Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Have you ever wondered how to make those big, fluffy bakery-style blueberry muffins with a perfectly crunchy, sugary top? This blueberry muffin recipe delivers just that! These jumbo, golden muffins are packed with juicy blueberries, have the most tender crumb, and are topped with a sparkling sugar crust. They’re guaranteed to impress—maybe even more than your favorite bakery!
What Makes These Muffins Bakery-Style?
This recipe will teach you how to make professional-quality muffins right in your own kitchen! After years of working in bakeries, I’ve gathered my favorite tips and techniques to perfect my own version at home.
These muffins are extra large—nearly double the size of standard homemade muffins—with that signature domed top. Their tender yet fluffy crumb comes from the creaming mixing method that sets them apart from typical muffin recipes. But the two game-changing details? A generous amount of juicy blueberries in every bite and a crunchy turbinado sugar topping that adds just the right touch of sweetness to complement the tart berries. These muffins taste like they are straight from a bakery!
Ingredient Overview
- Butter & Oil: The combination of butter and oil creates a moist, fluffy muffin with a rich, buttery taste and a tender crumb.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar, creamed with butter and oil, is going to create that cake-like texture.
- Lemon Zest: Pro tip: zest the lemon directly into the sugar and rub together to release the lemon oils into the sugar!
- Eggs: I always use large eggs when baking
- Buttermilk: Using buttermilk enhances the flavor and texture. If you don’t have any on hand, add ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ cup whole milk and let sit to create a quick buttermilk.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is high in fat, which makes these muffins extra moist and rich.
- Vanilla extract: Use good-quality vanilla for the best flavor!
- All-purpose flour
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Using both leavening agents boosts the rise of these muffins, making them big and fluffy.
- Salt
- Blueberries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. For the best flavor and even distribution in every bite, I recommend using the smaller varieties like wild blueberries.
- Turbinado Sugar: Adds the beautiful sparkly and crunchy top to these blueberry muffins.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Cream the Butter, Oil, and Sugar
Unlike most muffin recipes, we are using the creaming method. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the room-temperature butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest. Cream this mixture on a medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Whisk Together Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients
In another small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the Dry and Wet Ingredients
Beginning with the dry ingredients, add about ⅓ to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until just combined, then add about ½ of the wet ingredients. Again, mix until just combined on a low speed. Continue with the dry ingredients, then wet, then end with the last ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
5. Fold in Blueberries
Gently toss the blueberries with a spoonful of flour to coat. This ensures that the blueberries do not sink to the bottom and are evenly distributed throughout the entire muffin. Gently fold into the batter.
6. Chill Batter
Place the batter in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before scooping and baking. If you want to bake the muffins at a later time, chill the batter overnight or for up to two days. Chilling the batter is an important step that will help with the rise and texture of the muffins, so don’t skip this part!
7. Scoop and Bake
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Using a 12-cup muffin tin, line every other cup with either a liner or spray with non-stick cooking spray. These muffins are going to get really big and dome over the tops of the cups, so leaving space allows them room to grow and not run into each other. You will be able to bake 6 large muffins at a time in a regular muffin tin.
Using a scoop or spoon, fill the muffins all the way to the top of the tin. Sprinkle with a generous amount of turbinado sugar. Bake the muffins for 6 minutes at 425°F, then without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 375°F and bake for 15-18 more minutes.
When the muffins are done, they will have a golden brown color and should gently spring back when touched. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool in the muffin tin for 5–10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blue Mountain Baker’s Tips
- Use a kitchen scale: This is the most accurate way to measure and will ensure bakery quality at home.
- Room temperature ingredients: Pull your ingredients out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before making the batter. This step makes mixing easier and leads to an overall better-textured muffin.
- Higher oven temperature to start: Baking muffins at a higher temperature first gives them that initial boost and rise that is needed to create the domed muffin top you would see in a bakery-style muffin. After that initial rise, lowering the temperature allows the muffins to bake fully without browning too much.
- Chilling muffin batter: It may seem like an unnecessary step, but I promise it’s not! In most bakeries, muffin batter is made in large batches, stored in the refrigerator, and used over the next couple of days. This is not only for efficiency, but chilling the batter actually allows the flour time to hydrate and the fat to firm up, so when they bake, they spread less and rise taller.
- Turbinado vs. granulated sugar: This type of raw sugar has larger crystals than regular granulated sugar. It keeps its shape and adds that sweet crunch to the top of the muffins and other baked goods. It can be found in your regular grocery store and is essential to getting that bakery-style blueberry muffin.
Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins FAQ
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes! Use them straight from the freezer; no need to thaw. The muffins may need a couple of extra minutes in the oven when baking with frozen berries, so check after 15 minutes, then adjust accordingly. Coating the blueberries in flour will help prevent the color from bleeding when mixing into the batter.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes, whole milk can be substituted in place of buttermilk. You can also make a quick buttermilk by adding vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk. Buttermilk just enhances the flavor and texture of these muffins, but it is not necessary.
Why don’t my muffins have a domed top?
First, check that your baking powder and baking soda are not expired! These leaveners won’t do their job to make a light and fluffy muffin if they are expired.
Be sure that you are filling the muffins all the way to the top and slightly higher than the muffin tin cup, as well as baking at a higher temperature for the first 6 minutes. If the batter has been chilled, they should hold their shape and puff up nicely in the oven.
What if I don’t have turbinado sugar?
No worries! The turbinado sugar simply adds a crunchy, bakery-style topping but is completely optional. For a similar effect, you can sprinkle brown sugar on top instead. These muffins will still be delicious even without any topping.
If Somehow You Have Leftovers…
- These muffins are best kept fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 days.
- They can be frozen in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to a month. To reheat, thaw at room temperature, then heat in a 325°F oven for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, pop in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm.
Recipe Card
Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup Muffin Tin
- Standard Muffin Liners
- 2-3 ounce Scoop
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Kitchen Scale
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (84g) butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons (56g) canola oil
- ¾ cup (176g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (180g) buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons (100g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (264g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (240g) small blueberries, frozen or fresh
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to make sure no chunks of butter are left.
- In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl or liquid measuring cup mix together the eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk.
- Gradually add the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed butter mixture in three parts, alternating between them. Start and end with the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the bowl periodically to make sure everything is combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure a tender texture to the muffins.
- In a small bowl, add a spoonful of flour to the blueberries and toss to coat. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Cover and chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight, depending on when you want to bake the muffins.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by lining every other cup with liners or coating them with non-stick cooking spray. This spacing gives the muffins room to expand and dome over the top. Bake in batches of 6 muffins at a time.
- Scoop the batter, filling all the way to the top and slightly over the cup of the muffin tin. Sprinkle a generous amount of turbinado sugar over each muffin.
- Bake at 425°F for 6 minutes, then turn down oven to 375°F and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
