Elevate your mornings with a batch of comforting bakery style Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins!! Made from scratch using simple ingredients, this easy-to-follow recipe is your ticket to muffin perfection in just 20 minutes, no mixer required. Each bite delivers a burst of juicy blueberries nestled in a tender crumb, perfectly balanced with the tangy richness of buttermilk. Get ready to enhance your baking game and satisfy your cravings with every bite!!
If you grew up in the South like me, chances are you learned a few things about the magic of baking with buttermilk. Growing up, my grandmother always had a carton or two on hand to whip up delicious Southern desserts.
Her signature blueberry muffin recipe is a timeless favorite and was a staple on our breakfast table. After making her version for years, I decided to infuse it with a modern twist, resulting in these bakery-style blueberry buttermilk muffins!!
Bursting with fresh, juicy blueberries, warm cinnamon, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating, these blueberry buttermilk muffins are to die for!! They feature tall, domed muffin tops, slightly crisp edges, and a delicate tender crumb. The tangy buttermilk and sweet blueberries are perfectly complemented by the golden, crumbly exterior that practically melts in your mouth.
Savor them straight from the oven alongside your morning coffee or tea, or grab one for a delightful on-the-go quick breakfast or snack. This easy recipe is bound to be cherished on both ordinary days and special occasions alike!!
Achieving those lofty muffin tops may seem challenging, but with my tried and true recipe and expert baking tips below, you can say good bye to store bought and hello to bakery-quality bliss!!
For more buttermilk recipes, try Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake, or Easy & Moist Spiced Banana Cake!!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fresh, juicy blueberries - These fluffy buttermilk muffins are bursting with 2 cups of sweet, fresh blueberries!! Fresh blueberries add a delicious juicy burst to each muffin, creating little pockets of flavor in every bite.
- Easy to Make - Simple to make with minimal ingredients, this buttermilk blueberry recipe couldn't be easier. You'll quickly forget about waiting in line at your neighborhood bakery!! These muffins are made using a simple muffin base recipe that comes together in 20 minutes, no mixer required!!
- Perfect, Round Muffin tops - These bakery style muffins stand tall with perfectly domed golden brown muffin tops and slightly crisp edges.
- Rich & Moist Texture - With the addition of buttermilk and a combination of oil and melted butter, these muffins bake up incredibly soft and tender.
- Crunchy Sugar Tops - Each muffin is topped with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar prior to baking creating the perfect crunch.
Recipe Ingredients
To create these fluffy buttermilk blueberry muffins, you only need a handful of simple ingredients. From plump, juicy blueberries to tangy buttermilk and a few pantry staples, here is what you'll need to make these easy Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins:
Ingredient Notes:
- Cake Flour - Because of its low gluten content, cake flour yields a tender, fluffy texture which is perfect for these muffins!! If you do not have cake flour you can use all purpose flour but know that your muffins will not be as tender.
- Unsalted Melted Butter - Using melted butter ensures that rich, buttery flavor everyone loves in a blueberry muffin. I prefer to use unsalted butter but feel free to use salted. Just be sure to omit the salt in the recipe.
- Vegetable Oil - While butter provides flavor, vegetable oil keeps these muffins super moist. You can use any neutral oil or replace the oil with an equal amount of melted butter.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk is the key ingredient when it comes to creating tender, soft muffins. Because of its high fat content and acidity, it gives a slight tang to baked goods and breaks down the gluten strands creating a more moist, tender crumb. I do not recommend substituting regular milk for buttermilk.
- Fresh Blueberries -For best results I prefer using fresh organic blueberries. Fresh blueberries have a firmer texture and hold up well during baking.
- Sour Cream - Sour cream is used to slightly thicken the batter. The tanginess of the sour cream not only adds moisture but complements the sweetness of the blueberries.
- Brown Sugar - Brown sugar adds moisture and a little kick of molasses which pairs so well with the blueberries.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon adds a subtle hint of warmth that elevates and intensifies the flavor of the blueberries.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Why Is Buttermilk Used In Muffins
Over the years, I have loved incorporating buttermilk in my recipes. Not only is it a Southern staple, but a secret weapon in most Southern kitchens.
Buttermilk adds a delightful tanginess and richness that elevates muffins to a whole new level. Due to its high acidity, it reacts with baking soda to create more rise and a light and fluffy texture, resulting in muffins that are tender and moist.
As with sour cream and yogurt, buttermilk helps to tenderize the gluten in the batter, ensuring your muffins turn out perfectly soft and crumbly every time - something that can't be achieved with regular milk.
How to make your own buttermilk at home: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Next, pour whole milk into the measuring cup until it reaches one cup. Let the mixture stand for 10 to 15 minutes. It is ready when it is slightly thickened and curdled.
Top tip: Before incorporating the blueberries into the batter, wash them at least one hour beforehand and let them air dry on a paper towel. This step helps prevent any excess liquid from affecting the consistency of the muffin batter.
Substitutions and Variations
With endless variations to explore, this versatile muffin recipe can be easily adapted to fit whatever taste preference you prefer. Whether it's adding a hint of lemon zest for a refreshing twist or tossing in some chopped nuts for added texture, feel free to experiment and customize this recipe to make it uniquely yours.
- Lemon blueberry muffins - For a zesty bright flavor, mix lemon zest with the granulated sugar. To do this, simply add the lemon zest to the granulated sugar and using your fingers, rub the zest and sugar together. Do this before adding the sugar to the muffin batter.
- Blueberry buttermilk muffins with streusel topping - Add some texture by adding a crumb topping. Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the muffin batter and top the muffins with a delicious cinnamon almond streusel before baking!!
- Use a different fruit. If you do not like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries would all be great additions.
- Vanilla glaze - Drizzle the blueberry muffins with a simple vanilla glaze. Whisk together 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar with 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract and 2-4 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Lemon glaze - For a tart citrus glaze, whisk together 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Whisk until smooth then top with the slightly warm muffins.
- Cinnamon cream cheese glaze - For a creamy option, top the warm muffins with a cream cheese glaze. Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Additionally, you can top them with turbinado sugar.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you happen to try any from the list above or add your own spin with new ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
Step by Step Instructions
With just two bowls, a whisk, and a muffin pan, I'll guide you through my step by step process of achieving those sought-after bakery-style muffin tops and a tender, moist crumb without all the fuss. Here's how to make and bake these easy blueberry buttermilk muffins:
Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift the cake flour. Then, whisk in the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Lastly, add in the blueberries and carefully mix to distribute.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs until combined. Next, whisk in the melted butter, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold them together using a rubber spatula until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Step 4: Scoop the muffin batter. After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 425F and line a cupcake or muffin pan with 6 paper liners. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin liners. Over fill each liner with the muffin batter.
Step 5: Add the toppings. Top each muffin with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a few extra blueberries.
Step 6: Bake!! Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425F then lower the oven temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 15 - 18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool for an additional 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm!!
Expert Baking Tips
- Do not over mix the muffin batter - When mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, only mix until just combined. Over-mixing will deflate the batter and lead to tough muffins. If you see a few flour lumps after mixing, its ok!!
- Use room temperature ingredients - Using room temperature ingredients ensures the batter mixes together evenly. Allow the eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk to come to room temperature for at least two hours prior to baking.
- Rest the muffin batter - To achieve those high muffin tops, the batter has to rest before baking. By letting the batter rest before baking, the leaveners have more time to activate in the liquid (the buttermilk) allowing the batter to thicken and lift before going in the oven.
- Gently scoop the muffin batter - When scooping the muffin batter into the liners, do so in one slow motion, allowing the batter to fill the scooper. Avoid adding additional batter to already filled cups, as this can disrupt leavener reactions, causing the batter to deflate.
- Alternate muffin cups - This step is optional but highly recommended. By doing this step, the heat is evenly distributed between each of the filled muffin cups allowing them to bake evenly.
- Be sure to coat the blueberries in flour - Coating the blueberries in the flour mixture prevents them from sinking to the bottom while they are baking.
- Overfill your liners. Use an ice cream scoop to evenly portion the batter and over fill your muffin liners to the top. Filling the muffin liners higher than the top of the muffin cup will give you tall, bakery style muffins!!
- Muffin liners. If you do not have any muffins liners on hand, simply grease the muffin pan with baking spray with flour or with butter prior to adding the muffin batter.
Recipe FAQs
What is the secret to moist muffins?
Resting the batter allows it to thicken and hydrate creating a more tender, fluffy muffin. Also, cake flour, buttermilk, oil, and brown sugar all contribute to this muffin's moist, fluffy texture.
How long should muffin batter rest before baking?
Allowing the batter to rest not only ensures those lovely bakery-style muffin tops but it also allows the flour to hydrate and soak up more moisture. While this step is optional, I suggest resting the batter for at least a minimum of 30 minutes if an hour isn't feasible. However, if you do not have time to rest the batter at all, you can bake the muffins immediately after mixing; they'll remain tasty, but with slightly less height.
Can I use fresh or frozen blueberries?
I highly recommend using fresh organic blueberries for this recipe. Frozen blueberries defrost while baking, becoming mushy. They also release excess moisture, or "bleed" causing the batter to have that unattractive green and blue tinge.
If you prefer using frozen blueberries, do not allow them to thaw. Thawing causes the juices to bleed more into the muffin batter. Simply add them to the flour as you would the fresh blueberries and increase the bake time by 5 minutes.
Why do I have to bake at a higher temperature for the first 5 minutes?
These muffins bake initially at 425F for 5 minutes to help them rise up quickly. This initial burst of heat allows the baking powder to react a second time, resulting in lofty muffin tops. However, the temperature is then lowered to 375F (without opening the oven door) for the remaining bake time. This lower temperature prevents the muffins from over-baking and ensures they bake evenly without drying out too quickly.
Storage Tips
Store the cooled blueberry buttermilk muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 -3 days. To freeze, place them in a freezer ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw to room temperature before enjoying.
I love enjoying these muffins while they are warm with a generous pat of butter melting on top. I mean, is there any other way to enjoy a muffin? Heat the muffins for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave for that freshly baked muffin texture!!
More Fruit Recipes You'll Love
It brings me so much joy when you make one of my recipes!! If you try this recipe and love it much as I do, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below. And don't forget to tag me to share your creation with me!! You can find me on Instagram @vintage_confections.
📖 Recipe
The Best Bakery Style Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
- 2 ½ (312 g) cups Cake flour sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 (200 g) cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ (55 g) cup Light brown sugar
- 2 cups Fresh blueberries
- ¼ (60 g) cup Sour cream room temperature
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- ¼ (57g) cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ (56 g) cup Vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1 (240 g) cup Buttermilk room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift the cake flour. Then, whisk in the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Lastly, add in the blueberries and carefully mix to distribute. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.2 ½ (312 g) cups Cake flour, 2 ½ teaspoons Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ¾ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 (200 g) cup Granulated sugar, ¼ (55 g) cup Light brown sugar, 2 cups Fresh blueberries, 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Then mix in the vanilla extract, melted butter, oil, and buttermilk.¼ (60 g) cup Sour cream, 2 large Eggs, ¼ (57g) cup Unsalted butter, ¼ (56 g) cup Vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract, 1 (240 g) cup Buttermilk
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix them together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Don't worry if the batter looks a little lumpy, it's expected.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and and allow the batter to rest for 1 hour. After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 425F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 6 paper liners, placing each liner in every other cup. (For this method, you will bake the muffins in two batches. Be sure to cover the batter while the first batch bakes. Alternatively, you can bake all 11 at one time but your muffins won't be as tall.)
- Using an ice cream scoop, gently scoop the fluffy muffin batter into the paper liners, taking extra care not to deflate the batter. Overfill each liner to the top.
- Top each batter filled muffin liner with a sprinkle a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and extra blueberries.
- Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. Then, (without opening the oven door), lower the oven temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 15 - 18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a cooling rack. (You may need to use a small butterknife to get in between the muffin tops and the cupcake pan as the berries may stick to the pan). Allow muffins to cool for an additional 10 minutes, then enjoy!!
Comments
No Comments