This is a beautiful recipe for blackberry muffins. They're moist and will rise, crack and bake to a golden brown. Full of juicy blackberries, they have a soft and tender crumb and are out of the oven in 45 minutes. You can use fresh or frozen berries and make them in advance since they freeze well.
Add these to your regular baking schedule
If I can say so myself, these are the best blackberry muffins. That's how good I think they are.
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 acid flavor and short season that makes us hurry up and bake something.
That said, these also go fantastically well with frozen blackberries.
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.
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.
FAQ
Using baking powder (instead of baking soda) will result in cracked, high-domed muffins. Use a recipe with the correct flour-to-liquid ratio, like this one.
Overmixing or beating the batter is, in my experience, the main culprit. The ingredients 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.
Ingredient list
- Blackberries: choose fresh blackberries when available, but frozen blackberries (unthawed) also work. Wild blackberries, when in season, are also wonderful.
- Citrus zest: we use lemon zest when the berries are sweeter and orange zest when they are more acidic because it's mellower. Both work very well.
- White granulated sugar.
- Milk: we choose whole milk for its richness, but reduced-fat milk and even almond milk can be used.
- Unsalted butter.
- Vegetable oil: I generally use neutral sunflower oil, but coconut oil and canola work well.
- Eggs: large, fresh.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Salt.
- Vanilla extract.
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.
Variations & substitutions
- Brown sugar: you can substitute it for the same amount of white sugar in the recipe.
- Crunchy top: sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking.
- Gluten-free: substitute a GF 1 to 1 flour mixture.
- 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: you can use half milk and half plain yogurt (I like Greek yogurt) for a tangier muffin.
How to make blackberry muffins
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!
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand whisk; no need for an electric mixer.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 muffins with blackberries
- 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.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Blackberries: fresh ones are my first choice when blackberry season hits, but these can be made with frozen blackberries straight from the freezer with great results.
- Light mixing: you mustn't overmix this muffin batter. This is important for fluffy, soft muffins.
- 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.
- Extra citrus flavor: add a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to the batter with the zest.
- 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.
- Variations: add ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the batter. Or use mixed berries instead of just blackberries.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Overmixing the batter can cause the muffins to become tough and dense. Combine the ingredients; don't beat or overmix.
- Using the wrong type of flour can affect the texture of the muffins. For example, using bread or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour can result in not-as-fluffy muffins.
- Using cold ingredients: they can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy. Using ingredients at room temperature is important unless otherwise specified in the recipe.
- Not greasing the muffin tin properly can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove. If not using paper liners, use baking spray or soft butter.
- 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 they are cooked through.
Related recipes you might like:
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Blackberry Muffins (soft and easy)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups blackberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners or butter/spray the pans. The yield can vary depending on the size of the berries.
- In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose or cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup white granulated sugar and stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 eggs, ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, lukewarm and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Do not beat, but stir well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add 1 tablespoon orange or lemon zest.
- Add the mixed wet ingredients at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until you barely have streaks of flour, but do not overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed, and that is fine.
- Add 1 ½ cups blackberries and stir lightly, being careful not to mash them. I do it with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners. For a crunchier topping, you can add a sprinkling of sugar (half a teaspoon) to each muffin top before baking.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the top is cracked, golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack and eat warm or let cool down completely.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but you can keep them for a day at room temperature covered or wrapped.
- Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a month.
Shirley says
Absolutely delicious make them all the time now
Renny Paul says
So easy. And really moist
Sarag says
So good!
Very easy, and a favourite for my blackberry pickin hubby
kerry duckworth says
im using coconut and rice flour as im gluten intolerant and hownwould i adjust this receipe
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Kerry, I don't bake with either flour regularly, so can't really give you an answer from experience. I'd google gluten-free options; I think it's the best option. Have a great week.
jazz says
my muffin got stuck to the cake linner do you have any idea why
Paula Montenegro says
Hi, maybe it was the type of liner or the muffins were underbaked.
Sue Laue says
I have pretty large blackberries. Can I cut in half without a problem or should I keep whole?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Sue! I would cut them in half. The batter will stain a little from the juice but I don't mind that. If you do and leave them whole, some bites will be a lot of berry and others a lot of dough. It'll still be a great muffin though.
J. Bair says
I would like to add to my previous comment that I baked them for 5 minutes at 425 to get that bakery puff top then lowed temp to 350 for 15 minutes. Do check the muffins with a toothpick or touch the top to see if they bounce back after 15 minutes, I have never baked muffins for 25 minutes.
J. Blair says
These muffins were moist and delicious. The only thing I changed was I substituted the 1 cup of sugar for 1 cup of coconut palm sugar. They turned a darker brown but were very cakelike and moist.
Paula Montenegro says
Glad to know the coconut sugar worked well Jayne! I find it sometimes doesn't sweeten enough when substituting it 1:1. Have a great week.
Mireya says
My toothpick came out clean but the muffins still looked verrrrrry pale. Unsure if they are done or not and I'm scared to over-bake them.