Unbeatable Blueberry Muffins with Streusel

Crisp and crumbly on the top but moist and fluffy on the inside, these blueberry streusel muffins are the perfect version of my favorite American classic. I’m always surprised by how easily and quickly I can whip up these unbeatable muffins in my own kitchen! 

I recommend doubling this recipe when you make the batter, as the muffins keep well in the freezer and will disappear faster than you’d expect! Easily thawed overnight, blueberry streusel muffins are a delicious breakfast treat that I always grab on my way out the door. 

My recipe for crumbly, streusel-topped blueberry muffins was adapted from a couple of iconic department-store muffin recipes and a few versions published by fantastic baking bloggers.  

Before you get started

• Take the eggs and buttermilk out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to bake time so that they’re at room temperature when you need them. This ensures that your batter has the right consistency so the muffins bake with the perfect texture. 
• Gather your equipment and ingredients so that you have them ready to go when it’s time to start cooking! 
• Melt the unsalted butter prior to mixing any ingredients so that it can begin cooling. 
• If using frozen blueberries, do not take them out of the freezer! Leave them inside to prevent thawing and add them in right before baking. 

Suggested Equipment & Appliances

• 1 muffin tin with 12 cups (or two 6-cup muffin tins)
• 2 large mixing bowls
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• Wire cooling rack
• 1 wooden or plastic spoon
• 1 whisk
• 1 rubber or plastic spatula

Recipe Yield and Cook Time

• Recipe Yield: 1 dozen muffins
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the muffin batter:

•  2 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ cup granulated (white) sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• ½ cup (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup and ¼ cup fresh blueberries, divided

For the streusel topping:

• ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• ½ cup granulated (white) sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the 12 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners if you have them on hand. Grease the lined or unlined muffin cups of your baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Prepare the streusel crumble topping. Start by combining the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. 
3. Cut the cold unsalted butter into small pieces and work them into the dry ingredients gradually. This is best done with your hands, combining the ingredients together until thick crumbles form. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for later use. 
4. Begin preparing the muffin batter by combining the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. These ingredients include the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk these ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined without clumps. 
5. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients. These include the beaten eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients together until a smooth cream is formed. 
6. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold everything together using a spatula only until fully combined. Stop mixing the batter once it’s evenly combined, or else your muffins will turn out dense and tough!
7. In a small bowl, toss 1 cup of the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour until they are evenly coated. This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of each muffin while baking. Gently fold the coated blueberries into the muffin batter. 
8. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin cups, dividing it evenly and filling the cups  about ⅔ of the way up.
9. Top each of the batter-filled muffin cups with a few of the remaining blueberries. 
10. Sprinkle some of the streusel topping over each batter-filled cup, dividing it evenly among the 12 muffins. 
11. Bake the muffins on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick shoved into a muffin comes out clean. 
12. Let the muffin tin cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before digging into a warm one! 

Tips and Tricks

• For optimal baking and perfect muffin texture, keep the oven door closed during the cooking time and center the muffin tin on the middle rack. 
• If you don’t have paper cupcake liners around, you can use parchment paper as a replacement. Just cut 6” x 6” squares of parchment and press them down into each muffin cup, creasing around the edges so that they hold upright. 
• If using salted butter instead of unsalted, use ¼ teaspoon of salt in the batter instead of the ½ teaspoon listed in the recipe. 
• These blueberry streusel muffins will keep well if stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For the best results, place a sheet of paper towel in the airtight container to absorb any excess moisture from the muffins. 
• They also freeze well for up to 2 months! Just wrap the muffins tightly and freeze them in an airtight bag or container. Before serving, let the muffins thaw overnight at room temperature. You can also speed up the defrosting process in the microwave if you’re short on time. 
• This recipe is best made with fresh blueberries, but if you only have frozen berries on hand, you can use them instead. Make sure not to thaw the frozen berries before tossing them in flour and folding them into the batter! Follow the recipe as described with the berries cold and frozen. 
• Dried blueberries can also be used instead of fresh blueberries if you’d like! They won’t offer the same juicy texture but will still add color and flavor to these awesome muffins. 
• If you have any empty muffin cups in your baking pan, fill them ⅔ full with lukewarm water to ensure even baking of your muffins! Be careful not to spill some of the water onto the batter-filled muffin cups. 

Substitutions

Any of the following ingredients can be swapped for some alternatives at the same quantity:

• Buttermilk can be replaced with sour cream, greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, or plain yogurt. Vegan alternatives for buttermilk include soymilk (add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar), coconut milk (add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar), and almond milk (add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar). 
• Brown Sugar can be replaced with granulated (white) sugar, coconut palm sugar, or raw cane sugar! 
• Blueberries Though they are the star of the show here, you can swap out the blueberries for a few other options if you have picky eaters around. Try chocolate chips, dried sweetened cranberries, raisins, or chopped apples!