What Makes This Blueberry Muffin Recipe So Special?
This small batch blueberry muffin recipe is a scaled down version of one of the most popular recipes on my blog to date, a copycat version of Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffin recipe. The original recipe makes 9 muffins, but I’ve adapted this recipe to make a small batch of just 4 muffins.
Each blueberry muffin has a super tall, domed, and crispy muffin top. These distinct muffin tops are a result of a generous sprinkling of sugar over each muffin. You can read more about how I reverse-engineered the recipe from famed Levain Bakery in my original blog post.
And in addition to looking beautiful, the muffins TASTE delicious too. The muffin tops are extra crispy and wide from all that extra sugar. I also don’t skimp on the blueberries in the recipe—each blueberry muffin is studded with a generous amount of fruit!
For more delicious small batch recipes on Hummingbird High, check out the site’s Small Batch recipe archive! Popular recipes include these Small Batch Pumpkin Muffins (which also makes 4 muffins) and this Texas Sheet Cake Recipe for 9 x 13 Inch Pan.
What You Need
Ingredient Sources, Recommendations, and Substitutions
- Nonstick Cooking Spray. These muffins work best with a neutral oil cooking spray like canola or vegetable oil. I have no idea why, but the muffins have a tendency to get stuck to the pan with coconut oil and avocado oil sprays. Trust me—I’ve tried both! I also recommend using a flour-based spray like Baker’s Joy or Pam. These are neutral oil cooking sprays with flour to make baked goods release from pans even easier.
- All-Purpose Flour: You can use a 1-1 gluten free all purpose flour replacer to make the recipe gluten free. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is the best salt for baking recipes. But you can replace the kosher salt in the recipe with table salt. Just use half the amount listed in the recipe when you do!
- Whole Milk. You can replace the whole milk with low fat or skim milk, but these milks will lead to less flavorful baked goods. You can also replace the whole milk in this recipe with the same amount of plant-based milk of your choice. However, be mindful that using an alternative milk with “strong” flavors (like coconut or oat milk) will impart their flavors into the blueberry muffin, too.
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh blueberries for this blueberry muffin recipe?
Yes, but with reservations. Per the baker’s tips below in the yellow box, the secret to super tall and domed muffin tops starts with your ingredients. If any of them are colder than room temperature, your muffins won’t rise and dome as well as mine did. Furthermore, using frozen blueberries straight from the freezer has a tendency to make these muffins stick to the pan.
That being said, you can use frozen blueberries in this recipe. However, you’ll need to prep them by thawing them and making sure they’re completely at room temperature before using them in this recipe. As the blueberries thaw, they’ll release liquid. Dump most of that liquid out before using it in the recipe.
Can I use butter instead of cooking spray?
No, please don’t. While I am not usually opposed to greasing your pans with butter, that method doesn’t work well with this small batch blueberry muffin recipe. The muffins have a tendency to get stuck to the pan.
Recipe Troubleshooting and FAQ
Can I use muffin liners for this small batch blueberry muffin recipe?
Yes, but with reservations. You’ll still need to spray the outer rims of each cavity with cooking spray to prevent the muffins from sticking to the pan. The bottom of your muffins will also have a slightly different texture than mine—they’ll be softer.
Why do I need to rest the muffin batter for an hour?
This small batch blueberry muffin recipe instructs you to rest the batter after making for one hour at room temperature. Technically, this step is optional. You can bake the batter immediately after making and end up with some pretty damn good muffins. But if you want super domed muffins with seriously tall tops, rest the batter for an hour! This will allow the flour to hydrate and absorb the liquids in the batter more fully, leading to taller domes. During the resting process, the gluten strands in the batter relax, leading to more tender and fluffy baked goods. You can read more about the science in this Kitchn article.
When resting your muffin batter, don’t stick the batter in the fridge. Chilled batter will cause the muffins to stick in their cavities. In fact, make sure ALL your ingredients are at room temperature before using in the recipe. Again, this is one of the secrets to super tall blueberry muffin tops! Don’t miss the baker’s notes section below for more information.
Can I fill ALL the cavities in the muffin pan with batter? Why do you only fill every other one?
It’s best if you follow the recipe instructions exactly as they are written, especially when it comes to filling the muffin pan. Why? The tops of the muffins spread so much that if you fill each single cavity, they’ll spread into one another and get stuck, creating one giant muffin top mass. The empty cavity in between each muffin prevents that from happening.
Help! My blueberry muffins didn’t spread as much as yours. What did I do wrong?
The small batch blueberry muffin recipe instructs you to sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over each muffin before baking. Did you skimp or skip the sugar? The sugar is what causes the muffin tops to spread—using an amount less than what’s listed in the recipe would lead to the same results. Similarly, did you use a different type of other sugar other than granulated sugar? Other sugars like brown sugar, coconut sugar, demerara sugar, and sanding sugar don’t enable the muffin tops to spread as well as granulated sugar.
Help! My blueberry muffins got stuck in the pan—only the tops came off. What did I do wrong?
This small batch blueberry muffin recipe instructs you to wait until the muffins have cooled to room temperature before attempting to unstick them from the pan. Did you try and turn out the muffins while they were still warm? Because these muffins are so top-heavy, you’ll run the risk of accidentally pulling the tops and bottoms apart if the cake is still warm! Wait until they are cooled completely before turning them out of the pan.
Once they’ve cooled, don’t just pull them out of the pan by their tops. The best way to unstick them is to use a metal offset spatula. Run the spatula underneath the entirety of each muffin top to unstick each one completely. Then, working one muffin at a time, use the offset spatula to tilt the muffin slightly on its side with the muffin top to enable you to wiggle your fingers underneath the muffin and lift it from the bottom.
The recipe below has more detailed instructions on how to turn out the muffins properly. However, if you need a visual representation, I encourage you to check out the video tutorial on my Instagram profile. Underneath my bio, you’ll see circles with photos of food in them. Scroll right or left until you see a circle with a photo of this blueberry muffin. Click on that circle to play the tutorial.
Can you freeze the baked blueberry muffins?
Yes, but with reservations. You can freeze any leftover muffins by wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and freezing for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator the night before you’re planning on eating the muffin. Rewarm in the microwave or the oven before serving.
However, in general I don’t recommend freezing the muffins. Once frozen and thawed, the muffins will no longer have their crispy tops.
My Best Tips For Baking The Recipe
Ingredient Tip
- Pay attention to the temperatures of the ingredients as they are listed in the recipe (please don’t miss this—they’re even written bold). The secret to super tall and domed muffin tops starts with your ingredients. If any of them are colder than room temperature, your muffins won’t rise and dome as well as mine did.
Equipment Tip
- For this recipe, tools are important. You’ll need two muffin tins, a 1-tablespoon OR a 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, and an offset spatula (preferably with a short, metal blade). The cookie dough scoops are for filling each cavity with muffin batter—to get tall domes, you’ll need to fill each one with SIX tablespoons of batter. It works best if you’re precise. Anything more will cause the muffins to overflow, and anything less will result in squat muffins. You’ll then need the offset spatula to “unstick” the wide muffin tops from the pan.
Baking Tip
- If you have a convection oven, now is the time to use it! When I was researching muffin recipes for #weeknightbakingbook, I discovered that muffins dome really well when first baked at a high temperature like 425°F. Doing so encourages the baking powder in the batter to react faster, causing the muffins to rise more quickly in the oven. These recipes then instruct you to lower the oven temperature to 350°F to prevent the muffins from burning and drying out. It’s a lot to keep track of, and I found it hard to imagine that the pros at Levain Bakery doing that sort of fussy tinkering in a busy setting. So instead, I baked the muffins at 400°F and found that it worked just as well, but found that it worked even better on the convection setting (as the convection fan was more effective in getting heat evenly and consistently between the muffin tin cavities).
Video Tutorial For The Recipe
Use the video player below to watch my Instagram Story tutorial on how to make this small batch blueberry muffin recipe! Clicking the left and right sides of the frame will allow you to skip through the different recipe steps.
Get the Recipe: Small Batch Blueberry Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
For the Small Batch Blueberry Muffins
- 1 ¼ cups (5.65 ounces or 160 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (2 ounces or 57 grams) whole milk, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (3.5 ounces or 99 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces or 57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (6.5 ounces or 184 grams) fresh blueberries, at room temperature
Assembly
- canola or vegetable oil cooking spray
- 4 teaspoons granulated white sugar
Instructions
For the Small Batch Blueberry Muffins
- Make the muffin batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and the vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg.
- With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds. Take half of the blueberries and crush them with your hands so they are juicy; add to the batter and increase the mixer speed to high for 5 to 10 seconds to encourage the berries to release their juices even more. Immediately reduce the mixer to low and add the rest of the berries, mixing until incorporated evenly throughout the batter, another 30 seconds.
- Rest the muffin batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Prep your oven and pans. While the batter rests, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F using the convect setting (if possible). Prepare a muffin tin by spraying the inside and border of every other cavity in the muffin tin generously with cooking spray. But note that you’ll only need to prep 4 cavities total—there’s no need to spray the other ones! If you’re using a standard muffin tin, position the pan so that its short side faces you and prep the center cavity of the top row, the outer two cavities of the second row, and the center cavity of the third row.
- Use a 1-tablespoon or 3-tablespoon cookie dough scoop to fill each sprayed cavity with 6 tablespoons of the batter. Sprinkle the top of each cavity, aiming for the batter and avoiding the pan, with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar each. Pour warm water into the outer cavities of the muffin tin’s final row, filling them at least ⅔-rds of the way up.
- Bake the muffins. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and golden brown around the edges. A skewer inserted into the center of a muffin should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool the muffins in their muffin tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use an offset spatula to run underneath the edges of the blueberry muffin tops to prevent them from sticking in the pan. Be careful to just run the offset spatula under the edges—you don't want to accidentally cut into the muffin bottom and decapitate the muffin from its top!
- After unsticking the muffin tops, keep cooling the muffins in the tins completely to room temperature. DO NOT TRY AND TURN THE MUFFINS OUT WHILE THEY ARE STILL WARM. Because these muffins are so top-heavy, you’ll run the risk of accidentally pulling the tops and bottoms apart if the cake is still warm! Wait until they are cooled completely before turning them out of the pan. Run the offset spatula underneath each muffin top once more and gently tilt the muffin upwards to turn it out of the pan, lifting each one from its base.
- Serve and store. Serve warm, or at room temperature. The muffins are best on the day that they’re made, but can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
For those who want to eat these delicious muffins but subscribe to the gluten-free lifestyle, you CAN make these! I like to sub out the flour with a half cup of almond flour, plus 3/4 cup of your chosen 1 to 1 GF flour (Bobs Red Mill or King Arthur) and they come out fantastic! They come out pretty tall and don’t spread as much as the gluten version, and I would suggest using the full bake time (24 min) for it if you’re like me and have very y’all puffy muffins.
ahh, thank you for sharing! this is so helpful! xo
Just made it with 100% Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, and it came out beautifully! I was nervous because I’ve been having issues with the flour when making banana bread, but this came out perfectly!
omg, thank you for sharing!!! i’ve been wondering about it because yeah, sometimes their 1-1 GF flour works really well in recipes, but other times, not so much. it’s been hard to predict!
My daughter’s distance learning plan this week involves different activities with the book “Blueberries for Sal” so obviously I was going to make muffins (my go-to is Smitten Kitchen, but the Jordan Marsh ones are a hit around here too) and this came up in my feed! We live in the Bay Area and my husband said they reminded him of the muffins at Specialty’s, and I was like, “yes, they are supposed to be a bakery muffin!” So a good way to start a Friday. And they were fine with frozen blueberries, because COVID-19 and limited grocery runs.
Super easy, great recipe. I made it just as is and it worked out perfectly. I love that it was small batch – and the crispy sugar top is yummy! Thanks for posting these!
The absolute best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had…and I’m a baked goods snob.
These muffins are amazing!! I used frozen blueberries and just did my best to let them get to room temp. The muffin tops got really high and were GORGEOUS. My first time making muffins and the directions were perfect!
This recipe is super simple and uses a conservative amount of ingredients. I hopped out of bed this morning to throw these together before a virtual birthday brunch, and they were ready just in time. A little trick for eggs that are still cold—place them in lukewarm water as you gather your other ingredients so it can come to room temperature more quickly. I can’t believe these muffins domed as beautifully as they did. I daresay this recipe is foolproof!
I actually doubled this to make 8 because 4 seemed like too few! It turned out great. I followed the recipe exactly and mine didn’t stick at all. Husband (he requested muffins) was thrilled!
Oh hahah, the regular sized batch recipe already exists here: https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2019/08/levain-bakery-blueberry-muffins.html
Just made these today and followed the recipe exactly (which is very easy). They came out EXCELLENT, crunchy on top from the sugar, and so soft on the bottom. My muffin tin is pretty nonstick, so I didn’t have issues removing them from the tin. The room temp ingredients tip is very important, since it impacs the texture.
Love this recipe! I highly recommend you try this. Easy and amazingly tasty.
This recipe was 10/10! Packed with blueberries, great flavor (and according to a family member “they look like adorable little Gnome homes”). Great small batch recipe, with great information on substitutions for ingredients and notes to make sure you go on to make the recipe with confidence!
This blueberry muffin recipe is immaculate! They came out perfect and delicious – moist, tall domed, and crispy top edges! Yum! I appreciate how thorough the blog posts and instructions are; it gives me a better understanding of what I’m doing and the reasons behind it. Btw, I love these small-batch recipes so much! They’re perfect for quick homemade sweets fix, and nothing is ever gone to waste (especially that there’s only 2 of us in our household)! It has encouraged me to bake multiple times a week for those reasons. Thank you! Looking forward to getting your book in the mail soon!
LOVE these blueberry muffins! I followed the recipe except used defrosted frozen blueberries. I was a little worried at first since the whole batter turned out blue but it baked beautifully regardless. They are soft, moist and delicious. I love a sweet treat but not when it’s sickening sweet. These are not too sweet not too bland. Perfect.
It’s a great recipe, full of flavour! My top!!! Thanks for sharing
When I saw this small batch recipe I knew I had to make it! Especially as blueberry muffins are my fave. They came out tall, fluffy and were filled with blueberries. I did make some minor changes – added lemon zest, reduced the sugar (but I’ll admit I should have but the full amount) and I sprinkled Demerara sugar on top as I wanted to save my white sugar. Definitely one of the best recipes I’ve tried.
I made this recipe this morning and WOW. These are honestly the perfect muffin! The tops rose wonderfully, although they were really domed as opposed to more spread out, and I’m honestly not mad about it- it made for a great instagram pic. They were chewy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside, exactly how I think a muffin should be! I measured everything by the weight in ounces given and replaced about 1/3 of the blueberries with raspberries because that’s what I had.
I reduced the sugar to 2/3 of what the recipe called for and it still came out really well! It has just the right amount of sweetness for my preference. I also like the idea of small batch recipes, meaning we can still get our sweet tooth fix without using up large quantities of ingredients. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So so good and FULL of flavor! Incredibly soft and moist on the inside and perfectly crispy on top.
I have made this recipe 4 times since I saw it on Instagram! Today I used fresh blueberries with a few blackberries in the mix and they were fabulous and 4 is enough for my small family. I have also used frozen blueberries (and 1/2 and 1/2 for milk) and they turned out equally as well. Looking forward to trying the banana walnut muffins next (already tried then loved the cinnamon banana muffins!)
I’ve made this recipe twice now. It’s full-proof, delicious, and brilliant if you ask me. I was able to make the recipe just from the steps she posted in her IG stories, it was that easy. Have passed this one on to several baking friends and family. Thank you Michelle!
ok I followed every tip and step (except I had to use almond milk) and these turned out PERFECT. Paired deliciously with my morning coffee!
Hi! The recipe is great and they came out like market bakery.
I have just one question may be I am wrong, in the recipe where it is written to add the egg?
Last sentence in step 2: “Reduce the mixer to low and add the egg.”
Love these muffins! I keep waffling between devastated that it only made four muffins and relieved because I could have easily eaten eight! I have already suggested this recipe to a bunch of people and I only made them this morning.
Hahahah, a regular-sized batch version of the recipe exists! https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2019/08/levain-bakery-blueberry-muffins.html
These are so good!
I’ve made them three times now and getting lazier so used salted butter and self-raising flour (UK) instead of adding salt and baking powder to plain flour. Also tried wholemeal self-raising and they were completely delicious! Cooked a little longer as recommended… thanks so much for the recipe.
These look amazing and I’m SO excited for small batch recipes!
Two questions…
1) I use unsweetened applesauce as an egg substitute when making cookies. Do you think they would still rise?
2) could you substitute the butter with coconut oil?
Thanks in advance! Making these this weekend! 🥰
I’m sorry, I don’t know about the applesauce—I rarely bake with applesauce as an egg replacer since my partner is allergic! I also wouldn’t recommend substituting the butter with oil. Nigella Lawson has a great explanation as to why: https://www.nigella.com/ask/oil-instead-of-butter-for-baking The muffins might come out too greasy and heavy.
Great article. Thank you for the tip!
I’ll post my results and tag you this weekend. 🙂
These were fantastic and came out exactly like yours following to a T. I read thru every *tip* that was written which I really appreciated. In case anyone wants to know, if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can get the same results with a hand mixer.
These look delicious! My son is allergic to eggs – I usually sub 1/4 cup of yogurt for an egg in my recipe. Do you think that would work? Also because of the dairy do you refrigerate these when you store them?? Can’t wait to try – thanks!
Unfortunately I’m not much help with egg substitutions since I’m fortunate not to have any egg allergies in my household. But if that’s what’s worked for you in the past, go for it!
I do not refrigerate these muffins immediately because doing so makes them lose their crispiness. The muffins are best on the day that they’re made, but can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Hi Michelle!!
I don’t own a stand mixer 🙁 (yet!)
Am I out of luck or can I use my hand held mixer?
You can use your hand mixer! In general, if you see a recipe of mine that uses a stand mixer, you can use a handheld electric mixer instead. I just prefer stand mixers because they’re easier to work with and less messy.
These turned out great except for being slightly dry. I dare say they seemed more moist the next day, and I don’t know why that would be.
Loved this recipe! Muffins came out crispy on top and extremely moist inside. Will definitely be making these again.
Outstanding recipe! Just one small request…when you write the recipe could you please specify what size pan you are using. These muffins require a jumbo muffin pan and I didn’t realize that until I was pouring them into the tins. Not a big deal, but as a family of two I would really rather have 4 muffins that get eaten, than having 2 left over which is usually the case…although I’m quite sure it won’t be with this recipe!
Hi there,
I used a standard sized pan for the recipe though. This is the one I used, and you can see it in the GIF in the blog post too: https://rstyle.me/+E8cxq9UBGewyfojMNyd5fw
Hi Michelle, Thanks for sharing your recipe!
My muffin tops were delicious but the bottoms were almost too moist? They feel and look fine, but once you start chewing, it turns into this kind of mushy texture. Any idea what might have happened?
I did make the mistake of adding water to every open cavity instead of just the two in the empty row. Could that have steamed the muffins resulting in the wetter texture? Thank you!
Hi!
I think your intuition about the water steaming the muffins is correct. Filling them also means that the batter is more insulated, so you likely needed to have baked them for longer to remove the mushiness.
Also, updated your comment so your last name no longer shows 🙂
I used a mini muffin silicone pan (it’s all I had and I really wanted to try the recipe) and they turned out great! It was a 12 muffin pan and I put about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each spot (until I filled them up evenly). FYI, I didn’t have the exact amount of blueberries in the fridge so it was a bit less than 1 cup of large blueberries. Sprinkled with ~1/4 tsp of sugar on top, maybe less. Cooked for 20 min total to get a nice golden color. They all cooked evenly, stayed moist, and the muffin tops domed perfectly.
I just used this recipe to make chocolate chip mini muffins and they turned out SO good. I used 1 cup of semi sweet chips and about 1/4 tsp sugar sprinkled on each muffin, baked them at 400 for 13 minutes and they turned out perfectly, yielding 14 mini muffins. I plan on making another batch with blueberries or raspberries and lemon zest. This is a keeper!!
I forgot to mention I put 1.5 tbsp batter into each cavity and didn’t leave any empty and they worked fine.
Thank you so much for sharing! These were very super yummy! One tiny question as I understand details are crucial in this recipe…I did not see anywhere in your directions how or when to add the milk and vanilla. Did I miss something?
Yup, step 3 states: “With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts.”
The wet ingredients = milk and vanilla.
Good luck! Let me know if you have anymore questions.
These were really good! This recipe was a great gift because it made 9 muffins instead of 4. So, so good and I don’t care for muffins.
I just made these muffins and the sides of muffins tops burned. I think 400 degree was too high!
They are resting right now so I am not too happy with the results because the top is usually my favorite part but I will update on the flavor once I taste them. 😔
Hi, ok I was craving an orange muffin , like super orange LOL so I followed the recipe but changed these two things , I zested a clementine blood orange and navel orange, blended it in the milk and subbed lemon zest for the vanilla , they came out AMAZING
Hi Michelle, this recipe is absolutely delicious they turned out excellent! Super high, domed tops, with a crispy crunch and moist middle. I didn’t let the batter rest as long because I’m impatient and was hungry (maybe 20 minutes total) and they turned out fine. My question is, why is this recipe different than the full recipe in that the full has almond flour? This one turned out so perfectly I’m hesitant to try the one with almond flour.
Hi! The almond flour in the OG recipe makes the muffins lighter and crispier, with a shorter Bake Time. It’s worth trying! However, I developed the small batch recipe to use all AP flour since I wanted it to be more accessible—almost everybody has AP flour on hand, but most people have to go to the store to buy almond flour!
I am so looking forward to making these for my boyfriend tomorrow. I just have one question.
I am a 1/4 cup short on blueberries. Will that be okay?
Thank you so much! 🙂
Should be fine—check for doneness maybe a few minutes earlier?
Would be helpful if you included in the prep time that the ingredients have to come to room temp and that the batter has to rest for an hour. I did not leave enough time for this recipe because I based it on the times provided. Gonna try to make them without the entire rest period, so we’ll see. Thanks!
I love love LOVE your Banana Nut muffin recipe! My question is why do you not use the same “base” formula that includes the sour cream and baking soda for your blueberry muffins? It’s great and it works! Why do you change to milk and only baking powder for the Blueberry ones?
Thanks and keep up the great work!!
Bruce J
Hi,
They are just completely different recipes because bananas have their own special unique properties. Bananas have a high amount of natural starch, which means it will require less egg than what you would need for a blueberry recipe. Baking soda is used as a leavener when there are acids present (like sour cream), but won’t work if there aren’t any (like in the blueberry muffin recipe, which uses baking powder). Why do I use baking powder? Because for this recipe because I instruct you to rest the batter for an hour before baking—this won’t work with baking soda, since it tends to react with other ingredients almost immediately (whereas baking powder needs heat to react with the ingredients). I can go on, but I think you get the drift—like I said, just very different recipes! It’s a bit like comparing soccer to basketball. Both use a type of ball, yes, but very different execution and rules and games in general.
Can you make the batter the day before and bake the following morning?
Yes! Per the FAQ section:
“Can I refrigerate the unbaked blueberry muffin batter to save it for for baking later?
Yes! You can refrigerate the unbaked blueberry muffin batter for up to 36 hours. Proceed with steps 1 to 3 in the recipe and cover the finished batter. However, instead of allowing the batter to rest at room temperature, simply refrigerate until you’re ready to bake them.
That being said, you need to bring the batter back to room temperature completely before baking the muffins. Using chilled batter will cause the muffins to get stuck in their cavities in the muffin pan.”
Do you have any ideas as to why these turned out a little rubbery and chewy on the outside? The inside was great and was cooked well! My batter didn’t seem to be as firm as yours, any tips on how to get it to firm up like that? Thanks again! I will be giving it another go, and weighing my ingredients this time, in case I had the ratios wrong! I appreciate your help.
It’s hard for me to troubleshoot this without being there to see what happened! It could be any substitutions you may have made, to do with how you measured your ingredients with measuring cups (I always recommend weighing everything with a scale instead), or how long you mixed the batter for (rubbery and chewy usually indicates that the batter was overmixed and too much gluten was developed as a result). Let me know how it goes with the scale! I’m confident it will work better for you this time.
This recipe was great, even though I substituted half and half for milk, as I was out of milk. I did not feel like lugging out the Kitchenaid and used a hand mixer instead. I only beat the butter and sugar a minute, added the egg, and beat that on high for about thirty seconds. I also added partially defrosted berries, as well as dried. We were hungry and did not want to wait an hour longer to eat, so we did not rest the batter for that time. I also added a crumble to the tops and divided it into five tins instead of four. I preheated my oven to 475 and dropped it down to 400 when put my muffins in, I baked them 25 minutes. Even with my mutilation of this recipe, it turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing this very forgiving recipe! Oh, if you are reading this review, then you are contemplating making these muffins, JUST DO IT! They are delicious, and I don’t think it’s possible to mess them up… they are going to be great!
This was my first recipe made from Hummungbird High about 1.5 yrs ago and it turned out so well.
I just made them again tonight and it turned out just as good, if not better than my last batch of that was even possible. I wish I could post a pic of my own masterpiece 😉 The muffins turned out to be spot-on.
Followed the recipe exactly with no modifications. The only comment I’d make is my batch made 5 full muffins not 6 using 2 x 3 tbsp scooper. Weighed all my ingredients including the blueberries as well. No complaints by any means but just wanted to share.
Hello, just made these and they are coolin the muffin tin now! I hope they will come out without breaking!
I just realized that I forgot to add water to the muffin tin as per your instructions. Just wondering, what is the purpose of the water? Is it required? Thanks!
Hi! The water helps prevent the muffins from overbaking and overspreading in the oven!
I was excited to make this as I had some berries starting to turn. However, once mixed I found the dough stuff and hard to mix. As an experienced baker this did not seem like a normal muffin batter. When portioning for the pan it scooped like ice cream. I suspect your milk ratio is marked to low. In future I will try with at least a 1:4-1/2 cup milk. Also, I got 6 muffins which was fine.
Hm, I think something went awry on your end—the batter should NOT have an ice cream like texture. Instead, it has a pretty traditional cake batter texture. Maybe you forgot to add an ingredient… maybe the eggs? Or did you reduce the sugar?
I found the muffins flavorful although the batch I made were a bit dry. It might have been because I used “Oat Milk”
Is there any other way I could have added more moisture without ruining the recipe
It might be an oven temperature or pan issue—if you use a dark pan or your oven runs hot, they’re more likely to come out dry!
Yum! These were quick to make, and really very good. I did sub buttermilk for whole milk–seemed like it worked well, though I haven’t tried them made with whole milk yet. I also used blueberries I’d picked last summer and frozen, and they didn’t seem to cause any issues. I mixed them in batter frozen, otherwise berries get mushy and turn the batter purple, then let them sit in a bath of warm water for a few minutes before baking them. That is the same technique I have always used for my blueberry coffee cake. Every summer we pick a ton of berries from a local organic blueberry farm, and they are just so good–it’s hard for me to buy from the markets off season. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for this brilliant recipe! I made these muffins and the taste and texture was perfect! I didn’t get the big muffin tops as I didn’t put enough filling in the cavities but it did mean I got 7 lovely small muffins instead of four. I love the fact that there are tonnes of blueberries and even with the sugar on top these are not too sweet.
I always struggle with muffin recipes but this one worked really well for me!
I absolutely LOVE this muffin recipe. As it’s just me and my husband, I don’t need 12 muffins, so this scaled down recipe is perfect. I’ve never managed to get that perfect tall, crispy, but still fluffy muffin until this! I swap milk for almond milk with no trouble here, and I also add lemon zest with the sugar in the batter.
I’ve also successfully made these into MINI MUFFINS and they are the cutest little bite-sized things ever. I used a silicone mini muffin pan, and shortened the bake time to about 15 mins.
This was a waste of food….. why did you have me put water in the empty muffin holes. Plus you don’t mention when to add milk and vanilla, just to mix in a seperate large measuring cup..I’m sorry but I’m never using your recipes again..
Hi “Disappointed”,
I tell you to add the milk and vanilla in step 3 of the recipe: “With the mixer still on low, add the the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with THE WET INGREDIENTS in two parts.” The wet ingredients refer to the milk and vanilla.