With a bag of frozen blueberries from Costco, I looked on my own site for my blueberry muffin recipe. I was stunned to see I never posted it! Here it is. These muffins are simple to make with fresh or frozen blueberries. If you are using frozen berries, do not thaw them. Add them to the batter at the end while still frozen.
You can substitute other berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and sliced strawberries as well.
This is a perfect beginner’s recipe! I am not a fast baker by any means but once I have all the ingredients on the counter, I can make the batter and have them in the oven in less than 10 minutes.
I’ve only made the standard-size muffins using this recipe, and it makes around 10 muffins. You can also make them as mini muffins, just be sure to check them sooner.
Tips for Making Blueberry Muffins
- Add the dry ingredients together; then add the wet; follow the order
- Stir ingredients until combined; do not overmix
- Add blueberries at the end, folding them in gently
- Don’t thaw the berries, put them in right from the freezer
- I like buying frozen organic blueberries and have found them to be less expensive than fresh organic
I know buying organic berries are typically more expensive than buying non-organic. My experience has been that I can buy frozen organic for less than fresh. Also, stores sell them all year long, so you don’t have to worry about them being in season.
I also like that my family and I can eat them at our leisure and don’t have to worry about them spoiling. Frozen blueberries are handy to have for these muffins, to top breakfast foods, to make smoothies, and more. I try to buy them at Costco but also buy them from Natural Grocers, Sprouts, and in a pinch, Safeway.
To Keep These Palm Oil Free
Pure vanilla extract: Be sure to use pure vanilla extract. Imitation extracts often contain palm oil derivatives that are sometimes labeled as in Propylene Glycol or Glycerin, and sometimes that hide under “Natural Flavors” as Glycerin.
Use whole milk: If you use a plant-based milk, note many contain palm oil in the form of Vitamin A Palmitate. They are required to be fortified. In the United States, the FDA does not require whole milk to be fortified with it.
Blueberry muffins with frozen blueberries ~ Image credit: Dawn Head
What You Need
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or one-to-one gluten free flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- Reserve additional 2 teaspoons sugar for tops of muffins (optional)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ sea salt or table salt
- ⅓ cup avocado oil, vegetable oil, or other tasteless oil
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup blueberries
Equipment
- 2 large or medium bowls
- Muffin tin: Can be mini or regular
- Muffin liners or lightly cover wells with oil
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Whisk or spoon to mix
- Spoon to put batter into muffin tin
- Oven mitts
- Toothpick
- Nice to have: cooling rack or trivet
If you have a stovetop with grates, you can use it to cool baked goods if the stove is off.
Blueberry muffin in baking tin ~ Image credit: Dawn Head
How to Make Blueberry Muffins
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375ºC)
- Line muffin tin with paper liners or gently coat with additional oil
- In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt
- In a separate bowl, add and whisk together oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; stir gently; don’t overmix
- Gently fold in the frozen or fresh blueberries
- Spoon batter into muffin cups so they are filled about ¾ of the way
- Optional: Sprinkle with additional white sugar
- Set in preheated oven for 15 – 18 minutes
- Check for doneness; they should look baked, not wet; carefully insert a toothpick
- If toothpick comes back with crumbs and not wet, they should be done
- Set on cooling rack to cool
Storing
When the muffins are completely cooled, put them in an airtight container on the counter. They should last 3 – 5 days. You can also freeze them in sealed freezer bags (remove air before sealing) or freezer-safe containers.
To Make Them Gluten Free
You can use the exact recipe above, and replace the regular flour with a one-to-one flour. I have had great success making these with Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 Gluten Free Flour as well as King Arthur’s Measure-for-Measure Gluten Free Flour. I buy these GF flours at Target or on Amazon. (Bob’s Red Mill no longer ships from their website.)
Enjoy!
I love fruit-filled muffins because they are versatile for breakfast, brunch, snacks, lunchboxes, desserts after dinner, etc. If you want them to have less sugar, you don’t have to sprinkle sugar on top. Or you can make some with the sugar on top and some without.
I love that I can make these with frozen blueberries because I usually buy frozen organic berries. Not only do they keep longer than fresh berries, they are most always available. And ounce per ounce, I have found that buying organic berries frozen is less expensive than buying organic berries fresh.
I hope you love them as much as my family and I do!
My Story
You may know my household does our best to avoid palm oil. In 2017, we learned palm oil was making my son sick. Since that time, I have learned to cook and bake most everything at home, even though I was someone who always bought premade.
Now, having some basic baking staples on hand and organized in my cabinet, I can make muffins and other things fairly quickly.
Please check out some of my other recipes for fruit-based desserts, bars, balls, and other recipes.
Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe
Most all premade and packaged desserts contain palm oil. This is why I do not buy premade desserts. One of the reasons companies use palm oil in desserts like muffins is that it helps extend the shelf life of the product. When you make them yourself, you control the ingredients.
Please keep reading:
Featured image with blueberry muffins on baking rack ~ Dawn Head
Blueberry Muffins with Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
Equipment
- 2 large or medium bowls
- Muffin tin: Can be mini or regular
- Muffin liners or lightly cover wells with oil
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Whisk or spoon to mix
- Spoon to put batter into muffin tin
- Oven mitts
- Toothpick
- Nice to have: cooling rack or trivet
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or one-to-one gluten free flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- Reserve additional 2 teaspoons sugar for tops of muffins optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ sea salt or table salt
- ⅓ cup avocado oil vegetable oil, or other tasteless oil
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375ºC)
- Line muffin tin with paper liners or gently coat with additional oil
- In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt
- In a separate bowl, add and whisk together oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; stir gently; don't overmix
- Gently fold in the frozen or fresh blueberries
- Spoon batter into muffin cups so they are filled about ¾ of the way
- Optional: Sprinkle with additional white sugar
- Set in preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes
- Check for doneness; they should look baked, not wet; carefully insert a toothpick
- If toothpick comes back with crumbs and not wet, they should be done
- Set on cooling rack to cool