Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

I never knew my kids were such blueberry fans until we went blueberry picking last summer. It was a hot, muggy evening and the mosquitoes were rampant. But it was still a lot fun and we came home with several pounds of fresh berries. I love having a ready supply of blueberries the freezer for baked goods like this great recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins. They are the best muffins for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.

Start your morning off on the right foot by pairing these delicious muffins with a yummy Mocha Iced Coffee.

How to make buttermilk blueberry muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, lemon zest, and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together two cups of flour, the baking powder and salt.
5. If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer running on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with half of the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Continue to mix just until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are well incorporated. Overmixing can result in tough, chewy muffins.
6. Toss the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour. Coating the blueberries in flour prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter during baking.
7. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter by hand using a large rubber spatula. Folding, as it relates to baking, is a method of gently combining two ingredients without deflating the air out of the mixture, andr in this case, crushing our blueberries. With one swift motion, glide the spatula around the edges and along the bottom of the bowl. Proceed to gently life the batter and fold it onto itself. Rotate the bowl by 90 degrees. Repeat this process until the ingredients are just combined. Don’t use a mixer to do this as it can crush the berries and you will end up with purple muffins.
8. Line the muffin tin with the cupcake liners.
9. Fill the muffin liners almost to the top. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this. I tend to leave a 1/4-inch border around the top of the liner. The lemon blueberry muffins will rise during baking, but not so much that you risk them oozing out of the pan.
10. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with 1/2 a teaspoon of turbinado sugar. I love this addition because it gives the muffins a nice, sweet, crunchy topping.
11. Bake the muffins for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
12. Remove the muffins from oven. 
13. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tins for five minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a baking rack.

Muffin making tips

Start with room-temperature ingredients.

Ingredients that have been allowed to come to room temperature blend together more easily than cold ingredients, resulting in a smoother batter.

Don’t overmix the batter.

As flour is mixed and kneaded into batter or dough, it forms more strands of gluten. More gluten gives you a denser texture.

Spray the cupcake liners with cooking spray.

Cupcake liners ensure the muffins come out of the pan easily and require less cleanup, But, sometimes those little liners don’t want to peel off. I like to give them a quick spritz with cooking spray before filling them.

Double-check the expiration date on your baking powder.

Baking powder that’s out of date may not give your muffins the lift you want.

Storage, freezing and reheating instructions

Storage. Once the muffins have cooled, transfer the leftover muffins to a freezer bag or airtight container. The muffins can be stored at room temperature for a day or two. Any longer than that and they should be refrigerated to prevent mold from forming. Consume the muffins within a week.

Freezing. For best results, wrap each individual muffin in plastic wrap. Store the wrapped muffins in a plastic freezer bag. Be sure not to store heavy items on top of the tender muffins as they could be crushed. Consume within three months. Allow the muffins to thaw completely before serving.

Reheating. While the muffins are delicious cold or at room temperature, nothing beats warm bakery style muffins with a pat of melted butter. You can quickly reheat the muffin for up to 30 seconds in the microwave. My preferred method is reheating a muffin in the air fryer for one minute or in a preheated 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Frequently asked questions