Name: Small Batch Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup + 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda; 1/4 tsp. Salt (or 1/2 tsp. Diamond Kosher Salt); 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon; 1/4 cup melted Unsalted Butter (slightly cooled); 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar; 1 Egg (room temperature); 1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract; 1/4 cup Buttermilk (room temperature); 1/4 cup Sour Cream; 1 cup fresh Blueberries; 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar; 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour; 2 tbsp. cold Unsalted Butter; 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

This post was originally published on February 8, 2017. The recipe, photos, and content were updated on February 28, 2024.

You won’t find many baking recipes on my website, so when you do, you know they’re good. 😉 This small batch recipe makes six delicious blueberry muffins, and comes together in about 35 minutes. These are fluffy homemade muffins with a tender crumb, and we absolutely love them. 🙂

This recipe also includes a great buttery streusel topping for the blueberry muffins, and I highly recommend making it. While it isn’t crucial, it adds an incredible crunchy texture (and added flavor) to the muffins with minimal effort! It’s that little extra effort that transforms these muffins from being delicious, and into incredible bakery style muffins.

My recipe uses both buttermilk and sour cream (1/4 cup of each), but listen: you can use the amounts I’ve suggested (if you’re using both buttermilk and sour cream), OR you can use JUST buttermilk or JUST sour cream. If you’re only using one of them, increase the amount of your preferred option to 1/2 cup. That’s it!

An antique pie tin holding baked blueberry muffins.

I don’t fancy myself as much of a baker, but baking is so relaxing and rewarding. Especially when it involves making a classic, like blueberry muffins. These are easy to make, and the recipe offers a smaller batch than your typical recipe (as it only makes six muffins). If you’re new here, I focus on creating small batch recipes for 2-3 servings. 🙂

Ingredients

For the Blueberry Muffins:

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
½ tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Baking Powder
¼ tsp. Salt (or 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
⅛ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

¼ cup melted Unsalted Butter
⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg
½ tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
¼ cup Buttermilk
¼ cup Sour Cream
¾ cup fresh Blueberries

For the Streusel Topping:

2 tbsp. cold, Unsalted Butter
¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
¼ cup Light Brown Sugar
¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

A bakery style blueberry muffin resting on an antique grater, surrounded by more blueberry muffins, a small bowl of blueberries, and a small jug of milk.

Ingredient Notes and FAQs

Buttermilk

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use whole milk and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar instead. I typically buy buttermilk that is produced regionally, like Hiland or AE Dairy of you’re in the midwest. But any brand will work!

Sour Cream

Full-fat sour cream is the best option for these muffins. I do not recommend using low-fat sour cream. If you prefer to use Greek yogurt instead, also use full-fat (and plain flavored). Also use a brand you love; Belfonte is one of my favorites, and it is made in the Kansas City area. I also love Daisy if you’re looking for a national producer.

Blueberries

Can I use Frozen Blueberries? Yes, you can. Thaw them first, then pat them as dry as possible (without squishing the juice out of them) before mixing them into the muffin batter. I prefer to use fresh berries, especially if you can find some really juicy berries at the farmer’s market during the warmer months. 🙂 The best berries make the best muffins!

Can I add Lemon to these Muffins? Yes, for sure. I recommend using only lemon zest to add a lemon flavor; a couple of teaspoons should work! Orange zest would also be really good in these.

Recipe Tips

Use very cold butter for the streusel topping. The butter will slowly melt in your hands as you smash it into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, so you want to start with butter that is really cold, so it doesn’t turn into a weird, soft pile of sugary butter.
If the streusel isn’t crumbly, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. If the butter is too soft, it can just become a mashed spread of sugary cinnamon butter (sounds good, but not what we’re going for right now). Pop the entire bowl of streusel into the freezer for about five minutes, then continue crumbling the ingredients together until they resemble small pebbles.
Use full-fat sour cream. Full-fat sour cream has a higher fat content (of course), and a richer flavor that makes a difference in these muffins!
Spray the muffin liners with baking spray. I always lean towards the “better safe than sorry” side of things when it comes to baking, and spraying the liners with baking spray helps prevent the muffins from sticking to the liners too much.
Add lemon or orange zest for extra flavor! About two teaspoons of either lemon or orange zest will add a little bit of bright, citrusy flavor to these muffins.

Directions

How to Make Small Batch Blueberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a muffin tin with six paper liners. Note: I have a 6-cup muffin pan, but if you’re working with a 12-cup muffin pan, leave one empty well between each liner.
To Make the Blueberry Muffins: Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon) in a large bowl until totally combined.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract, then buttermilk and sour cream.
Place the fresh blueberries in a separate smaller bowl. Spoon one tablespoon of the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) over the blueberries, then toss to coat them in the flour mixture. Set them aside for now.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then use a rubber spatula to mix them together until just combined. (Avoid over-mixing; a few small clumps of flour are ok)!
Transfer the coated blueberries (and any dry ingredients that settled to the bottom of their mixing bowl) into the bowl with the batter. Fold the blueberries into the batter until just combined, but evenly dispersed.
Lightly spray the muffin liners with baking spray. Divide the blueberry muffin batter between the prepared muffin liners, filling each liner to the top. Set them aside while you make the streusel topping.
To Make the Streusel Topping: Place the cold butter, light brown sugar, flour, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Use your hands or a fork to gently smash the ingredients together, squishing the butter into the dry ingredients until only small pebble-like pieces remain to form the streusel.
Divide the streusel over the tops of the muffins, then bake the muffins at 425 F for five minutes. While keeping the oven door closed, turn the oven temperature down to 350 F. Bake the muffins for another 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown, and a clean toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove the muffins from the oven, then allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan. (If you want them to cool longer, transfer them out of the pan and onto a wire rack to continue cooling to your preferred temperature.)

Not only are these pretty easy blueberry muffins, but they are coffee shop worthy, IMO. The crumbly, crunchy, golden brown streusel on top of the muffins just really send them over the top. And while I’m personally not someone who craves muffins, these are undeniably awesome on busy mornings with a hot cup of coffee alongside. You get a burst of the fresh blueberry flavor, a little sweetness, and a bold hit of black coffee all in one. That’s the only way I want to start my mornings, tbh. 🙂

Step-By-Step Recipe Guide

A visual, step-by-step guide on how to make these Blueberry Muffins.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a muffin tin with six paper liners. Note: I have a 6-cup muffin pan, but if you’re working with a 12-cup muffin pan, leave one empty well between each liner.

Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon) in a large bowl until totally combined.

A woman's hand holding a whisk and whisking wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

Whisk the Wet Ingredients Together. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract, then buttermilk and sour cream.

A small glass bowl full of fresh blueberries coated with flour.

Coat the Blueberries with One Tablespoon of the Dry Ingredients. Place the fresh blueberries in a separate smaller bowl. Spoon one tablespoon of the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) over the blueberries, then toss to coat them in the flour mixture. Set them aside for now.

A glass bowl of wet muffin batter being poured into a large mixing bowl of dry ingredients.

A woman's hands holding a rubber spatula and mixing a batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then use a rubber spatula to mix them together until just combined. (Avoid over-mixing; a few small clumps of flour are ok!)

A glass mixing bowl full of muffin batter and flour-coated blueberries with a spatula resting in it.

A woman's hands holding a rubber spatula and mixing a blueberry muffin batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Mix the Bluberries into the Batter. Transfer the coated blueberries (and any dry ingredients that settled to the bottom of their mixing bowl) into the bowl with the batter. Fold the blueberries into the batter until just combined, but evenly dispersed.

A six-cup muffin pan with liners filled with blueberry muffin pbtter.

Fill the Muffin Liners with Batter. Lightly spray the muffin liners with baking spray. Divide the blueberry muffin batter between the prepared muffin liners, filling each liner to the top. Set them aside while you make the streusel topping.

A small glass mixing bowl with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour resting inside of it.

A woman's hand crumbling a cinnamon streusel topping together in a small glass mixing bowl.

Make the Streusel Topping: Place the cold butter, light brown sugar, flour, and ground cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Use your hands or a fork to gently smash the ingredients together, squishing the butter into the dry ingredients until only small pebble-like pieces remain to form the streusel. Note: If the streusel isn’t crumbly (like in the picture above), pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. (If the butter is too soft, it can just become a mashed spread of sugary cinnamon butter). Once the butter hardens in the freezer, continue crumbling the ingredients together until they resemble small pebbles.

A six-cup muffin pan with liners filled with blueberry muffin batter topped with cinnamon streusel.

A six-cup muffin pan with six fluffy blueberry muffins topped with cinnamon streusel.

Top the Muffins with Streusel. Divide the streusel over the tops of the muffins. There may seem like a lot, but just roll with it. 🙂 Totally cover the batter in each liner with streusel.

Bake the Muffins at TWO Different Temperatures. Bake the muffins at 425 F for five minutes. While keeping the oven door closed, turn the oven temperature down to 350 F. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown, and a clean toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven, then allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan. (If you want them to cool longer, transfer them out of the pan and onto a wire rack to continue cooling to your preferred temperature.)

The initial five minutes of high-heat baking help the muffins build height, which usually creates a taller, domed muffin. The lower heat helps the muffins continue to bake evenly throughout without over-baking them.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

However you store leftover muffins, be sure to let them cool to room temperature completely before storing them. Here’s how to store them for a few days, or for a lot longer:

To Store for a Few Days: Leftover blueberry muffins can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. Add a sheet of paper towel to the container to absorb any excess moisture so they don’t get soggy.

To Freeze: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then pop them all into a freezer safe container or ziptop bag for up to two months. Let them thaw at room temperature, then pop them into the microwave for about 15 seconds (if you want) before enjoying them.

As far as muffin recipes go, I’ve only got this one and a Small Batch Greek Yogurt Muffins with Chocolate Chips recipe on my website. Either one is a fantastic option for a “grab and go” breakfast, but I would lean towards these with blueberries, so you can start your day off with a little fruit. 🙂

Or, you could split one after dinner for a fun, fluffy dessert. Because THAT has happened at least two of the last three nights. 🙂 It definitely satisfies a sweet-tooth craving, and doesn’t really make you feel bad about it. I’m one of those weirdos that can drink coffee anytime of day and not be bothered by it, so you know I’m down to curl up with a muffin and some coffee at 8 p.m. on a Thursday. What an awesome way to end the day.

I hope you love these! If you do, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share them on Instagram and tag me, or use the hashtag #aflavorjournal so I can see it! If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make it, send me an email so I can help out.

xx Sara

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