This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
Do you enjoy Starbucks Blueberry Muffins? We think these are even better! They're moist, delicious, loaded with juicy blueberries and they rise up high, with beautiful domed tops!
When traveling, we often enjoy Starbucks Blueberry Muffins for a breakfast treat. I decided to try to come up with a copycat version and we think these are even better. All of our taste-testers agree!
And since we first published this recipe, back in 2019, we've had lots of new tasters and recipe testers. Here are a few of their reviews:
- Absolutely the best blueberry muffins…EVER! The batter is a bit thick, but don’t worry, they turn out AMAZING!!! Don’t cut the sugar they are perfect as is…not too sweet.
- My 10-year-old son made these yesterday with my 78-year-old mother. All three generations confirmed that these were the best muffins ever. Thank you for a great recipe and even more for a great memory I’ll now have of my mom baking with my son.
- OMG, I’ve just made this (I used yogurt instead of buttermilk) and they turned out p-e-r-f-e-c-t! My family loved them! And I think they’re actually better than the actual Starbucks ones. Thank you Chris so much for this recipe. Greetings from Argentina!
- Absolutely delicious! Beautiful result, complete with high domed tops! I will never make any other recipe!
And the comments go on and on. I love that one reader shared that she used gluten-free flour and they turn out wonderful:
- I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten-free flour with this recipe, and it comes out perfect every time.
So this has become my go-to recipe for other muffins too. I use the same base recipe for these Fresh Strawberry Muffins.
And also these fabulous Peach Crumble Muffins. It's one of those never-fail recipes that always produces beautiful muffins with pretty rounded domes.
What ingredients are in blueberry muffins?
You probably have pretty much everything you need to make these Better than Starbucks Blueberry muffins. Besides blueberries, the ingredients for these muffins are common household staples; flour, sugar, butter, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder and soda and salt.
I tried some recipes calling for oil and some for butter and found that butter gave the muffins better flavor and a nice crumb texture. The butter is melted in this recipe so you don't have to worry about taking it out of the fridge ahead of time to soften.
To me, there's something magical about baking with buttermilk and I think Fine Cooking sums it up perfectly:
Buttermilk owes its success as a baking ingredient to its acidity. It’s not nearly as sour as lemon juice or vinegar, of course, but the milder lactic acid present in buttermilk makes it a real boon to bakers. A slightly acidic batter helps keep baked goods moist and tender by breaking down long, tough strands of gluten.
Its tartness adds a delicious but subtle tang to cakes and pastries and its thick consistency adds a rich, creamy quality to baked goods. The acid in buttermilk helps with leavening. Together with baking soda, it produces carbon dioxide, which why pancakes and other baked goods made with buttermilk rise much higher than those with regular cow's milk.
Super easy!
I could tell you how easy these muffins are, with just one bowl and no mixer needed, but I think showing you is even better. So here's a video of these Better than Starbucks Muffins being made:
See what I mean? So easy... so delicious!
How to get Bakery-Style High Domed Muffins
Several of the recipes I tried while working on these Better than Starbucks Muffins were good, but not so pretty. I love a muffin with a rounded, domed top in lieu of those that rise up, but then flatten and spill over the sides of the muffin cups.
So how do you achieve the high, domed tops? Well, part of it is the recipe itself and the proportions of flour, sugar and leavening agents, but there are a few tricks that help create these beauties:
- Make sure your baking soda and powder are fresh. If you don't bake frequently, just replace them about every 6 months. They're not expensive.
- Don't overmix the batter. Use a spoon or spatula, never a mixer for making muffins. Use a folding motion to keep the batter light. Mix just until the flour disappears. In fact, it's okay if there's a tiny bit of flour that's not mixed in.
- Don't try to add more blueberries. One and a half cups is perfect for this recipe and yields a delicious muffin with plenty of fruit.
- Let the muffin batter sit for about 15 minutes before baking. This gives the gluten time to relax and the flour to be more absorbed by the liquid ingredients.
- Fill muffin cups fairly full, about ¼-inch from the top.
- Start muffins in a hot, 425˚F and bake for 5 minutes before reducing temp to 350˚F. Set a timer so you don't forget (been there, done that)!
- Don't be tempted to open the oven door to check the muffins. Rather use the window on the door and the oven light. You don't want the temperature to suddenly drop.
A big bonus (in the pocket)
In addition to being super delicious and really pretty, these muffins are WAY cheaper than the ones you buy at the green and white store. A Starbucks blueberry muffin is about $2.95. It will cost you less than $5.00 for a dozen of these Copycat Starbuck's Blueberry Muffins. See what I mean? A big bonus (in addition to your kitchen smelling like a fine bakery)! Put this recipe on your Must-Make-Soon list!
Café Tips for making these Better than Starbucks Blueberry Muffins
- This recipe calls for Demerara or Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling on top of the muffins before baking. You'll find these sugars in the sugar section of most larger grocery stores. Turbinado is also sometimes called "raw sugar".
- No buttermilk? No problem. It's easy to make your own and it won't take more than a few minutes. Simply add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) to 1 cup of whole milk. Stir well and let it stand for 5 minutes. Voila! Faux buttermilk makes a great buttermilk substitute in baked goods.
- I usually make muffins without paper liners and then slip the muffins into papers if I want a pretty look when serving but if you prefer, line your pan with the papers before adding the batter.
- These muffins freeze well. Just freeze them on a plate uncovered. Once they are frozen (about an hour), transfer them to an airtight storage container or zippered bag. Thaw before serving.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries for this recipe. I like to keep a bag of wild blueberries in my freezer so I can make these muffins or other blueberry recipes any time I want. Wild blueberries are smaller than the fresh berries you purchase at the market. I like them because the berries are more evenly distributed throughout the muffin.
- If you use frozen blueberries, leave them in the freezer until the last minute. Fold them in right before you scoop the batter into the muffin cups. If they thaw at all, the batter will get a little murky.
P.S. Want a good laugh? Check out this blueberry muffin recipe from the first few months of the blog back in 2011. Scott was at work so I took the pictures for these muffins (yikes!!). I think you'll totally understand why I cook these days and Scott is the resident photographer! Then again, if you looked at Scott's cooking you'd totally understand why I cook these days and he is the resident photographer, we're quite symbiotic!!
Thought for the day:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to our readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
These easy, one-bowl, no-mixer muffins are similar to Starbuck's Blueberry Muffins. They're moist, delicious, loaded with juicy blueberries and they rise up high, with beautiful domed tops!

- ½ cup butter melted and cooled for 5 minutes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk I like whole buttermilk but low fat will also work
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- Turbinado (raw) or Demerara sugar
-
Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 12 cup muffin baking pan generously with non-stick spray.
-
In a medium-large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar then add the eggs and stir well to combine completely. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Stir again until well combined.
-
Sprinkle the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt evenly over the top and stir just until flour mixture is incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries using a rubber spatula.
-
Scoop the batter into the 12 muffin cups and sprinkle each one with a scant teaspoon of Demerara or Turbinado sugar. Wait 15 minutes before baking muffins.
-
Bake for 5 minutes at 425˚F, then reduce the heat to 350˚F and bake for another 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will also spring back when lightly touched on the top when done.
-
Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan to a cooling rack.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
The Café Sucre Farine is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program. The Amazon Affiliate Program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but if you make a purchase through one of our links, we receive a small commission – and we continue delivering delicious recipes to you!

Genesis says
This was an excellent recipe! I did do some subbing: whole milk yogurt for buttermilk and maple syrup and just a bit of white sugar for sweetener. Will make again!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks for your review, Genesis!
Kita says
The amount of baking soda is too high. I could taste the baking soda while eating the baked cupcakes.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kita, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. Not sure why the baking soda tasted strong in the muffins to you. If you read the reviews, no one else has reported this.
In regards to the amount, it’s actually a good proportion to the amount of flour. Again, sorry you didn’t enjoy the muffins. I hate wasting good ingredients.
debbie says
Has anybody made JUMBO muffins - if so - how did you adjust the cooking time? I love all the recipes from Cafe Sucre and I'm sure this one will be no exception. Thanks
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Debbie! Maybe someone can chime in and help you 🙂
Catherine Irene says
Will be giving these as gifts for our Hospice Nurses...
May I please have some labels...
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Catherine, we don't have labels for this recipe at this time.
Rondi says
Absolutely delicious muffins. I make these with frozen wild blueberries and they are always perfect and scrumptious. As a bonus, they freeze well too so we ration them so we don't eat them all in 2 days.
I picked some blackberries when they were in season this year and froze them to try in this recipe in the coming winter.
Thanks for another great recipe!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thank you for your review, Rhondi!
Cathy Solomon says
Can you substitute chocolate chips in for the blueberries? I need a good chocolate chip muffin recipe.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Cathy, we haven't tested this with chocolate chips, but it sounds delicious! If you give it a try let us know how it goes.
Maria says
Hi, can you freeze them
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Maria, definitely!
Marie Thompson says
Please send me the free printable labels for Easy 30-minute Blueberry Jam, and thank you.
bmcthompson8@gmail.com
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Sure, Marie!
Crafty says
They were ok
Taija says
Hi there! I saw that the Starbucks Blueberry Muffin has lemon zest in it. I really love the lemon flavor so I’m curious if you’ve ever tried adding lemon zest to this recipe? If so, how much would you use? Thanks so much for your help, I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Taija, lemon zest would be delicious in these muffins. I would add the zest of one medium size lemon. You could make a little glaze with the lemon juice and a scoop of powdered sugar and drizzle it over the muffins for even more lemon flavor.
Betsabé Valor says
Easy and delicious!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thank you, Bestabé!
Sunnysewsit says
I have been trying various recipes for Blueberry Muffins lately (even those Gluten-Free ones, because I have a gluten problem), and after about five different tries, these are BY FAR the best. Even my fussy granddaughter (who also has a part-time job at Starbucks!) loves them. Thanks for posting them again, Chris.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That's awesome, Sunny! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Terri Bridges says
Chris,
Have you made these in mini muffin tins? I'm having a variety of breakfast muffins and would like to make them smaller. Along that line, could all of your muffins be made in mini muffins pans? And if you have made the mini muffins before, how would you recommend reducing the baking time?
Thanks,
Terri
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Terri, I have not made them as mini muffins but all of the recipes should work well as mini muffins.
Joanne says
Hi! I am new here. I need a good blueberry muffin recipe and I saw your recipe. I followed all the steps and the blueberry muffin turned out great. Thanks for your recipe because my friends love it! I don’t usually leave any comment but your recipe deserves one.
Thank you so much!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Joanne!
Taylor says
I have made these a few times and they are PERFECT! I tend to not have buttermilk or cows milk in the house. Would almond milk be okay to use ?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Taylor! I haven't tried almond milk so I don't want to say for sure. I know there is a great reaction between the buttermilk and the leavening in these muffins so I'm not sure it will be the same. Please let us know if you decide to try this!
Karla C says
I love these muffins! They come out perfectly every time. Can this also be made as a quick bread?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Karla! Yes, I think this would make a wonderful quick bread!
Connie says
Is 1 tablespoon of baking powder correct?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, it is.
Verna says
These were so easy to make and taster better than any blueberry muffin I have ever eaten!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Verna!
Emily A Donaldson says
I have never been able to access a video on your site. There always seem to be a colon, implying link to follow, but I've never found a link. Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong. Love your site, your recipes, your sharing of God's word and have shared the site with several others, who have also fallen in love with it. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words, Emily!
Regarding the video situation, I'm not sure what the issue is. I will report this to our ad agency (they sponsor our videos) and see if they have an idea.