Last updated on April 4th, 2025

Ingredients
Dietary Substitutions
- TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
- TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
Equipment
Storage
How to pick and preserve fresh-picked blueberries

These Old-Fashioned Blueberry Muffins are tangy, tender, and bursting with freshly picked summer blueberries. If your looking for the best bakery-style blueberry muffin that is moist, full of flavor, and has a zing of lemon, this recipe is sure to deliver. Here in the Midwest, peak blueberry season is in full swing in July, making it the perfect time to bake these, or my classic blueberry scones, or my blueberry peach crumble muffins. Whether you’re using fresh-picked berries or the ones you’ve preserved in the freezer, this one-bowl, easy blueberry muffin delivers! See my tips below on how to pick and preserve blueberries for year-round baking.

My vintage inspiration.

Vintage Inspiration: I’ve gone back to my roots and modernized my great- aunt Ruth’s vintage recipe for blueberry muffins by updating the ingredients and methods. Aunt Ruth worked for a prominent family that owned a department store in West Virginia, where she mastered her baking skills and created several treasured recipes that have been passed down in our family.

Baking it modern…

Do not thaw the blueberries before adding them to the dough. Thawed berries release liquid and can turn the batter blue. Before adding blueberries into your batter, toss them into a little bit of flour or cornstarch and fold in by hand.
Adding fresh grated lemon zest will add some zing to the blueberries and brighten the flavor of the batter.
Use a combination of butter, to add flavor, and oil, to yield a tender, moist baked good. Combine them together using equal portions of each to make up the full amount of fat originally called for in the recipe. Choose an oil that is has a neutral, light flavor, such as canola oil or extra light virgin olive oil.
Let batter rest for about 15 minutes before scooping into muffin liners. This will hydrate the flour and help it rise.
Aluminum muffin pans are best to conduct even heat. Unless you are using a tulip muffin liner, spray the entire pan lightly spray the muffin pan to prevent the muffins from sticking. For bakery style muffins, fill your muffin liners at least 3/4 of the way full to ensure they will rise above the liner when baked.

Ingredients

flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour with 10-12% protein, such as King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its bulk-purchased name) which has 11.7% protein. Avoid bread flour, as its higher protein content (11-14%), develops more gluten, which results in dense baked goods.
sugar: Sugar, derived from sugarcane, is a key ingredient in baking that adds sweetness, texture, and moisture. Granulated sugar is the most common type. For a more natural option, try cane sugar, which has a slightly courser texture and needs to be incorporated a bit longer when mixing into recipes.
butter: American butter is made from cream with 80% butterfat. European butter, churned longer, has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which yields more flavor, but is more expensive.
oil: Canola oil has a neutral and light flavor and is great for baked goods. Extra Light Olive Oil is another option. If your cake recipe calls for butter, you can substitute using all oil or if you still want to get flavor from butter use a combination of oil and butter together.
buttermilk: Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
eggs: Eggs are important in baking because their protein provides structure, they are a natural leavener trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.
clearJel: Instant ClearJel is a modified cornstarch that acts as a thickener, retaining moisture and stabilizing baked goods for a light and tender texture. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.
Baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (such as lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas, and makes baked goods rise during baking. If your recipe doesn’t include an acid, use baking powder, or a combination of both baking powder and baking soda for balanced leavening.
Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda. It helps your baked goods rise and gives them light, airy texture. Be sure to use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder, as those that contain aluminum can give your baked goods a bitter aftertaste.
salt: Use a fine-ground salt in baked goods. Pink salt is a great choice because it adds essential minerals and nutrients.
vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand that is made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol. MAKE YOUR OWN! Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
lemon: Lemons are a tart, citrus fruit that grow on trees in warm climates. Place lemons on the counter the day you plan to use them, as they will yield more juice at room temperature.
blueberries: Blueberries are small fruit grown on bushes and are plentiful between late June and early August here in the Midwest. After picking fresh berries, freeze them by spreading on a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Do not wash them before freezing, as their natural coating helps preserve freshness. Freeze for 1 hour, then put them in ziploc bags or vacuum seal up to 1 year.
sparkling sugar: Sparkling sugar, sometimes called course sugar, consists of large, heat resistant crystals that add texture and crunch when sprinkled on top of baked goods, giving them a professional look. It is not to be confused with sanding sugar, also called colored sugar, which has a finer grain and dissolves or melts into baked goods rather than retaining its shape.

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
Reduce the oven temperature by 25°, as gluten-free flour is delicate and could burn before the center is done.
Gluten-free baked goods dry out quickly, so put them in a sealed container right away.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.

Equipment

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Storage

Pre-baked:

Make the batter and keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days until ready to bake..

Baked:

Store baked muffins in an airtight container on counter 1 – 2 days. Seal in in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. Place baked muffins in layers lined with parchment paper. You can also individually heat seal them in cell bags and then put them in a larger container. To thaw frozen baked muffins, allow them to come to room temperature before opening the container.

How to pick and preserve fresh-picked blueberries

It is best to pick blueberries early in the morning before the bugs are active and to avoid the sun in the July heat.
Be sure to wear a long-sleeve shirt, as the bushes can scratch your arm, a hat for shade, and lots of bug spray!
Take your own coolers or large buckets to transport the berries home, and keep them as cool as possible in your vehicle.
To refrigerate: put them in them in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks.
To freeze: place berries in a single layer on a 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Do not wash them before freezing, as their natural coating helps preserve freshness. Freeze for 1 hour and then place berries in ziploc bags or vacuum seal them for up to 1 year.