Blackberry Muffins

Blackberry Muffins Recipe Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• all-purpose flour – standard AP flour is all you need here. No cake flour, no bread flour. The buttermilk handles the tenderness so you don’t need a specialty flour.
• baking powder – two full teaspoons gives these muffins the lift they need to get that domed bakery-style top. Don’t cut it down.
• kosher salt – salt in baked goods isn’t optional. We’re not using huge quantities, but it’s what keeps them from tasting flat.
• unsalted butter – use room temperature butter so it creams properly with the sugar. Cold butter won’t incorporate evenly and will mess with your texture. Vegetable oil or shortening wouldn’t give the same flavor here, so real butter is recommended.
• granulated sugar – a full 1-1/4 cups keeps these muffins with blackberries on the sweeter side, which balances the tartness of the blackberries and buttermilk perfectly.
• eggs – two large eggs bind the batter and add richness.
• orange zest – this is non-negotiable. Lemon zest is the classic move for berry muffins, but orange zest has a softer, rounder citrus flavor that pairs with blackberries better than lemon does. You only need the zest of one orange for this sweet snack.
• almond extract and vanilla extract – this is the flavor that separates these muffins from every other blackberry muffin recipe you’ve made. Vanilla alone is fine. Vanilla plus almond extract is the reason these taste like they came from a bakery. Almond extract is used in wedding cakes for a reason.
• buttermilk – this is what keeps the crumb tender. The acidity in buttermilk breaks down gluten strands, which means a softer, more delicate muffin. It also adds a subtle tang that works really well against the sweetness of the batter.
• blackberries – fresh or frozen, both work. See the section below for tips on each.
• demerara or sparkling sugar – technically optional, but do it. These large-crystal sugars don’t fully melt in the oven, so you get a crunch on every bite that makes these homemade blackberry muffins taste bakery-made. King Arthur’s sparkling sugar is the one we use.

What Kind Of Blackberries Should I Use?

Any blackberries you have on hand work here. That’s one of the best things about this easy blackberry muffins recipe.

• fresh blackberries: Wash them and pat them completely dry before adding them to the batter. Excess moisture can affect the crumb texture. If your berries are large, cut them in half crosswise.
• frozen blackberries: Don’t thaw them. Add them straight from the freezer. They may bleed a little more color into the batter, but the flavor is great. If they’re very large, you can halve them before freezing – or just use them whole and accept slightly larger pockets of berry in your muffins.
• wild blackberries: Great option if you have them. They tend to run smaller than grocery store berries, so no cutting needed.

One tip that applies to any berry: if you want to keep the berry color from bleeding into your muffin crumb, toss the blackberries in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in. This also helps them stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.

How To Make Blackberry Muffins From Scratch

1. PREP. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin liners, or spray it with baking spray. Measure out your flour, then scoop out 1 tablespoon of it and set aside. Add the remaining flour to a medium bowl along with the baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine.

2. CREAM. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, orange zest, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined.

3. MIX. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix again. Add the remaining flour and mix until just barely combined. Do not overmix. The batter will look a little rough, and that’s fine.

4. FOLD. Toss the blackberries with the reserved tablespoon of flour, then use a rubber spatula to gently fold the blackberries into the batter by hand. If you use the mixer for this step, you’ll crush the berries and turn your batter purple.

5. BAKE + COOL. Divide the muffin batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Sprinkle the tops generously with demerara or sparkling sugar. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing. They’ll finish setting up during that resting time.