Blueberry Muffins with Sour Cream

These simple blueberry muffins with sour cream are soft and tender on the inside, not to mention tasty. This recipe calls for a couple key ingredients—namely, fresh blueberries and sour cream—to make the muffins especially moist and full of fruity flavor. Throw them together for a weekend brunch spread or keep them on hand for a quick weekday grab-and-go. These muffins store well and can be thrown together in less than an hour.

Ingredients for Blueberry Muffins with Sour Cream

• Eggs: You’ll need four room-temperature eggs for this recipe. To bring the eggs to room temperature, either take them out of the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before starting the recipe or submerge them in warm (not hot!) water for 10 minutes.
• Sugar: We suggest granulated sugar for this recipe, but feel free to use brown sugar as a direct replacement for a deep, caramelly flavor. I always like to use a mixture of both when I have both sugars on hand.
• Canola oil: Quick bread recipes made with canola oil instead of melted butter stay moister for longer. Canola oil is liquid at room temperature, but melted butter will resolidify, drying out the crumb.
• All-purpose flour: For the best muffin texture, measure the flour properly by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and scraping off the excess with a butter knife. If you stick the measuring cup into the bag, you risk packing too much flour into the cup and creating dense, dry muffins.
• Leavening agents: Both baking powder and baking soda work together to create the fluffiest, tallest blueberry muffins. If these ingredients have been sitting in your pantry for a while (over six months), test the baking powder and baking soda for potency.
• Sour cream: Sour cream is the secret ingredient for moister, tangier, more complex muffins (and bakes in general). It’s why we so often make sour cream desserts!
• Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best in this recipe for blueberry muffins with sour cream, but you can use frozen if that’s all you have on hand. Know that their purple hue will tinge your batter a bit, though.

Directions

Step 1: Start the batter

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar. Next, slowly add the oil and vanilla. Set aside.

Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients, then bring everything together

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix gently. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the beaten egg mixture.

Step 3: Add the blueberries

Once all the ingredients have been combined, gently fold in the blueberries.

Step 4: Fill and bake

Fill 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from muffin pans to wire racks to complete cooling.

Recipe Variations

• Make them vegan: Sub in your favorite vegan egg substitute and replace the sour cream with a vegan alternative. I always like to serve these muffins warm with a pat of butter, so use a quality vegan butter brand instead.
• Add a topper: Love a little texture in your quick bread recipes? Add a streusel topping! Just after scooping the batter into the muffin cups, top them with unbaked streusel. Once they are warm or cool to room temperature, finish the muffins with a sweet vanilla glaze.
• Swap the berries: Use raspberries, blackberries or cut strawberries in place of the blueberries, or make it a fruit party and add all four (in smaller quantities) for a mixed berry flavor. Just make sure to wash the berries very well beforehand.

How to Store Blueberry Muffins with Sour Cream

Once the blueberry muffins with sour cream have completely cooled to room temperature, store them in an airtight container or a zip-top bag. They can be stored on the counter for up to three days. You can also pop them in the fridge for up to a week if you’d prefer, but the cold will dry out the muffin’s crumb a bit.

Can you freeze blueberry muffins with sour cream?

Yes, you can freeze blueberry muffins with sour cream. To freeze these muffins, allow them to cool completely to room temperature, then place them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them on the counter for an hour or two, or rewarm them in the oven.

Blueberry Muffins with Sour Cream Tips

How do I make these blueberry muffins really moist?

There are a few key tips for making blueberry muffins moist, although the addition of sour cream in this recipe already puts you ahead of the game. Try chilling the batter overnight in the fridge, which results in a more tender, moisture-rich muffin. Another tip is not to overmix the batter, as overmixing develops gluten and in turn makes the muffins tougher. Once they’ve cooled, place the muffins in an airtight container to lock in moisture and then keep them at room temperature; the fridge will dry out the crumb.

Why aren’t my muffins rising?

The tips for moist muffins also result in taller muffins, so if you try the above tips, you’ll likely end up with puffier, taller muffins. If you’re still struggling with flat muffins, check the date on your leavening agents—that’s one of the most overlooked reasons for a low-rising baked good. You can also use self-rising flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

Can I use wild blueberries?

Definitely! Any blueberries will do for this recipe, and wild blueberries are exceptionally flavorful. Wild blueberries may be small, but they’re brimming with juicy, flavorful goodness. Because of their size, we recommend adding a bit more than this recipe calls for—start with 1/4 cup more.

What should I serve with blueberry muffins?

Serve blueberry muffins warm from the oven with coffee and a little bit of butter on top. They’re great for a brunch spread, too, alongside a veggie frittata or quiche, a bowl of breakfast potatoes, and a plate of bacon or breakfast sausages. I love to bake a batch of blueberry muffins the day before my brunch so they’re ready to go. It’s one less thing to worry about when I’m juggling all the other brunch recipes.