I had all but given up on blueberry muffins. Definitely over the ones from commercial bakeries that always look so beautiful but end up tasting like sugary sawdust. My homemade attempts were better but still disappointing – too heavy, too bland, too flat-topped, too boring.
I don’t even know what possessed me to try again – especially in January when the only available blueberries are from Mexico – but I sat down this week with a piece of paper and a pencil and every blueberry muffin recipe I’d ever tried, and I figured it out. And here’s the result:
Can we just take a moment? Look closely at the moist softness of the cakey part at the center of this muffin, at the insane amount of juicy blueberries, and the crumbly, brown sugar and macadamia-studded streusel covering the high, domed top.
What are the secrets to making the best blueberry muffins? Let’s start with the most important ingredient: the blueberries. This recipe calls for a substantial amount of blueberries – two full cups – for a very high ratio of berries to muffin. When you bite into one of these muffins, the sweet/tart flavor and juiciness of the berries will dominate, with the soft, cake-like crumb of the muffin playing a decidedly supporting role.
I know many people are fine with using frozen blueberries for baking, but I’m just not. I’ve made my feelings plain about this in the past (here and here). It’s a texture thing, when the flesh inside the blueberries liquifies and the loosened skins turn leathery. On top of that, frozen blueberries in muffins will stain the batter an unnatural greenish-blue.
None of this is fatal, and if you object to over-priced imported fruit I get it and give you permission to use frozen. I’m just saying, if you want to make the absolute best, most mind-blowing muffins, use fresh berries.
Now let’s talk about volume, because muffins must be tall with beautifully rounded tops, or why bother. In addition to using the right leavenings, in the right amounts, there are three things that will give you beautifully-domed muffins:
- Extra-thick batter. Most muffin recipes call for milk or buttermilk in the batter, but I used plain whole milk Greek yogurt for the “liquid”. (The yogurt is so thick it barely qualifies as a liquid.) Because the batter is so thick, you can pile it up high – over the tops of the muffin cups – making much bigger muffins than you could make with a runnier batter.
- Space between the muffin cups. Muffins must have room to rise without sticking to each other. I use a professional-grade muffin tin from Chicago Metallic that leaves a full one inch of space between the cups. If you don’t have a pan like this, either use two muffin tins and leave empty cups, or use tulip-shaped muffin tin liners that stand up above the cups – the liners will guide the muffins to rise up instead of out.
- Five minutes at a high temperature to start. Start the muffins off at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees for the remainder of the baking time. The hot start will jump-start the rising process, for taller muffins.
To complement the flavor of the blueberries, I chose cinnamon for warmth and freshly grated lemon zest for brightness. Chopped macadamia nuts add a luxurious crunch both inside the muffins and in the sweet streusel topping, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
Making blueberry muffins ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
- These muffins are at their very best on the day they’re baked, but will stay moist and fresh for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. I prefer not to freeze leftover muffins as their texture will not be the same when thawed.
- Leftovers benefit from being reheated briefly in the microwave and served warm with a pat of butter. But the best solution for leftovers is to griddle them: cut each muffin in half and place it cut side down, on a generously-buttered griddle or non-stick skillet. Cook until the cut sides are browned and crispy, then flip the muffin griddled side up onto a plate and top with more butter if desired. These make a fantastic breakfast with soft scrambled eggs and a juicy January orange or grapefruit on the side.
Blueberry Macadamia Nut Muffins
These are big muffins. For best results, use a professional-grade muffin pan that has extra space between the cups, to allow the muffins space to rise. If you don't have a pan like this, either use two pans and fill 6 cups in each pan, or use tulip-shaped muffin tin liners that stand up above the cups, forcing the muffins to rise up tall instead of spreading.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (preferably European-style), at room temperature, divided
- 3 ounces roasted, salted macadamia nuts
- 2 5/8 cups (11 1/8 ounces/315 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon Morton’s)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, concentrating on the top surface of the pan between the cups rather than inside the cups themselves. Place a paper muffin liner in each cup.
- Step 2 Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Step 3 Coarsely chop the macadamia nuts. Measure out ½ cup of the chopped nuts and set them aside for the batter. Finely chop the remaining nuts for the topping.
- Step 4 In a small bowl, combine 3/8 cup (45 grams) of the flour with the brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and toss until well blended. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until moist clumps form. Toss in the finely chopped macadamia nuts. Set the topping aside.
- Step 5 In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Step 6 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, and then the lemon zest. Scrape down the bowl and beater and beat again until the batter is completely blended.
- Step 7 Add half of the flour mixture and pulse the mixer on low speed, being careful not to let the flour spray out of the bowl. Pulse just until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add the yogurt and pulse just until the yogurt is blended in. Add the remaining flour and pulse just until barely blended.
- Step 8 Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and use a silicone spatula to stir in the blueberries, the ½ cup of reserved chopped macadamia nuts, and any bits of unincorporated flour at the edges of the bowl. Do not overmix the batter.
- Step 9 Spoon the batter into the paper-lined cups, mounding the batter high over the cups and dividing it equally. Because the muffin batter will be sitting up so tall above the cups, you’re not going to be able to “sprinkle” the streusel topping over the batter – it will just fall off. Instead, cup some of the streusel in the palm of your hand and quickly invert your hand over each muffin, gently pressing the topping onto the batter in each cup. Scoop up the excess that falls off around the edges and press it in toward the muffin from all sides, smooshing as much of the topping onto the muffin as possible. Repeat to top all the muffins with streusel.
- Step 10 Bake the muffins for 5 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for an additional 23 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown on top and a tester inserted deep in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then carefully lift them out and transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy them warm, or cool completely before storing.
