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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
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Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 12 cup muffin baking pan generously with non-stick spray.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Hanet says
Hello Chris!
Just made your Copycat Blueberry Muffins And they are top-notch delicious! I’ve not eaten SB’s, but these are the best ones I’ve ever tried!
I love all the recipes of yours I’ve ever tried; especially the Caramel Apple ones. (Not sure of exact title, but the definitely have been a hit every time I have made them!
Thank you and please keep up the great work! Appreciate you!
Janet
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much, Janet! I so appreciate your kind and thoughtful comment and love that you love these muffins as much as we do!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Hanet, for this kind comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed these muffins!
maryann mills says
Loved this recipe and it came out perfectly. I wouldn't change a thing EXCEPT I want the blueberry muffin liners you used to present the muffins. Can you tell me where you can purchase them--they complete the whole package.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, MaryAnn! I'm so happy you enjoyed the muffins. I actually got the muffin liners at HomeGoods. I've looked for them online but haven't been able to find them.
Aseya says
Just made these today, they were so yummy except there was a slight bitter taste. Shall I reduce the amount of baking powder and soda? Or do you think I didn’t mix it properly?
Thanks again
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Aseya, you might want to try mixing the dry ingredients a little more. If you change the proportions, you won't get a proper rise. One other question - is your flour fresh? Flour can go rancid after a while. You might want to check that too. Hope that helps!
Clara says
OMG! This might have been a mistake. These are wonderful. Didn't change a thing way better than Starbucks and I can have them whenever I want without leaving home. Thanks so much.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Clara! I'm so happy you tried them and love them as much as we do! Thanks for taking the time to leave your review. 💕
Dj Wavestrike says
You are way off and there is no reason to be so far off the mark because Starbucks lists the ingredients on their site. There is NO buttermilk. You are missing lemon zest, Greek yogurt, honey and oil which are the main ingredients.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Thanks for your very thoughtful, kind comment. I'm certain that you are correct but these are truly delicious and taste very similar to Starbucks, maybe better!
btw, the star rating is for people who try the recipe.
Marsha says
These are delicious and do bake up nicely with round domed tops! Thanks Chris!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Marsha! I'm so happy you enjoyed them and had good success. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Ruth says
5 stars❣️
Ruth says
I made the muffins this morning, using wild blueberries as you suggested. I followed all your instructions and they turned out wonderfully well. Before I knew what was happening I had eaten two of them. I could not help myself❣️
Lorna Fenton says
Made these last night using frozen blackcurrants instead of blueberries..the currant bushes are leafing up and I haven't used all of last years! Now I wish I had more - they were sensational. Leaving the mixture sitting is a great tip. Also I didn't put the sugar on top feeling it might be a bit over sweet. In the interests of good health I'll try them with 3/4C of sugar next time. Thank you once again for the testing and research that goes into yet another foolproof recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Lorna, your version sounds amazing!
Beverley A Scott says
These muffins are definitely a keeper! I too would reduce the sugar to about 3/4 c., but otherwise, they were perfection! It seems you can't go wrong with Chris's recipes, and believe me, I've tried many of them!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Beverly! I really appreciate your kind words and you taking the time to share your results!
Sue R. says
How do I adjust the baking time if I use this recipe for jumbo muffins?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sue, I haven't tried making these muffins with a jumbo pan so I can't say for sure. It will definitely take longer. I would check them every couple minutes after the specified baking time and touch them lightly in the center. If the center is not soft and springs back, they should be done.
Perlita says
I made these today reducing the sugar to 3/4 cup and replaced 1/4 stick of the butter with applesauce. I also added some cinnamon to the mixture perhaps a 1/2 teaspoon because I like it. I had a small amount of blueberries left over from the pint so I threw them in as well. The muffins were delicious. I ended up with 16 muffins instead of 12 and the cups were filled to the top. Perhaps my muffin tin is swallow. I was curious as to why the muffins had to wait 10 minutes before baking. Overall, a very nice recipe.
Mary says
Ditto to everything Judi said!
Judi Gibbs says
As usual with your recipes; these were wonderful - taken on a field trip with a bunch of preschoolers; I was lucky I got to taste one!! I love the tips and they DO help - appreciate that you guys do all the work, get the bugs out and add things to make us successful. These are the biggest and fluffiest muffins I have ever made (and I an 71, so done a few..) I will bake up another batch tonight. I have never tried a Starbucks muffin and now I don't have to! These are the bomb. Thanks so much.
Rondi C says
They taste EXACTLY like the Starbucks version - maybe better!
I still can't master how not to get blue muffin batter - even adding the frozen berries at the last minute - but they were incredibly simple to make, no mixer required and delish!
Linda Jean says
Yes, they as delicious as they sound and super easy to make! I’ve never had a SB muffin, so I can’t compare. I have made lots of muffins and theses are awesome. I’m already planning what to substitute for blueberries because the batter itself is a keeper recipe.
Katie says
These were easy and delicious. Only change I made was reducing the sugar to 3/4 cup, I prefer a little less sweetness. The muffins still turned out great. Thanks for a lovely recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Katie! It's good to know you can reduce the sugar.
Barb C says
These muffins were to die for!!! Did exactly what the recipe said and they came out perfect!!! Thanks for this amazing recipe....can hardly wait to make them again!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! I always love it when the first real person tries a new recipe and leaves a review. Thanks so much, Barb 🙂
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I don't often treat myself to food from Starbuck's, but on our road trip I had one of their blueberry muffins and thought it was delicious! Can't wait to try your recipe Chris!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
These look just perfect! And yes, I love what buttermilk brings to muffins, too. It adds such a lovely, tangy note 🙂
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert says
One of my all time favorite muffins! Blueberry muffins are the best 🙂 I always let my muffins rest before baking - it really works. Great shots Chris!
Joan braunstein says
Do you areduce oven to 350 or 375 after 5 mins.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joan, it's 350. I actually experimented with both and found 350 to be better. Thanks for noticing. I corrected that in the post.
Sara Goverman says
I have some frozen blueberries I would like to use. Should I rinse them? And- will frozen blueberries make a difference?
Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sara! Good question! Yes, you can definitely use frozen berries. Leave them in the freezer though till the last minute and 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. I will add this to the Café Tips!
Liz says
These look picture perfect! I had to giggle at your old photo---I have tons of those types of posts that I need to update! I think you caught on to the need for better photos a lot earlier than I did!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Liz! I think you do VERY well 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Charlotte, it is 1 tablespoon of baking powder. And no, it actually enhances the rising of these muffins as it gives the glutens a chance to relax and also the starch in the flour is absorbed a bit more, making the batter a little thicker, which helps it to rise up and not out over the edges.
Charlotte Moore says
These really look yummy. Is it a T baking powder?? By letting it sit before baking, it doesn't mess with the rising?