The BEST buttermilk blueberry muffins with a crunchy sugary top! Making blueberry muffins with buttermilk is the key for a moist fluffy texture! If you haven't tried buttermilk berry muffins, you're in for a treat! Give these blueberry buttermilk muffins a try!
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And if you like these best ever buttermilk berry muffins, you’ll love my 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins, my White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins, and my Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins with Orange Zest!
Blueberry Muffins with Buttermilk
For me, blueberry muffins are such a classic snack -- I remember having them a lot growing up, from a coffee shop that was near where we lived. They were always huge, and the delicious blueberry flavor made them such a great snack on the way to school. Tender muffins with juicy blueberries were always a treat.
THESE are the muffins I make when I want to recapture that magic. They're tangy and fluffy thanks to the buttermilk, and the crunchy sugar topping takes me right back to my childhood.
Why This is the BEST Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins Recipe
- Tall & fluffy - thanks to my two-step baking process, they come out of the oven nice and tall, with domed tops and a soft, fluffy texture.
- Tangy - adding full-fat buttermilk gives them a unique flavor that balances out the sweetness of
- Lemon zest - blueberry and lemon are an ICONIC combination. So I like to add a little lemon zest in these muffins to capture that bright flavor.
- Crunchy tops - adding raw sugar before baking gives the tops of these muffins incredible cafe-style texture.
And if you love the combination of lemon and blueberry in these fluffy muffins, you've got to try my Lemon Blueberry Cookies and my Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake! They're so perfect for springtime! And for more blueberry goodness, try my Strawberry Blueberry Pie!
When I Make These
- Brunch party - a basket of fresh-baked buttermilk blueberry muffins are always a hit at a brunch gathering.
- Breakfast meal prep - I love to make and freeze a batch of these delicious muffins for an easy grab-and-go morning treat!
- After-school snack - I've made these for my niece and nephew and they love them so much!
Jump to:
- Blueberry Muffins with Buttermilk
- Why This is the BEST Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins Recipe
- When I Make These
- What is the secret to moist muffins?
- Are muffins better with oil or butter?
- Blueberry Buttermilk Muffin Recipe Ingredients
- Equipment
- Step by Step
- Tips and F.A.Q.
- More Berry Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is the secret to moist muffins?
These bakery-style muffins truly are the BEST -- they're light and fluffy, but with a moist, buttery texture from the softened butter and buttermilk in the batter. They get a lot of height from both baking powder and baking soda in the batter, and from two different baking temperatures.
But the best part of all is that this recipe for blueberry buttermilk muffins is so simple! It comes together so quickly and doesn't require any major equipment. So what are we waiting for? Let's get started on this recipe!
Are muffins better with oil or butter?
I love the buttery flavor of these muffins! I find that although vegetable oil does contribute to a moist texture, the buttermilk in these muffins helps to achieve that texture without sacrificing any of the buttery goodness!
Blueberry Buttermilk Muffin Recipe Ingredients
The best blueberry muffins are made with buttermilk to add flavor, lemon zest to complement the blueberries and brighten up the flavors, and they are topped with turbinado sugar. Here's everything you'll need to make them:
- all-purpose flour - you'll whisk your flour together with your other dry ingredients to start your muffin batter.
- baking powder and baking soda - gives the buttermilk blueberry muffins a lift and lighter texture. The baking soda also interacts with the buttermilk and lemon zest to add even more lift and help the tops brown. I originally made this recipe without baking soda and loved it, but I found that baking soda was just what these muffins needed for a bit more height! So the video below doesn't include baking soda, but the recipe card reflects the change.
- salt - helps to balance out the sweetness in the batter.
- unsalted butter - should be room temperature
- granulated sugar - brings out the sweetness of the blueberries in these buttermilk muffins!
- lemon zest - this is what gives these muffins their amazing lemony flavor! It's not overpowering, but it makes them so bright and delicious! And if you love lemon desserts, check out my Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake! And for more lemony goodness, check out my collection of recipes with lemon curd!
- eggs - they should be room temperature as well -- if you're in a rush, let them sit in some warm water for about 15 minutes.
- vanilla extract - it should be the good stuff -- pure vanilla extract. I like to make my own!
- buttermilk - muffin recipes using buttermilk ensure a moist texture while adding flavor! If you don't have buttermilk, you can just you regular milk or make your own buttermilk substitute.
- blueberries - these juicy berries are the best part! Feel free to use either fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries for this blueberry buttermilk muffins recipe! If you have fresh berries, check out these tips on how to keep summer berries fresh for longer! And if you love baking with berries, try my Blackberry Coffee Cake!
- turbinado sugar - goes on top of our prepared muffin batter to give the berry buttermilk muffins a nice sweet crunch on the tops of the muffins! I use this crunchy sugar method in my banana carrot muffins and it adds a great texture!
Equipment
You can bake this buttermilk blueberry muffin recipe in a 12-cup muffin pan lined with squares of parchment paper, or with cupcake liners. You'll also need a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar, and a cookie scoop to fill your muffin cups or paper liners!
Step by Step
- These lemon blueberry buttermilk muffins comes together so easily! I've seen muffin recipes that call for melted butter or vegetable oil, but for this recipe we'll cream softened butter into the batter to give the muffins a soft, tender crumb and a nice shape. You'll be so happy with the results!
- Once you've creamed your butter and sugar together, you'll mix in your eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Then in a separate bowl you want to measure out and combine your dry ingredients, including your blueberries. Pro tip: coating the blueberries in the flour mixture keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins!
- Finally, you'll just mix in one-third of your dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk, and continue alternating unto the batter is just combined.
- If you need to, splash in a little more buttermilk to help the batter come together.
You'll end up with a nice thick batter that you can spoon into the muffin tin and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of each muffin. Be careful not to over-mix it, and handle it gently to keep the blueberries intact. Then just pop them in the oven for about a half hour, and enjoy your blueberry buttermilk muffins!
Tips and F.A.Q.
The acid in buttermilk breaks down gluten, which gives us the most moist and tender buttermilk blueberry muffins! It also interacts with the baking soda in this recipe to give our muffins a higher lift.
Definitely with milk! Or even better, use buttermilk, like with these berry buttermilk muffins! Sour cream is also a great way to ensure moisture!
If you don’t have buttermilk, feel free to use whole milk, replacing two teaspoons of the milk with vinegar. This will create the acidic effect of buttermilk to help these delicious muffins come out fluffy and moist.
Using softened butter, like in this recipe, is a good first step! You also want to make sure that you don't overmix your batter. Once you add in your dry ingredients, you want to gently fold the batter until it's just combined.
How do I get that domed top on my muffins? Well, for best results to achieve that nice high top on our muffins, we’re going to start out at a higher oven temperature so that the batter will release a burst of steam to lift the tops of our muffins higher. Also, resting your muffins before baking helps create a thicker batter, which also promotes a higher rise in this blueberry muffin recipe.
The key to keeping your blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your muffins (and avoiding the resulting sogginess) is to coat your blueberries in flour! In this recipe, we're tossing our blueberries in the dry ingredients before we combine them with the wet ingredients. The flour mixture keeps the exterior of the blueberries dry and helps suspend them in the batter as the buttermilk berry muffins bake.
These muffins store and freeze very well! Just keep your muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or wrap them individually in plastic and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Berry Recipes You'll Love
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Skillet Blueberry Cobbler with Smoked Sugar
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
- Lemon and Blackberry Cake
- Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 ¼ cups (288 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda
- 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (114 g) unsalted butter - softened
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon (4 g) lemon zest
- ⅔ cup (160 g) full-fat buttermilk* - room temperature (plus 1 tablespoon more if needed)
- 1½ cups (222 g) blueberries - fresh or frozen (see note), washed and dried
- ¼ cup (50 g) turbinado sugar - for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray on top (between the cups) and line with cupcake liners or squares of parchment paper.cooking spray
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir blueberries into flour mixture to coat.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1½ cups blueberries
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream butter with sugar for 2 minutes.1¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Mix in eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest until fully combined.
- Alternate adding in dry ingredients with the buttermilk, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until just barely combined. If necessary, add an additional tablespoon of buttermilk to help the batter come together.⅔ cup full-fat buttermilk*
- Add batter evenly to 12 muffin liners and sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar.¼ cup turbinado sugar
- Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F (without opening oven door).
- Bake another 15 minutes or until a toothpick entered into a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm or cool completely on wire racks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Last Updated on March 19, 2026 by Chenée Lewis
Brenda says
Everyone one in my house just love's these.
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful! Thank you!
Brenda Lynch says
This is the 5th time I've made these in 6 weeks. They are a big hit in my house.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy to hear that, Brenda!
Sharon says
These are amazing!
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks so much Sharon!
Mary S. says
The most delicious muffins ever. I'm making my second batch right now. Your instructions were easy to follow and I'm so pleased with how they came out. Thank you!!
Chenée Lewis says
That's so great to hear! Thanks Mary!
Brenda Wilson Lynch says
This is my third time making them in a month. They are our favorite. They are moist and flavorful.
Chenée Lewis says
That's fantastic to hear Brenda! 🙂
Debbie says
Excellent recipe! Delicious muffins! I will be making these again and again!
Chenée Lewis says
So great to hear that Debbie!! 🙂
Linda says
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have lemons so I used the zest of a naval orange. I forgot to add the salt. In case anyone is on a low salt diet, no salt didn’t affect the flavor. I have been making blueberry muffins for years and I thought I would try a different recipe to use up some buttermilk. I appreciate the flour being weighed. I almost never make any muffins/cookies/cakes if the amount of flour isn't weighed.
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks so much for the feedback Linda! I have to weigh my flour, always!
M. K. says
These were so delicious! I wanted to use up my buttermilk and had blueberries and your recipe with the addition of lemon zest just put theses over the top!! The only thing I changed was just using 2 cups of flour, and only 1/2 cup of sugar. (I have to watch my sugar, and with the sweetness of the blueberries made up for it!) Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. It will be my new "go to" for blueberry muffins!
Chenée Lewis says
So glad you liked them and that they worked with your adjustments! 🙂
Renne says
Theses are the best blueberry muffins I ever made. I used frozen wild Maine blueberries. Mt husband really liked them too. This will be my go recipe now.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad to hear that! 🙂 thank you!
Bev says
I've been making blueberry muffins for over 50 years (omg!) and this is by far the best blueberry muffin recipe I have ever used. Perfection!
Chenée Lewis says
Wow! Thank you SO much!!
Jennifer says
These muffins are amazing. Although, I had the muffins at 425 for the first 10 minutes and they are very dark and pretty burnt at the bottom, good thing I turned it down to 350 rather than 375 like the recipe calls for. I would absolutely do the recipe again… But I would bake at 375 for 10 minutes and then put down to 350 to finish it off
Chenée Lewis says
Thanks for the feedback Jennifer, and I'm glad you liked the muffins! I'm curious -- did you use paper muffin liners? I haven't ever had an issue with the bottoms browning when I've made these, but I've only ever used liners. I may need to add a note for folks who don't use them 🙂 Thanks again!
Stephanie says
So moist and delicious and I really loved the blueberry and lemon flavor combination!
Heather says
The Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest recipe is fantastic! It's easy to make and results in moist, flavorful muffins with a bright citrus kick!
Harriet Young says
Delicious muffins! The buttermilk made them so rich and tasty. Thank you!
Kim says
I love love love loved these so much! Perfectly moist and so flavorful. Can't wait to make them again!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked them! 🙂
Marie-Pierre Breton says
These are my kids' favourite muffins! It's so delicious and moist!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you!
Ann says
These are such a treat for either breakfast or snack. Thanks!
Chenée Lewis says
I agree completely! Thank you!
kushi says
Love the combination of flavors in this muffin recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Chenée Lewis says
Yes! Lemon and blueberry are my favorite combination!
Adri says
I can't get enough of these buttermilk blueberry muffins! They're so moist and fluffy. I won't be making them any other way from no on.
Kim says
These had just the right amount of sweetness and the texture was spot on. Perfect for on the go snacking or breakfast on the way to work!
Chenée Lewis says
You're so right! They're great to just grab and go!
Nathan says
These are some of the best blueberry muffins I've had! The buttermilk gives them the perfect moist texture and adding the lemon zest really makes the fruit flavor pop. Thanks for sharing!
Chenée Lewis says
Thank you so much for your feedback! I really love these muffins!