Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Think classic bakery style blueberry muffins but give them a little extra hit of blueberry and top them with a coffee cake streusel, these Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins are perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast.

How do you get a good muffin top?

While testing these muffins I learned a lot of tips on how to get that domed muffin top and if you put them all together, you will get the best blueberry muffin. To get a good muffin top you want to only bake muffins in half of the actual muffin cups, this leaves room for the muffins to get extra air circulation and allows them space to grow. Second, we’re going to bake these first at 425 F for a bit and then decrease the heat, this forces the muffins up quickly helping the top grow. Third, if you have the patience, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes – I have zero explanation for this one but it works.

Can these be made in a standard muffin tin?

Yes! I love a big bakery style muffin so I used this 6 cup muffin pan from USA pan but you can also use their standard 12 cup muffin pan and the recipe will make 12 muffins instead of 6. The baking time should be adjusted slightly so I would bake them for 5 minutes at 425 F, then 5 minutes at 350 F. Then rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes at 350 F. Check to see if they are done the same way.

How do you keep blueberries from sinking in a blueberry muffin?

The key to keeping blueberries dispersed in the muffin is tossing them in flour before adding them to the batter. However, it’s important that they’re dried off after rinsing because if they’re still wet when they get coated in flour, they’ll sink.

What is streusel?

Streusel is the buttery crumble that’s usually found on top of coffee cake or other muffins. It’s usually made of flour, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla. This recipe also has cinnamon and almond extract in it.

Tips for making bakery style Blueberry Muffins

• If you want to make a full 12 muffins instead of 6, simply bake them in a standard muffin tin like this one from USA Pan.
• You don’t need to line the muffin tin but if you want to have a paper wrapper on the jumbo muffins you can buy the liners at a specialty store or simply press a large square into the muffin tin with the bottom of a glass.
• This recipe works best if all the batter ingredients are at room temperature, it helps ensure a smooth and fluffy muffin batter.
• Fresh or frozen blueberries will work for this recipe! I used frozen for the compote and fresh in the actual muffins. I do find that frozen tend to sink more in the actual muffin.
• Make sure your baking powder and soda haven’t expired because they are important for the rise of the muffins.
• You can’t taste the almond extract as almond, it’s just there to add underlying flavor to the muffins but you can leave it out if you can’t or don’t have it.
• The oven temperature is very important in this recipe so make sure you have an oven thermometer to check the accuracy.

Additional Recipes to try!

• Lemon Blueberry Streusel Pastries
• Apricot Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

Blueberry Muffin Ingredients

• Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries will work for the compote and muffins. I like to use frozen for the compote and fresh for the actual muffin because I find the frozen tend to sink a little in the muffin.
• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this recipe! It is used in both the streusel and the actual muffin batter.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar is used in the streusel and the muffin batter.
• Salt: A little bit of fine sea salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warmth and flavor to both the streusel and the muffin batter.
• Butter: Butter adds moisture, flavor, and richness to the streusel and the muffin batter.
• Vanilla & Almond Extract: I love using both vanilla and almond extract for the streusel and the actual muffins for more flavor.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help make the cake rise – make sure to check the expiration date! If they are expired, they won’t be very effective.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor and enhances the chocolate.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
• 5% Fat Greek Yogurt: Full fat greek yogurt adds richness and moisture to the cake. You can also use Sour cream.
• Lemon Zest: Adding the zest of one lemon to the muffin batter gives the muffins more flavor without turning them into a lemon muffin.

How to make Blueberry Streusel Muffins?

• Rinse the fresh blueberries for the muffin batter and leave them to dry off.

Blueberry Compote

• In a small pot add in the 300 grams of fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring as needed until they have reduced and there is almost no extra liquid left. The mixture should hold a line for at least a 2 count after being stirred with a spatula.
• Once reduced, pour the blueberries onto a sheet pan or shallow dish and leave them to cool.

Streusel

• Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl on 10 second intervals until fully melted.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add in the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
• Pour in the melted butter along with the almond and vanilla extract.
• Use a fork to stir the mixture together until all the flour has been worked in.
• Set aside to cool.

Muffin Batter

• In another mixing bowl, add in the lemon zest and sugar. Rub the lemon sugar between your fingers until fragrant and the mixture starts to clump from the oils.
• Add in the soft butter, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat until light and fluffy, medium high speed for a stand mixer, high speed for a hand mixer, for about 3 minutes.
• Add in one egg at a time, beating in between each one.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the greek yogurt. Beat again until combined.
• Pour in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until almost fully combined, you should still see little bits of flour.
• Toss the rinsed and dried off blueberries with 2 tablespoons of flour and then add them into the batter bowl. If there is extra flour in the blueberry bowl, try not to add it in.
• Use a rubber spatula to fold the coated blueberries into the batter.
• If you have time, place the batter, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bake

• Line half of the muffin tin with liners or parchment paper. Make sure you alternate which muffin cups are lined so that it looks like a checkerboard. If using the large 6 muffin tin, line 3 of them. If using a standard 12 muffin tin, line 6 of them.
• Add enough batter into each lined muffin tin so that it is full, yes leveled off but full to the top. Place the bowl with the second half of the batter back in the fridge.
• Top each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of the blueberry compote and then a generous crumble of the streusel mixture.
• Place the muffin tin in the hot oven and bake for 7 minutes (if making standard sized muffins, refer to the tips section). Then turn the oven down to 350 F and bake for another 8 minutes.
• Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out without cake batter.
• Remove the pan from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before taking out the muffins. Turn the oven back up to 425 F to repeat with the second half of the muffins.
• Once the oven is hot and the pan has cooled down, repeat the above steps with the second half of the batter, compote and streusel.
• Eat warm and fresh or store, cooled in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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