Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Blueberry muffins have a special place in our heart. Most weekend mornings growing up, our mom brought out her big yellow bowl and made a batch of these delicious blueberry muffins. The muffins are tender and filled with juicy blueberries. Plus, we have started adding this brown sugar crumble topping which makes the muffins out of this world.

Tips for the best blueberry muffins:

• Almond extract – we love almond extract in these muffins for that bakery-style taste. A little goes a long way but this adds a delicious flavor to the muffins. 
• Soften the butter: Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before using it in the recipe. This will help it cream better with the sugar, resulting in a lighter texture in the muffins.
• Mix dry ingredients separately: Mixing the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients will help ensure they are evenly distributed in the batter.
• Folding the batter – Mixing the batter as little as possible so the ingredients are just combined is key to a tender muffin. Overmixing will cause a tough batter, so we just use a spatula – no electric mixer required.
• Alternate wet and dry – to keep the batter fluffy while mixing in the ingredients, we alternate the wet and dry. Start with ⅓ of the dry then mix in half of the milk. Next add the second ⅓ of the dry, then the rest of the milk, and then add the last portion of the dry ingredients. (⅓ dry, ½ milk, ⅓ dry, ½ milk, ⅓ dry). This will help prevent overmixing and result in a tender crumb.
• Blueberries fresh or frozen – frozen will work but the frozen have a tendency to make the batter bright purple with the juices. If you are looking for a batter that remain pale, we find the fresh ones work better.
• Fold in blueberries gently: When folding in the blueberries, be gentle to avoid crushing them and turning the batter blue. This will help ensure even distribution of blueberries in the muffins.

Ingredient Notes:

• Butter: Use salted butter and make sure it is softened to room temperature for easy creaming with the sugar.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in the muffin batter, while light brown sugar is used in the crumb topping.
• Eggs: Large eggs are recommended for this recipe. If possible, leave them out an hour or two before baking so they are at room temperature.
• Vanilla and almond extract: These add flavor to the muffins. Use pure vanilla extract and almond extract for the best results.
• All-purpose flour: Use a good quality all-purpose flour for the muffin batter and crumb topping.
• Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active for proper leavening.
• Salt: Regular table salt is used in both the muffin batter and crumb topping. We always use diamond kosher. If using morton, use half.
• Whole milk: Whole milk is used for richness and moisture in the muffin batter.

Tips for the best crumble:

• Key to Crumbs – make sure to use the large crumbs that sit on top of your bowl of crumble and pack the top of the muffin with these crumbs. The fine powdery part is fine to put on top but it will just dissolve into the muffin so isn’t needed.
• Flavor – these are a simple brown sugar butter flavor but cinnamon, cardamon, or spices could be added if desired! 

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Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 15

Ingredients

Muffins:

• ½ cup butter softened (113 grams)
• 1 cup sugar 200 grams
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 14 grams
• ½ teaspoon salt 3 grams
• 1 cup whole milk 240 grams
• 1.5 pints blueberries

Crumb Topping:

• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 180 grams
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 150 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
• 6 tablespoons butter melted (85 grams)

Instructions

Crumb topping:

• Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt to a bowl. Stir to combine.
• Pour in the melted butter. Mix together until large crumbs form. Set aside

Muffin instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin pan
• In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in a kitchen aid, beat the butter until fluffy. Slowly add the sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add in the extracts and eggs one at a time until evenly combined.
• In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
• On low speed or with a spatula, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter – starting and ending with the flour. Start by adding ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter and mix. Then ½ the milk, mix. ⅓ more of the flour, mix. The remaining ½ of the milk, mix. Finally, the remaining ⅓ of the flour, mix.
• Fold in the blueberries and scoop the batter into 12 muffin wells. Top with a generous portion of the crumbs until the muffins are fully covered (note make sure to use the large crumbs and leave any excess powder that doesn’t form crumbs off the muffins)
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These blueberry muffins with a crumb topping are a delicious baked good for breakfast or brunch. The base of the muffins are moist and tender. The muffins are studded with bursting and juicy blueberries. The crunchy crumb topping adds a delicious texture and flavor. Our secret ingredient for these bakery style muffins is almond extract. These are one of our favorite baked goods year round. We also make these muffins with other types of fruits like raspberries or a mixture of raspberries and blueberries.