Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
These Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins are bakery-style muffins filled with juicy berries, lemon zest and vanilla, and topped with crunchy sugar!
Trust me, if you’ve never made blueberry muffins with buttermilk, now’s the time to try.
There’s just something magic about buttermilk. Not only is it the perfect tenderizer in buttermilk chicken marinade and buttermilk fried chicken tenders, but it shines in bake goods like chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, and these blueberry buttermilk muffins as well.
Buttermilk serves two purposes in baked goods – flavor and function.
It has a nice tang to it, kind of like sour cream or yogurt. This satisfying tang pairs really well with rich, sugary baked goods.
And thanks to acidity from the lactic acid, buttermilk helps break down long strands of gluten in baked goods. What does this mean? A more tender final product when you make your blueberry muffins with buttermilk.
“I love to bake and I have to say these are the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever made! So light and fluffy. Thank you for this great recipe.”
—Iris
Ingredients for Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
- all-purpose flour – provides the main structure of the muffins.
- baking powder – the leavening agent that helps the muffins rise.
- kosher salt – enhances flavor and balances sweetness.
- unsalted butter – adds moisture and richness.
- sugar – sweetens the muffins.
- eggs – binds the ingredients together and provides structure.
- lemon zest – something about a pinch of fresh lemon zest makes the blueberries really sing.
- almond and vanilla extracts – both crucial – more on this below!
- buttermilk – adds the moisture, texture and subtle tanginess that makes these the best muffins ever.
- blueberries – you can use fresh or frozen – more on this below.
- demerara or sanding sugar – an optional finishing touch – more on this below.
Fresh or frozen blueberries?
I bet you’re wondering whether you should make these blueberry buttermilk muffins with fresh or frozen blueberries. I’m happy to report that either is perfect, and they both bake up exactly the same.
If using fresh, be sure to wash the berries and pat them completely dry before stirring them into the batter.
If using frozen, no need to thaw! Just throw the frozen berries right in, and you’re all good.
No matter which kind you use for these buttermilk blueberry muffins, be sure you fold the berries in by hand, with a rubber spatula.
You’ll want to use a stand or hand mixer to make the rest of the batter, but when you get to the addition of the berries, switch over to a spatula so that you don’t crush the berries.
Two extracts are also key to these buttermilk blueberry muffins.
Most blueberry muffin recipes only call for one type of extract, and it’s almost always vanilla. But I really encourage you to invest in a bottle of almond extract for your baking cabinet.
One bottle will last forever, and the signature flavor that almond extract adds to baked goods like these buttermilk blueberry muffins and lemon curd cake cannot be replicated any other way.
Almond extract is often used in wedding cakes, so adding almond extract to anything instantly makes me think of cake. Make your blueberry buttermilk muffins taste more like cake, with one little splash of extract!
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Can I use a different type of berry?
Certainly! This base recipe can be used with any type of berry. I’ve tried this blueberry buttermilk muffin recipe with strawberries, fresh cranberries and raspberries, and all have turned out great.
One change I make is that for strawberries and very large blackberries, I will chop them into bite size pieces for baking.
I actually have a separate blog post for blackberry muffins that includes all of my tips and tricks for that flavor (I use a different type of citrus zest, too).
Do I need fancy muffin liners?
Absolutely not. While I happened to have tulip muffin liners on hand and used them for these photos, standard paper muffin liners work perfectly fine. The batter will go almost all the way to the top of a standard liner, and that’s OK.
How to make Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins
1. PREP. Preheat the oven, and whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. CREAM. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. ADD. Add the eggs, lemon zest and extracts and beat until combined.
4. FLOUR AND BUTTERMILK. Add the flour in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, while mixing on low speed.
5. BERRIES. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.
6. DIVIDE AND BAKE. Divide the batter evenly between muffin cups, and sprinkle tops with demerara sugar, if using. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Optional quick tip:
If you want to keep the color of the berries from bleeding into your muffin crumb, roll the blueberries in a small spoonful of flour before adding them to the batter.
This also keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while baking. Honestly, I usually skip this step, but thought I would include it here for anybody who wants it.
Finish with demerara sugar for that bakery-style flair:
My #1 trick for making homemade muffins look and taste more like the muffins from your favorite bakery or coffee shop is sprinkling the tops with demerara sugar.
Demerara sugar is a very coarsely ground cane sugar with a light tan color. Because the crystals are so big, they don’t fully melt in the oven, which means that when you bite into your muffin, you’ll get a little crunch of sugar.
Some baking supply companies will also sell a similar product called “sanding sugar,” and that is usually large sparkly grains of white sugar. Either kind is great.
How long do blueberry buttermilk muffins last?
These muffins will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, at room temperature. Quick tip – if you have one on hand, add a piece of white bread to the container.
This will help prevent the muffins from getting sticky and overly soft. But if not, no worries. Your muffins will still be just fine!
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Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick room temperature unsalted butter 8 tablespoons
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries about 2-1/4 cups
- 2 tablespoons demerara sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, lemon zest, almond extract and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and mix on low until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in blueberries.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups and sprinkle tops with demerara sugar, if using. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Home Chef Tip: If you want to keep the color of the berries from bleeding into your muffin crumb, roll the blueberries in a small spoonful of flour before adding them to the batter. This also keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while baking.
I like to make lots of things with lemons: pie, cake, sangria, lemonade. And they are the perfect accent note to any kind of berry!
I enjoy your blog so much, I’ve been spreading the word!
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Lemon meringue pie is my favorite, though I enjoy lemons in just about any format.
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