Classic for a reason, blueberry buttermilk muffins are light and fluffy thanks to the added buttermilk. Not too sweet, they make a perfect snack, quick breakfast, or midday treat.
Ready in about half an hour, these bakery-style muffins are quick and easy. Also try my apple oatmeal muffins. Make your own buttermilk in seconds (see below) if you don't have any on hand. Have a summer berry glut? Make a beautiful fresh fruit tart, too!
Ingredients
If you don't have buttermilk, you can easily make your own with common household ingredients. You probably already have the other ingredients on hand for blueberry muffins. See below for some substitutions and variations if not!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Buttermilk: there are two easy ways to make your own: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon plain yogurt or sour cream, or 1 cup milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sour for a few minutes before adding to the batter.
- Butter: vegetable oil or another liquid oil like avocado can be substituted.
- Lemon zest: orange zest makes an excellent sub, or try lime for a bit of a twist.
- Blueberries: while it kind of defeats the purpose of blueberry buttermilk muffins, you can sub raspberries for a raspberry version, combine the two, or use mixed berries. Try my blueberry peach crisp if you are looking for a sweet treat!
- Coarse sugar: this is optional but makes for a very pretty muffin. If you want the topping but not the extra sugar, sub slivered almonds or rolled oats.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
These easy buttermilk muffins are ready from start to finish in well under an hour and can be made ahead for snacks all week long! They're quick enough to make for a spontaneous weekend breakfast, too.
Step 1. Mix the dry ingredients: whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2. Mix the wet ingredients: in another dish, mix the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Step 3. Combine: add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 4. Fold in the berries: add the blueberries and carefully fold in to evenly incorporate.
Step 5. Transfer: evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin and top with coarse sugar.
Step 6. Bake: for about 25 minutes, doing a toothpick test to make sure they're done. Cool and serve.
Expert Tips
- Don't over mix: stir until just combined for a tender, soft crumb. Over mixing can lead to toughness.
- Use fresh or frozen berries: no need to thaw if using frozen fruit, but note that they might stain the muffins a little purple.
- Cool before serving: muffin liners tend to stick when the muffins are still warm, but cooling them completely should solve this problem.
- Add the zest to wet ingredients: fat acts as a carrier for the oils that make up that lemon flavor. Adding it to the wet ingredients makes for a stronger lemon taste.
Recipe FAQs
Buttermilk adds slightly more acidity to the batter, causing both a greater rise for fluffier muffins, and helping to break down strands of gluten, for a softer crumb.
While this can help to suspend the berries in the batter, reducing the chance of the blueberries sinking to the bottom, this batter is thick enough that you don't need to do the extra step.
There's no need to rest muffin batter before baking, but you can do so for a more complex flavor. The batter can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
If you want to make the batter ahead of time and bake fresh for breakfast, for example, you can refrigerate the fully mixed batter overnight. Cover well and then bake as usual the following day. Refrigerate for a maximum of 12 hours.
The blueberry buttermilk muffins will keep well in a sealed container at room temperature for a couple of days, and should be refrigerated for longer storage.
Yes! Cool fully before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze the muffins in a single layer (after freezing, they can be stacked). They can be frozen for up to three months.
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Recipe Card
Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Granulated white sugar - Use 1 cup of sugar for a sweeter muffin
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- ½ cup Butter - Melted and cooled slightly
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest - From 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups Blueberries
- Coarse sugar - Turbinado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard size muffin tin with liners.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest until combined.
- Pour the liquid into the dry ingredient bowl, stirring gently. Do not overmix.
- Fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of coarse sugar per muffin.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out clean.
- Cool the muffins for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Buttermilk: there are two easy ways to make your own: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon plain yogurt or sour cream, or 1 cup milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sour for a few minutes before adding to the batter.
- Butter: vegetable oil or another liquid oil like avocado can be substituted.
- Lemon zest: orange zest makes an excellent sub, or try lime for a bit of a twist.
- Blueberries: while it kind of defeats the purpose of blueberry buttermilk muffins, you can substitute raspberries for a raspberry version, combine the two, or use mixed berries.
- Coarse sugar: this is optional but makes for a very pretty muffin. If you want the topping but not the extra sugar, sub in slivered almonds or rolled oats.
Adrienne says
This is my new go-to recipe for muffins. As Luay says, these are not too sweet and the addition of lemon zest really put these over the top for me.
Luay Ghafari says
Glad you liked it!
Mary Gibson says
I enjoyed this recipe. I made it just exactly like it said except I mix the berries in the dry ingredients first before I put the wet ingredients in. this kept the blueberries intact.