I perfected Homemade Blueberry Muffins with a sweet crumb topping and a little secret that keeps the berries plump even when using frozen fruit.

Jump to Recipe

I bake a lot but these Blueberry Streusel Muffins make me stop. Nothing beats a muffin that bursts with fresh or frozen blueberries and the little hit of vanilla extract that lifts every bite.

The crumb on top cracks when you press it and the berries pop in a way that makes you forget the weekday. I keep thinking maybe I messed up the recipe, but then I taste it and smile.

You’ll wonder why you didn’t make these sooner. Try one and tell me if you agree, but fair warning, you might hide the rest.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

All purpose flour: Structure for muffins, mostly carbs, little protein or fiber.
Granulated sugar: Pure sweetness, simple carbs, makes them tender and golden, adds calories.
Unsalted butter: Rich fat, gives moisture and flavor, makes crumb tender.
Blueberries: Fresh or frozen, fiber and vitamin C, antioxidants, sweet with little tartness.
Egg: Binds ingredients, adds protein and richness, helps rise and hold shape.
Whole milk: Brings moisture, a bit of protein and lactose for browning, adds calcium.
Brown sugar streusel: Molasses notes, soft caramel sweetness, helps make crumbly topping, adds moisture.
Cinnamon and turbinado sugar: Cinnamon warms flavors; turbinado sugar gives crunchy, caramelized top.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 large egg, room temperature

2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, room temperature

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) fresh or frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar (for streusel)

1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour (for streusel)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)

4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (for streusel)

Pinch of salt (for streusel)

2 tablespoons turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups, and set aside.

2. Make the streusel first so it can chill a bit: in a bowl combine 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cut in 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. If the butter softens too much pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Make a well in the center.

4. In a separate bowl whisk 1 large room temperature egg, 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, 1/2 cup (113 g) melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon zest if using.

5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold with a spatula until JUST combined. Batter should be a bit lumpy, dont overmix or muffins will be tough.

6. Toss 1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) fresh or frozen blueberries with a tablespoon of the dry flour from step 3 to keep them from sinking (if frozen do not thaw). Gently fold the berries into the batter.

7. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of each muffin and press lightly. If you like, sprinkle 2 tablespoons turbinado or coarse sugar over the streusel for extra crunch.

8. Bake at 400 F for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. If using frozen berries you might need an extra 2 to 4 minutes.

9. Let muffins cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool more. Eat warm with a glass of cold milk, or store in an airtight container for 2 days.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven and a 12 cup muffin tin (use paper liners or grease the cups)
2. Two mixing bowls, one large and one small
3. Whisk
4. Rubber spatula for folding (dont overmix the batter)
5. Pastry cutter or fork (or your fingers) for the streusel
6. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for grams)
7. Microplane or zester for the lemon
8. Ice cream scoop or large tablespoon for even portions
9. Wire cooling rack and toothpicks to check doneness

FAQ

Q: Can I use frozen blueberries? A: Yes, totally. Keep them frozen when you fold them in so they leak less color. Toss the frozen berries with about 1 tablespoon of flour first so they dont sink, fold in gently, and add a minute or two to the bake time if needed.

Q: How do I stop the blueberries from sinking to the bottom? A: Toss the berries in a little flour (about 1 tablespoon per 1 1/2 cups berries) and fold them in very gently at the end. Also dont overfill the cups and dont overmix the batter, that helps keep them suspended.

Q: Any good swaps for the butter, milk or egg? A: You can use 1/3 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable) instead of the melted butter for a moister muffin. Any milk works (dairy or unsweetened plant milk) at the same volume. For egg, a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, wait 5 minutes) can work but texture will be slightly different.

Q: How do I get a crunchy streusel topping? A: Keep the streusel butter cold and cut it into the dry streusel ingredients until pieces are pea sized, chill the streusel for a few minutes before topping, then sprinkle coarse sugar on top. The cold butter and sugar make it crisp and crumbly after baking.

Q: How long do these muffins keep, and can I freeze them? A: At room temp in an airtight container they stay fresh for 2 days, in the fridge up to 5 days. Freeze fully cooled muffins individually wrapped for up to 3 months, thaw at room temp or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to warm.

Q: How do I know when they're done? A: The tops should be golden and spring back when you press lightly. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but not raw batter. Typical bake time is about 18 to 22 minutes in a 400 F oven but ovens vary so watch them near the end.

The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe With Streusel Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: you can swap up to half with whole wheat pastry flour 1:1 for a nuttier taste, its a bit denser so add 1 to 2 Tbsp extra milk if batter seems thick.
Granulated sugar: replace with light brown sugar 1:1 for more moisture and caramel notes. If you wanna use honey or maple syrup, use about 3/4 cup for each cup sugar and reduce the milk by ~2 Tbsp, bake a little longer.
Unsalted butter (melted): use neutral oil (vegetable or canola) 1:1 for a moist crumb, or melted coconut oil 1:1 for a mild coconut flavor. For the streusel, grated cold coconut oil works in the same amount as the cold butter.
Whole milk: any unsweetened plant milk (almond, oat) works 1:1; or use buttermilk 1:1 for a tangier, tender crumb. If you use buttermilk, add about 1/4 tsp baking soda to help with lift. For a thicker swap, mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water to equal 1 cup milk.

Pro Tips

1) Don’t overmix the batter, seriously. Fold just until you can no longer see dry streaks, a few lumps are fine. Overworking makes muffins dense and chewy, so stop as soon as it looks mostly combined.

2) Keep the streusel butter cold, and chill the streusel if it starts to smear. Cut it into pea sized bits for the best crunchy bits. If the butter softens too much, pop the streusel in the fridge for 5 minutes, then top the muffins cold so it bakes up crisp.

3) Toss berries with a spoonful of flour before folding in, and if they’re frozen don’t thaw them. That little flour coating helps them stay suspended in the batter. Fold slowly though, you dont want to smash the berries and turn the batter purple.

4) Check doneness with a toothpick near the center not the exact middle where a berry sits, it can give a false wet spot. Pull when there are a few moist crumbs clinging not a clean hole. If you use frozen berries add a couple minutes to the bake time, and rotate the pan halfway if your oven runs hot on one side.

5) Store and revive right: cool completely before sealing or the steam will sog the streusel. For longer keeping freeze individually wrapped, then reheat at low oven temp until warm to restore texture. If you want the streusel extra crunchy after storage, a quick 2 to 4 minute toast in a 300 F oven does wonders.

The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe With Streusel

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I perfected Homemade Blueberry Muffins with a sweet crumb topping and a little secret that keeps the berries plump even when using frozen fruit.

Servings

servings

Calories

282

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven and a 12 cup muffin tin (use paper liners or grease the cups)
2. Two mixing bowls, one large and one small
3. Whisk
4. Rubber spatula for folding (dont overmix the batter)
5. Pastry cutter or fork (or your fingers) for the streusel
6. Measuring cups and spoons (or a kitchen scale for grams)
7. Microplane or zester for the lemon
8. Ice cream scoop or large tablespoon for even portions
9. Wire cooling rack and toothpicks to check doneness

Ingredients

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar (for streusel)
1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour (for streusel)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
4 tablespoons (56 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (for streusel)
Pinch of salt (for streusel)
2 tablespoons turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups, and set aside.
Make the streusel first so it can chill a bit: in a bowl combine 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cut in 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. If the butter softens too much pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Make a well in the center.
In a separate bowl whisk 1 large room temperature egg, 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk, 1/2 cup (113 g) melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon zest if using.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold with a spatula until JUST combined. Batter should be a bit lumpy, dont overmix or muffins will be tough.
Toss 1 1/2 cups (about 225 g) fresh or frozen blueberries with a tablespoon of the dry flour from step 3 to keep them from sinking (if frozen do not thaw). Gently fold the berries into the batter.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of each muffin and press lightly. If you like, sprinkle 2 tablespoons turbinado or coarse sugar over the streusel for extra crunch.
Bake at 400 F for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. If using frozen berries you might need an extra 2 to 4 minutes.
Let muffins cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool more. Eat warm with a glass of cold milk, or store in an airtight container for 2 days.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.