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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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Diane says
I had high hopes. But this is too much baking powder and or soda. My batch tasted very alkaline/chemical. Followed directions exactly. I’m glad everyone’s else’s were good, but mine were unfortunately not.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Diane, Sorry this recipe did not work out for you - it's hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. You're right, there are so many good reviews. I've made these a zillion times and have never had an alkaline/chemical taste.
Just a thought... Could you have possibly used a tablespoon of soda and a teaspoon of baking powder? That would definitely give a very off-flavor. I'm asking because I have actually done that myself.
Susan says
Chris, I invited a friend over for coffee and needed a muffin recipe. I don't hunt around the internet anymore, I just come straight to your website and am never disappointed. We had an overabundance of blueberries on the bushes so I made this recipe - delicious. Thank you for easy-to-follow directions, your recipes are the best!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for the kind comment, Susan! I'm so glad you enjoyed these muffins.
Belinda says
I am SO disappointed. I had blueberries that I needed to use so I was excited to find this recipe. First off, the batter was very thick. In fact, it made more than 12. I debated about whether to cram in all of the batter into 12 muffin tins. I did though. Now, they are a blob of giant mess. The edges are burned and the inside is gooey. I hope they're done inside. I guess you used a jumbo tin? And no, I didn't read your life story to get the recipe. The taste is okay, not as good as I hoped.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Belinda, so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I hate wasting good ingredients.
It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you.
The recipe is not designed for jumbo muffin tins but rather a regular size pan. You might want to try the recipe again, it truly does produce fabulous muffins. But don't take my word, you can read the many reviews to verify that.
Ellen says
Excellent even with mistakes! I put them in the oven for a minute or so, realized I hadn't put the coarse sugar on top. Pulled them out of the oven and sprinkled the sugar. Started cleaning up and saw my 2 eggs sitting on the counter! Pulled the pan out again, scooped out the batter, added the two whisked eggs, put the batter back in the cups, (didn't even re-butter the pan -no paper liners), and they still rose nicely. After 10 minutes I used a knife around the sides of the pan and they came out just fine. Beautiful and great tasting muffins.
Chris Scheuer says
Ha! Glad it all worked out for you, ELlen!
Diana Bloomer says
Hi Chris,
I bought the whole buttermilk like you suggested and first made your strawberry muffins which I shared with some friends and their husbands (mine included). They were a big hit. Next I made your blueberry muffins and they were also a huge hit with my friends and their hubbies. I like to share a good thing! The buttermilk does make a big difference! Thank you for all your delicious recipes!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Diana!
Jayne says
Just lifted a batch of these out of the oven and could barely wait for them to cool. I halved the recipe and they are seriously delicious, light, fluffy and full of blueberries. They rose beautifully and look like they have come from a really good bakery near me. I would encourage everyone to try them, you won't be disappointed! Thank you for the recipe and instructions and most of all converting to scale measurements.
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Jayne! It makes me happy that you love these muffins as much as we do! Thanks so much, for sharing your results!
Corinne says
Flood .. So much flood. I was a bit pressed for time, so i didn't wait the full 15 minutes to rest. I'm wondering if my buttermilk/baking soda was TOO active without the wait. Other than letting the gluten rest, would waiting the full 15 minutes make these puff rather than flood?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Corrine, so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It’s hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. I have never had a flooding issue and have made variations of these muffins zillions of times. Whether you wait the 15 minutes or not, shouldn’t cause a flood.
Corinne says
So yeah, update: based on how much flour i still have left in my 1kg bag, i must have mis-weighed for doubling the recipe 🤦🏻♀️. I blame pregnancy brain!! I'll definitely be trying again, and this time, triple check my measurements! I was so confused, because the recipe is quite straightforward!!
Chris Scheuer says
It happens! Give it another try, Corrine 🙂
Chris says
Can’t wait to make these. Just rolling my eyes 🙄 when people change things all around or use old ingredients and complain about the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy them, Chris!
Meaghan says
Holy cow! First time I’ve ever used any of your recipes or ever commented online about a recipe, ever. So perfect!!!!!
The only thing I changed was swapping the buttermilk for sour cream and adding 1/4 cup water. It made about 15, and they are So so so good! I really appreciate your specific details about letting them sit before baking and the changing of the oven temperature. Thank you!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Meaghan!
Tamara says
My muffins came out dense, I think because its measured by cups and not grams...I did scoop and level method, But i really hate US measuring system, nothing more accurate than grams. Please add (grams) near for European people, we have different flours here and US measure method doesnt really works , thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Tamara, if you look above the word "Instructions" in our recipes, there's an option to toggle to Metric Measurement.
Nancy Nielsen says
I had some blueberries in the fridge that needed some immediate attention, and rather than searching for a good recipe I just went directly to your website to grab a recipe. I have had such good results with your recipes, and this was no exception. I decided to cut it inhalf which was really easy to do, and it still made 8 large muffins. I did cut the sugar back from a 1/2 cup to 1/3 cuo (for the 1/2 recipe). They were delicious and I will definately be using this recipe again. loved the sprinkle of turbino sugar on top. Thanks, and keep the amazing recipes coming.!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Nancy!
Toni says
This is a nice light muffin. I cut the sugar in half and did not use the sugar on top. They were a bit dry so if I make them again I will cut the flour back to two cups.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Toni, sorry these were dry for you. These muffins are always super moist. Changing the ingredient proportions though can affect the texture of the finished product.
Cheryl A. says
This recipe was super simple and the best blueberry muffins I've ever made. They were really light and full of blueberries. My husband said this is definitely a "keeper" recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thank you for letting us know, Cheryl!
Mercedes says
This is the second time I have made these muffins to rave reviews! Always share my baked goods with neighbors, or in this case, workers who came to save us from a plumbing problem…. Your recipes always work out perfectly.
Thanks Chris!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Mercedes!
Monica says
I have a question about the flour. Did you pour and level of the cups or did you scoop to measure?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Monica, I use the spoon and level method.
Kristie Lilienthal says
The best!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Kristie!
Donna says
Very unhappy total mess muffins collapsed in the middle. I checked info on baking powder and to much can cause collapse. I definitely followed directions.
I spent a ton of money for products.
Really unhappy. I did take a picture should you want to contact me.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Donna, I'm so sorry you had a problem with these. I hate wasting good ingredients.
It's impossible for me to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. I suspect that there might have been an error somewhere as so many people have had such great results with this recipe and it is my personal go-to recipe for perfect muffins.
The amount of baking powder is exactly the right amount for the proportion of flour: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/baking-powder
Again, sorry you had difficulty with these muffins.
Lujain says
very very very satisfied with this recipe. i LOVE it. everything is perfect. its crispy on top and soft from the inside. heaven!!
also i used yogurt instead of buttermilk and it turned out amazingggg
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Lujain, for sharing your results! So happy you enjoyed them!
Carol says
I made these delicious Blueberry muffins today and they were great. My husband said this recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Carol!
Alex says
I baked these cuties yesterday for a friend's party. They turned out very moist, sweet and full of blueberries.
3 moments that disappointed me: 1. They were kind of undercooked inside although I followed the exact timing (16 minutes) and ingredients without any changes. 2. They went far beyond the paper cups so I guess there were too much of baking powder, I'll definitely add less next time. 3. The muffins had this supermarket aftertaste (soapy or somehow perfumed), that must be the baking powder as well 🙁 of yes, I didn't have a muffin tray so just made them in paper cups and they went out in ok shape
Conclusion: definitely cooking them again considering previous mistakes.
Thank you for the recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Alex,
It's better to test a baked product for doneness rather than to go with an exact time. There are lots of variables like your oven, your pan, your flour, etc. You can test for doneness with a toothpick or even better an instant thermometer which should read 200-205˚F.
These muffins end up with a really nice dome if you use a muffin pan. Not using a muffin pan may have been the issue with your muffins spilling over the top of the paper cups
Regarding the baking powder, if you decrease the amount you may end up with dense muffins. I have had a lot of reviews on these muffins and no one has complained of a "soapy" aftertaste. It's hard to say why that occurred without having been there in the kitchen with you.
Phyllis says
Hi
May i know the conversion of the ingredients in grams please?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Phyllis, if you look at the recipe, right above the word "Instructions", there's an option to convert to Metric measurements.
Barb says
Do NOT change a thing! These are amazing!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Barb!
Yi says
My muffins turned out to be too soft/moist on the inside but dry/hard on the outside. What would be the possible cause for this? Below is the "variation" I made on your recipe:
I saw the comment above on using cake flour - I was using cake flour;
I had sourdough starter discard, so I substituted half of the flour with sourdough starter (1:1 in weight), and reduced half of the baking powder;
I used maple syrup instead of the sugar, half of the recommended weight of sugar. The sweetness turned out just fine to my taste :).
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Yi, the recipe as written is fantastic. If you adapt it won't turn out the same.
bella says
can i use cake flour for this? thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bella, I haven't tested this recipe with cake flour but I think you probably could use it. The muffins would have a finer texture.
Rosa says
The best blue berry muffins
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Rose!
Tracy says
Yummo love your muffin recipes making them and selling in my new shop. Thank you so much
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Tracy!
Barbara Oldroyd says
Delicious and easy. I particularly love all the notes. Great advice. Not too sweet and perfect for using up buttermilk and blueberries
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Barbara!
Laura says
Hi Chris, I'm wondering how you store these if you're not freezing them - in a Tupperware container or a Ziploc? I just pulled them out of the oven and will probably freeze about half tonight, but keep the others to eat/share in the morning. I just don't want them to get soggy or stale overnight. I always find it hard to figure out how to store baked goods. Thanks!
Laura
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Laura, I just store them overnight under a cake dome and warm them briefly (10-15 seconds in the microwave) before serving. Otherwise, I would freeze them. Enjoy!
Laura McAvey says
Thanks! I did end up freezing most of them - they're SOOOO good! Now I know what you all were talking about - yuuuummmmmm 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! I'm so glad!
Micky.d says
Hi Chris from England, came across your recipe a couple of weeks ago.made them twice now ,never venture into Starbucks but we do use Costa coffee when we’re out and about.costa muffins are good but not this good .great recipe gotta go just pulling some out the oven bye😋😋
Chris Scheuer says
Greetings, Micky, all the way to England! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results 💕🥰💕