. Be sure to mix gently to ensure the muffins are not tough.
6. Divide the batter between the muffin cups.
7. Bake until light golden brown.

Muffin pans and liners

Any standard 12-cup muffin pan will work for these muffins. I’ve had the Wilton Everglide Avanti muffin pan for ages, but it not readily available in most places anymore. If you can’t get your hands on one, my next recommendation is the USA Muffin Pan.

You can spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray or use liners. I’ve used tons of different types of liners over the years, and I absolutely prefer the basic white paper liners. You can find them at just about any grocery store or craft store, but they are incredibly inexpensive if you buy them in bulk online (and they last forever!).

Flavor add-ins and topping ideas

If you’d like to punch up these muffins with some different flavors, here are a few ideas for you:

• Lemon-blueberry muffins: (For a taste reminiscent of the lemon blueberry bundt cake!) Whisk the zest of one lemon into the egg and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
• Orange-blueberry muffins: Whisk the zest of one orange into the egg and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
• Ginger-blueberry muffins: Whisk 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger into the egg and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Along the same lines of flavor add-ins, you can also add some delicious toppings for some contrasting flavors and textures. Some of my favorite ideas:

• Cinnamon-sugar streusel: Before baking, mix together ½ cup brown sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the muffins then bake as directed.
• Cinnamon-sugar dipped: Once the muffins come out of the oven, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Mix together ½ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in another small bowl. Once the muffins have cooled for 5 minutes, dip the top of each muffin in melted butter and then the cinnamon sugar. Return to the cooling rack.
• Drizzle with glaze: Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar + 1 tablespoon milk + 1 teaspoon vanilla and drizzle over cooled muffins. You can replace the milk with lemon juice, orange juice, or lime juice if you’d like.

Storing and freezing blueberry muffins

There are a few different options for storing these muffins:

• Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Refrigerator – Kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these muffins will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
• Freezer – Once completely cooled, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Muffin love!

More of my favorite muffins for a delicious morning treat:

• Apple-Cinnamon Muffins
• Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Muffins
• Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel
• Morning Glory Muffins
• Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

If you make this blueberry muffin recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️

(Recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated)

[Photography by Dee of One Sarcastic Baker]