Blueberry Almond Streusel Muffins

Blueberry Almond Streusel Muffins are tender, buttery muffins made with tangy sour cream and plump blueberries. This version is an upgrade from classic blueberry muffins thanks to a generous topping of crunchy streusel. These homemade muffins will make busy mornings more delicious and provide you and yours with a quick breakfast that’s easy to make and freezer-friendly, too!

*This post is an update of my original, published in March 2020. The recipe remains the same.*

What Are Muffins?

Muffins are quick breads made from semi-thick to thick batters, often baked in loaves or muffin tins (pans). Often, a muffin recipe and a quick bread loaf recipe are interchangeable. The only change to the recipe is additional baking time for loaves.

Frequently, muffins are too tough because they are over-mixed. How you mix the muffin batter and the method used make a huge difference in the quality of the final product.

Muffin and Creaming methods are the most common methods used to make muffin batter. This sour cream blueberry muffins recipe uses the creaming method. The result is tender, moist blueberry muffins which are more like a mini coffee cake with the same tender crumb you expect from a muffin.

What Are The Ingredients In These Blueberry Almond Muffins?

Blueberry almond muffins are made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, sugar, a large egg, unsalted butter, milk, full-fat sour cream, almond extract, and fresh blueberries. If you want to flip the script, make these lemon blueberry muffins by adding a bit of lemon zest and replacing the almond extract with fresh lemon juice or lemon extract.

Additionally, you need a half-batch of this Streusel Topping with Slivered Almonds recipe to sprinkle on top of the muffin batter. 

You also need a 12-cup muffin pan (or tin) to bake the muffins, baking spray, and paper liners, which are optional.

Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F. Then, grease the muffin tin before lining it with your muffin liners (or don’t). 

How Do I Make Tender Muffins?

Sift or stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a mixing bowl. Not only does sifting break up clumps in the flour mixture, but it also incorporates air into the mixture, contributing to a tender and moist texture in the muffins. Whisking accomplishes the same with less volume. 

Set this bowl aside. 

How Do I Avoid Tough Muffins?

Tough muffins result from tunneling, which are elongated and irregular holes that form inside the baked muffins. Tunneling is caused by over-mixing the batter. Tunneling is ugly and causes the muffins to have a tough texture. Mixing your muffin batters in stages before assembling the final batter decreases the likelihood of tunneling.

In a separate, small bowl, combine the milk, sour cream, and almond extract with a whisk until smooth.

Set this bowl to the side as well.

Why Do I Need To Beat The Butter And Sugar So Long?

The Creaming Method begins with a lighter-than-air buttery base and alternates adding the dry and wet mixture to create a thick batter. This batter bakes up to create fluffy muffins. Ta-freaking-da!

Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to blend the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Blend the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 6-7 minutes, stopping the mixer twice during this mixing time to scrape down the bowl and beaters.

It’s virtually impossible to over-mix the butter-sugar mixture, but it’s absolutely possible to under-mix it. Under-mixing the butter and sugar mixture when making muffins is just as bad as over-mixing the muffin batter. The result is a muffin that is dense and heavy. Take your time and beat the butter and sugar for the full 6 minutes.

Add the egg to the bowl and continue blending on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.

Why Do I Need To Alternate The Wet and Dry Mixtures?

Gradually add the dry and wet mixtures to the bowl with the butter-sugar mixture. You add these to the butter-sugar mixture in alternating stages to prevent the mixture from curdling due to an overabundance of liquids and prevent too much gluten development from the flour.

Begin and end with the dry mixture. Sift a third of the dry ingredients a second time directly into the bowl. Blend in the flour on low speed just until it’s moistened. The more you mix flour, the more gluten will develop. The more gluten that develops, the tougher the muffins will be. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters before proceeding.

Add half of the sour cream mixture to the bowl and blend it in at low speed, just until streaks of sour cream are visible in the batter. Scrape down the bowl once more. 

Sift in another third of the dry, then the last of the wet ingredients, followed by the last of the dry ingredients. Scrape down both the bowl and the beaters in between each addition. This scraping down of everything is crucial in achieving a well-balanced muffin batter. When you’re done mixing, the blueberry almond batter will have the consistency of a thick buttercream icing. 

Can I Make These Blueberry Almond Muffins With Frozen Berries?

Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries. You can use frozen blueberries, too; just make sure you’ve thawed them and strained off any excess juice.

You can add frozen berries directly to the batter, but it’s not my favorite way to use them. While some bakers say the use of frozen blueberries, without thawing them, is the same as fresh berries, I disagree. Frozen blueberries end up melting into the batter, making the interior of the muffin gummy and gross.

Can I Freeze Muffin Batter?

Store the muffin batter in the fridge or scoop and bake your muffins immediately.

You can freeze the muffin batter after mixing it for up to 6 months. Just scrape the batter into a freezer-safe container with a lid and store it in the freezer. Thaw the muffin batter overnight in the refrigerator before scooping and baking it.

How Do I Get Muffins That Are The Same Size?

Use a #12 portion scoop, AKA an ice cream scoop, which is 2 3/4 ounces or 1/3 of a cup, to scoop the muffin batter into your prepared muffin tin. Give the filled pan a few raps on the countertop to settle the muffin batter into the cups. A portion scoop is the easiest way to get muffins that are equal in size.

Here’s a tip to create those Instagram-worthy muffins: put a dollop of muffin batter- about 1 tablespoon- on top of the muffins to create the perfect muffin top. You can also push 3 or 4 extra blueberries onto the top of each muffin for even more picture-perfect muffins.

Do I Have To Top Them With Almond Streusel?

Sprinkle a tablespoon of the almond streusel onto each muffin. It doesn’t need to be pretty or precise because the muffins will do their own thing in the oven anyway. You can also omit the almond streusel topping if you don’t have the time or desire to make any.

How Long Do I Bake The Blueberry Almond Muffins?

Slide the muffin pan into the preheated oven and bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until golden brown. The muffins are ready to come out of the oven when the surface bounces back when pressed with your fingertips. Be sure to press the surface of the muffin and not a clump of streusel. You can also check if they’re done by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. The pan can be pulled from the oven if the toothpick comes out clean. For moist muffins, be sure not to over-bake them!

Leave the muffins to cool, in the pan, for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer them from the muffin tin to a wire rack, allowing them to cool further. 

How Do I Serve These Blueberry Almond Muffins?

You can serve these blueberry almond muffins while warm or allow them to cool to room temperature. I prefer to serve mine slightly warm and slathered with salted, sweet cream butter.

They taste great with a warm cup of coffee or a cold cup of milk or orange juice.

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Store leftover blueberry muffins in an airtight container or food storage bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Can I Freeze Blueberry Almond Muffins After Baking Them?

You can freeze blueberry muffins after you bake and cool them. Transfer the cool muffins to a freezer-safe container and store them for up to 3 months.

You can thaw frozen muffins covered at room temperature. To give thawed (or stale-ish) muffins back their flair, heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.

This Blueberry Almond Streusel Muffin recipe will soon become your favorite blueberry muffin recipe. Between the fresh blueberry flavor and the buttery, tender crumb, they will become a secret weapon in your recipe arsenal. They’re a must for breakfast, brunch, or even an afternoon snack, so be sure to pin this recipe to your Breakfast or Brunch boards and share it with your friends.

Blueberry Almond Streusel Muffins

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 14 votes

Blueberry Almond Streusel Muffins are tender, buttery muffins made with tangy sour cream and plump blueberries.

This version is an upgrade from classic blueberry muffins thanks to a generous topping of crunchy streusel.

Servings: 12 muffins

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 33 minutes mins

Equipment

• muffin tin
• #12 portion scoop (optional)
• hand mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients

  

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• 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (125 milliliters) whole milk at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) pure almond extract
• 3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 sticks (11 tablespoons or 150g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (225 grams) fresh blueberries (or thawed frozen blueberries)
• 3/4 cup (60 grams) Streusel Topping with Almonds or as desired

Instructions 

• Preheat an oven to 375°F.

  Generously grease a muffin tin with baking spray or grease it with shortening and lightly dust it with flour.

  For soft muffins, line your prepare muffin pan with muffin liners. For crunchy exteriors on your muffins, skip lining the pan.

Combine the Dry and Wet Ingredients Separately and Set Them Aside

• Sift or stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt in a mixing bowl.

  Set this bowl aside. 
• In a separate, small bowl, combine the milk, sour cream, and almond extract with a whisk until smooth.

  Set this bowl to the side as well.

Cream the Butter and Sugar Together

• Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to blend the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for 6-7 minutes.

  Stop the mixer twice during this mixing time to scrape down the bowl and beaters.
• Add the egg to the bowl and continue blending on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.

Alternate Adding the Dry and Wet Mixtures

• Sift a third of the dry ingredients a second time directly into the bowl.

  Blend in the dry mix on low speed just until it's moistened. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters before proceeding.
• Add half of the sour cream mixture to the bowl and blend it in at low speed, just until streaks of sour cream are visible in the batter. Scrape down the bowl once more. 
• Sift in another third of the dry, then the last of the wet ingredients, followed by the last of the dry ingredients.

  Scrape down both the bowl and the beaters in between each addition. When it's finished, the muffin batter will have the consistency of a thick buttercream icing. 

Fold In the Blueberries and Top the Muffin Batter With the Streusel

• Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the blueberries.

  Use a #12 portion scoop or a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.

  Tap the pan gently on the countertop to settle the muffin batter into the cups.
• Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the almond streusel onto each muffin.

Bake the Muffins, Then Enjoy

• Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin will come out clean when they are fully baked.

  Cool the muffins in the pan, for 5 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the cooled muffins from the muffin tin to a wire rack and allow them to cool further.

  Serve these blueberry almond muffins while slightly warm or allow them to cool to room temperature.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
• Use vanilla extract instead of almond extract.
• Make lemon-blueberry muffins by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon lemon extract) to the wet ingredients.
• Replace the blueberries with raspberries.
• Use frozen blueberries that have been thawed and strained of excess juice.
• You can omit the almond streusel topping if you don't have the time or desire to make any.

Tips and Techniques:

• The more you mix flour, the more gluten will develop and the tougher the muffins will be.
• A portion scoop is the easiest way to get muffins that are equal in size.
• The muffins are ready to come out of the oven when the surface bounces back when pressed with your fingertips. Be sure to press the surface of the muffin and not a clump of streusel.
• For moist muffins, be sure not to over-bake them!

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover blueberry muffins in an airtight container or food storage bag at room temperature for 2-3 days.
• To give thawed (or day-old) muffins a freshly-baked taste, heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Freezer Instructions:

• You can freeze the muffin batter after mixing it for up to 6 months. Transfer the batter to a freezer-safe container with a lid and store it in the freezer. Thaw the muffin batter overnight in the refrigerator before scooping and baking it.
• You can freeze blueberry muffins after you bake and cool them. Transfer the cool muffins to a freezer-safe container and store them for up to 3 months.
• Thaw frozen muffins covered at room temperature. 

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 221mgPotassium: 111mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 3mg

Course Mornings

Cuisine North American

Keyword blueberry, breakfast, brunch, muffins

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