This is a beautiful recipe for very moist blackberry muffins. They will rise, crack and bake to a golden brown. You get juicy blackberries in every bite, a soft and tender crumb, and they're out of the oven in 45 minutes. You can use fresh or frozen berries and make them in advance since they freeze well.

Half eaten blackberry muffin in paper cup, grey wood surface, fresh blackberries, muffin pan in background.

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Fantastic muffins

If I can say so myself, these are the best blackberry muffins. That's how good I think they are. So you might as well add them to your regular baking schedule.

And we all need a fool-proof recipe for irresistible muffins with berries for Spring and special occasions.

Even though this recipe is a sibling to the very popular raspberry muffins, it has its own details. Blackberries are worth it on their own, with that acidic flavor and short season that makes us hurry up and bake something. For me, it's usually the orange blackberry muffin loaf or the gorgeous lemon blackberry bread, both huge hits in this house and wherever I take them.

That said, these also go fantastically well with frozen blackberries.

This almost counts as a basic berry muffin recipe. You can change the type of fruit and zest you use, and they will always taste amazing.

Testing Notes

Key takeaways:

Mix the batter gently by hand, use room temperature ingredients, and avoid overbaking for tall, soft muffins. Make sure the melted butter isn't too hot, line or grease the pan properly to prevent sticking, and don't overfill them.

For fluffy, soft muffins (not dense or tough), avoid overmixing the batter. Stir, don't beat. The two preparations have to be lightly mixed just until integrated. Use a spatula or whisk for best results, as it's hard to overmix a muffin batter by folding it by hand. Don't use an electric mixer for this recipe.
The melted butter must be warm but pourable, never hot. This is necessary so it integrates well without parts seizing.
Using baking powder (instead of baking soda) will result in cracked, high-domed muffins. We love that. The correct flour-to-liquid ratio is always a factor.
Using cold ingredients can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. So use ingredients at room temperature when specified.
Filling the pan: Make sure you distribute blackberries in all of the muffin tins. I like to use an ice cream scoop to fill them with the same amount of batter. Don't go over ¾ of their capacity.
Prevent muffins from sticking to the pan. Use paper liners or properly grease the muffin tins with baking spray or soft butter/shortening.
Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as it comes out clean.

Metal muffin tin with baked blackberry muffins, grey wooden surface, kitchen towel in background.

Ingredient Notes

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Blackberries: Choose fresh blackberries when available, but frozen blackberries (unthawed) also work. Wild blackberries, when in season, are also wonderful.
Citrus zest: I use lemon zest when the berries are sweeter and orange zest when they are more acidic because it's mellower. Both work very well.
Milk: I choose whole milk for its richness, but reduced-fat milk and even almond milk can be used.
Vegetable oil: I generally use neutral sunflower oil that doesn't interfere with other flavors. But coconut oil and canola oil work fine, but add a different taste and texture.
Baking powder: Make sure it's not expired.

Bowls on white surface with ingredients for blackberry muffins including sugar, butter, oil, milk, eggs, flour mixture.

Variations & substitutions

Brown sugar for the same amount of white sugar in the recipe. It'll have a caramel undertone and a beige hue.
Crunchy top: Sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.
Extra citrus flavor: add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to the batter with the zest.
Mixed berries: use different ones but respect the total amount given in the recipe ingredients. I like a mix of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Yogurt: Use half milk and half plain, natural yogurt (like Greek yogurt) for a tangier muffin.
Add ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the batter. Or use mixed berries instead of just blackberries.

Process steps

This is an adapted old-fashioned recipe made by mixing the liquid ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl and then combining the two. So easy!

Adding melted butter to oil and milk in a white bowl.

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand whisk; no need for an electric mixer.

Adding wet muffin ingredients to dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

Mix both preparations: Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones all at once.

Fresh blackberries with muffin batter in a glass bowl.

Fold in the blackberries at the end. Do so lightly so you don't crush them and stain the batter. I recommend using a spatula.

Close up image of muffin liners in a metal pan with blackberry muffin batter.

Filling the pan: don't go over ¾ of their capacity to avoid overflow during baking. An ice cream or cookie scoop is great for dividing the batter as evenly as possible, but you can also spoon it into the paper liners.

Baking

Muffin tin: I like to use paper liners (paper cups or muffin liners) because it's easier to clean afterward, they keep the muffins moist, and are great if you want to transport them. But you can simply butter or use baking spray for the muffin pan.
When are the muffins done? Take the baking time in the recipe as your guide, check five minutes earlier, and see if the tester or toothpick comes out clean. All ovens are different, so it might take a few more or less minutes than specified.

Baked blackberry muffins in the metal pan. Close up image.

Storage

Storing: they keep well for a day at room temperature, covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them.
Make ahead: they keep well for a day at room temperature, always covered or wrapped to prevent dryness. And also freeze wonderfully. In both cases, I suggest warming them in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating. Great if you like something sweet for breakfast.

Whole blackberry muffin in opened paper liner on greyish wooden surface; pan of muffins in background.

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