This delicious Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins recipe is bursting with fresh blueberries in every bite. These tender, fluffy muffins are not only tasty, but so easy to whip up in one bowl!
As far as muffins go, blueberry muffins are as good as they get. This Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins recipe is one of my most used recipes and one bite into these tender muffins and you will see why! These soft, fluffy muffins are loaded with fresh blueberries that make every bite an absolute delight.
These light and airy blueberry muffins are studded with juicy blueberries and truly taste like they came out of a professional bakery- except you don’t have to leave your house or spend a lot to get them. They not only incredibly tasty but they are easy to whip up in one bowl too! How is that for an easy clean up?
We love muffins in our house. A quick search on this website will show just how often we make them. You might say we are a little obsessed. Of all the types of muffins out there, blueberry muffins are easily my favorite! I could never tire of them and have made so many variations of this type of muffin over the years including Blueberry Zucchini Muffins, Gluten-Free Keto Blueberry Muffins, and Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins. I love them all.
Every blueberry muffin I’ve made is amazing, in my books, and this buttermilk blueberry muffins recipe is no exception. You truly cannot beat the texture and flavor from using buttermilk in muffins! If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, no worries. I have a tip to help you make an easy homemade substitution in the recipe card so you can still make moist buttermilk muffins.
Buttermilk and how to substitute for it
Chances are the tenderest muffins, pancakes or biscuits you have every bitten into are made with one magical ingredient – buttermilk. Essentially, buttermilk is a fermented milk. It is a bit thicker than regular milk and has a slightly acidic taste similar to yogurt. It’s this acidic component that truly makes this ingredient magical when added to baked goods.
First, it provide a nice tang to balance out the sweetness in baking. The true magic, however, is in how the acids react with the ingredients in the recipe to make the softest, most tender baked goods. They act on the gluten in flour while simultaneously activating the baking soda. This results in a tender crumb and a good amount of lift in your baking.
While buttermilk is easy to find at grocery stores, you may not always have real buttermilk on hand when you need it. If that is the case, you can definitely make a homemade substitution at home using regular milk and lemon juice (or vinegar). To make a cup of your own buttermilk for this recipe, you will mix 1 cup milk with 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix the two together and then let is sit for about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes the milk will look thicker and a bit curdled. That means it’s worked and you can use this buttermilk mixture in your baking.
Ingredients for the best blueberry muffins
- Butter: For this recipe, you will need melted butter. I recommend unsalted butter but if you opt to use salted butter, omit the additional salt in this recipe. Alternatively, you can substitute vegetable oil in its place.
- Sugar: regular granulated sugar.
- Egg
- Buttermilk: The key ingredient to make these ultra tender muffins. See notes in the recipe card below to see how to make a homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Vanilla extract
- Leaveners: baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- All purpose flour
- Blueberries: fresh blueberries are the best for making muffins. If you don’t have fresh, juicy berries and wish to use frozen blueberries, you can substitute frozen blueberries as well, though be sure to follow my tips below to ensure the best results.
Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Tips for substituting frozen blueberries in this Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins recipe
Fresh is always better when it comes to using blueberries in muffins but if you don’t have fresh blueberries, you can substitute frozen berries with a few changes to the recipe. First, thaw the blueberries to remove the ice crystals that have formed on them. Then you need to gently pat them dry (you need to be gentle as they can be squished easily). Next, you will gently sprinkle or toss them with about a tablespoon of flour. Taking these steps helps to remove some of the extra moisture that occurs when freezing the berries.
I don’t recommend adding the berries into the batter like you would fresh ones in this recipe. Despite removing as much moisture as possible with the steps above, the defrosted berries are quite delicate and can become mushy. This means, if you try to fold them into the batter, they will bleed into the batter, turning it all blue. Instead, I recommend spooning half of the batter into the muffin cups and then sprinkling in some of the blueberries. Then repeating the process again with the remaining batter and blueberries. Gently press the berries on the tops of the muffins into the batter before baking.
How to make blueberry buttermilk muffins
1. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter (or oil) and sugar. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the large mixing bowl and mix together until combined. [Note: You can do this in a stand mixer as well, on low speed to prevent splatter.]
2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking to combine with the wet ingredients. Then add the flour and whisk, scraping down the sides as you do so until the batter is smooth. [Be careful not to over mix, as this will make your muffins more dense. You want to mix just until the flour is incorporated.]
3. Fold in the blueberries: Gently fold in blueberries using a spatula or wooden spoon. Be gentle during this step to prevent the blueberries from bursting.
4. Scoop and bake: Scoop the muffin batter into a 12-cup muffin pan lined with muffin liners. Bake at 400F in a preheated oven for approximately 22-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storing leftover muffins
Once muffins are cooled completely, you can transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for a couple of days.
This recipe can also be frozen. To freeze these muffins, place them in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. When you are ready to eat one again, you can simply thaw it and enjoy!
It’s hard to believe you can easily whip up the best ever buttermilk blueberry muffins in one bowl, but I sure am glad it is! I hope you enjoy these bakery style muffins as much as I do!
-Cathy
Looking for more ways to use buttermilk? You may also like:
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe
Homemade Corn Dogs Recipe (Better than the Fair)
Zucchini & Cheese Drop Biscuits
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled, or use 1/2 a cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk* (see notes for making a homemade buttermilk substitute)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh (can substitute frozen blueberries as well).
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tray with muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter (or oil) and sugar. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix together until combined. [Note: You can do this in a stand mixer as well, on low speed to prevent splatter.]
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking to combine with the wet ingredients. Then add the flour and whisk, scraping down the sides as you do so until the batter is smooth. [Be careful not to over mix, as this will make your muffins more dense. You want to mix just until the flour is incorporated.]
- Gently fold in blueberries using a spatula or wooden spoon. Be gentle during this step to prevent the blueberries from bursting. [Note: If you are using frozen blueberries, skip this step and see note in next step.]
- Scoop the batter into the muffin liners. [Note: If you are using frozen blueberries, thaw them and then pat them dry. Then toss them in a tablespoon of flour to coat them well. Scoop only half of the batter into each muffin liner. Then spoon some of the blueberries into each muffin cup. Add the remaining batter and then sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top, pressing them down slightly.]
- Bake in the oven for approximately 22-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
