I look forward all year to freshly picked blueberries. We go up to Michigan or my niece goes up to Michigan and we always get a ton of freshly picked blueberries. We eat as many of them as we possibly can, but there are always way too many. So, I started making these crumb topped blueberry muffins and they are to die for.
I cannot say no to a good muffin. Especially when they are bursting with freshly picked blueberries and have a sweet, crunchy topping. I love the crumb topped blueberry muffins because they add that extra layer of flavor and texture with the slightly tart, juicy berries.
These muffins are great for snack after school, quick breakfast in the morning or even a go to for brunch. Along with my Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins. These are my two favorite go to’s.
How to make the best crumb topping for muffins
So, I have done a few different crumb toppings for muffins. Mainly because I love the added crunch it gives to the muffin. I usually do a brown sugar crumb, which I love on a chocolate chip muffin. Yet, for these blueberry muffins, I like a lighter topping. I use granulated sugar and melted butter versus brown sugar and softened butter. I feel like the blueberry muffins are more delicate and need a little bit of a lighter topping. With that said, it is best if you make this topping first and let it chill and lightly firm up in the fridge while you make the muffin batter. This helps it make a nice crumb top versus just a melted sugar top.
What you will need to make these muffins
If you do not have fresh blueberries on hand, frozen work really well in here too. I would just cut it from 2 cups to 1 1/2 cups. Just because the frozen berries have more juice and you don’t want a wet muffin.
Flour- We are using regular AP flour here, nothing fancy
Granulated Sugar-Â We are using granulated sugar for the muffins and the crumb topping here
Baking Powder-Â This will add rise and texture to your muffins
Citrus Zest-Â I use a combination of orange and lemon zest, but you can use all orange or all lemon if you want or if that is what you have on hand
Unsalted Butter-Â 99% of the time my recipes will call for unsalted butter, especially my baking recipes. I like to control the salt in my recipes
Kosher Salt- Always a little salt to offset the sweetness and flavor the muffins
Vanilla-Â Â I like pure vanilla extract here, but you can use vanilla bean paste too. It would be the same amounts
Buttermilk- I like versus regular milk. I just think it adds a great flavor to the blueberries. You can make your own since you are using lemon/orange anyway. Just juice the lemon into the milk and you have buttermilk
Eggs- We just need 1 large egg here, we want a thicker batter for muffins
Cinnamon- I love to add a little cinnamon into the crumb topping. It brings a nice flavor into the blueberries and the overall muffin
What equipment you will need to make these muffins
You really don’t need anything special. You probably already have everything you need right in your kitchen. I have listed below my favorite tools for this recipe. Check out whatever you may not have or if you are looking for better options.
My favorite Lemon juicer– This guy makes almost a daily appearance at my house. The kids even know how to use it we use it so much. Can’t live without it in my kitchen
My Favorite Microplane– Another tool that is totally overworked in my kitchen. I love this one because it comes in many different colors to match any kitchen or personality. But this is another tool I cannot live without in the kitchen
My favorite Cupcake Pans– This is an awesome cupcake pan. They are completely non-stick and come in regular or mini muffin size
Cool New Mixing Bowls– I honestly just got these bowls recently and love, love, love them! Not only do they stack easily because they are nesting bowls, but they all have tops. Which is awesome. Plus they are not glass, so they are better for the kids to use in the kitchen. Super easy to clean and durable.
You will also need cooling rack, whisk, rubber spatula and cupcake liners. You can find more suggestions of what I use in my shopping tab. Shop my favorites
Chef’s Tips
This is a pretty straight forward recipe, but the biggest tip I can give you on these muffins is not to over mix your batter. When you add the wet to the dry, mix until just combined. You can always mix more when you add in the blueberries. So, don’t worry if there is still a little bit of flour. It will mix in with the blueberries. Also, muffin batter should be thicker than cake batter, but not as thick as brownie batter. So, keep that in mind when making this.
Lastly, make the crumb topping first so that it can firm up slightly in the fridge while you make the muffin batter. You will get a better final product. ENJOY!
Crumb Topped Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 AP flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 lemons or 1 lemon 1 orange-zested
- 1/4 cups unsalted butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries or 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the flour, melted butter, sugar and cinnamon together for the topping and set in the fridge while you make the muffin batter
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and citrus zest. Whisk it to make sure everything is combined.
- In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Mix together the melted butter, the egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Then fold in the blueberries, this can finish mixing any flour into the batter. Line your muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Scoop the batter 3/4 of the way full and then top with the crumb topping from the fridge. You will use about 1-2 tsp of the topping on each muffin. Spread it lightly over the top, it does not need to be perfect. Bake for 28-30 minutes until the crumb topping is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven onto a cooling rack. Let the muffins cool for 15-20 minutes in the tin and then remove them onto the cooling rack to cool completely. ENJOY!
