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Home » Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping (Small Batch)

Published: May 5, 2021 by Allison Ferraro · Modified: May 23, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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This small batch blueberry muffin recipe makes just 6 of the BEST blueberry muffins! Bursting with fresh berries and a hint of cinnamon - and topped with a simple cinnamon streusel - this easy, make ahead recipe is a must-have for all muffin lovers!

Angled view of blueberry muffins in a metal muffin tin with a striped blue napkin and white flowers. this Recipe

I consider myself something of a blueberry muffin connoisseur. I've tried a lot of different blueberry muffins over the years, and I lost track of how many batches of muffins I made while testing this recipe. I've tested recipes with buttermilk and recipes with sour cream, recipes with creamed butter and recipes with a mix of butter and oil, and I can definitively say that these blueberry muffins are the absolute best!

Interested in more blueberry muffin recipes? Check out my Mini Blueberry Muffins and Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins, too!

Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
  • Special Equipment
  • Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
  • Recipe Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Storage Instructions
  • More Blueberry Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments
Blueberry muffins stacked on a wooden cutting board with white flowers and a cup of fresh blueberries.

Why This Recipe Works

I could go on forever about what makes these blueberry muffins the best, but I’ll keep it brief.

  • Texture - These muffins are just the right amount of moist, with a perfectly tender crumb.
  • Flavor - These muffins are literally bursting with fresh blueberry flavor, which is beautifully complemented by a hint of cinnamon. Their golden tops help to round out the buttery flavor in the batter. No pale, flavorless blueberry muffins here. (You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all had them, and we deserve better.)
  • Cinnamon Streusel Topping - I love cinnamon streusel topping on my muffins, and after polling this community of bakers on Instagram I know that you do, too. But if you’re a crunchy-sugar-topped-muffins kind of person no worries… I have instructions for you in the recipe notes!
  • Make Ahead - I love breakfasty baked goods, but I don’t love waking up early to make them. This muffin batter is actually best prepped the day before so that it can chill in the fridge overnight. In the morning just wake up, toss the streusel onto the muffins, and bake them!
  • Small Batch - Since muffins are best the day they’re made, small batch just makes sense. This recipe makes just 6 muffins. That said, it can be easily doubled if you’re baking for a crowd or if you prefer to have a freezer stash of muffins (see instructions for freezing muffins in the recipe notes).

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Recipe ingredients with labels on a white surface.

Butter - Butter adds fat and flavor to the muffin batter. I always recommend baking with unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt that's added to the recipe. We'll be melting the butter for these muffins, and you can feel free to brown the butter instead for even more flavor.

Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil also adds a bit of necessary fat to the muffin batter. And while butter adds delicious flavor, vegetable oil provides tenderness. 

Sour Cream - Sour cream adds moisture to the batter and also provides acidity to activate the baking soda. I prefer to bake with full-fat sour cream, though you can use lowfat sour cream if you prefer. You can also substitute and equal amount of Greek yogurt for sour cream in this recipe.

Fresh Blueberries - Blueberries are the star of the recipe, so I recommend using fresh berries for the best outcome. When purchasing blueberries, the smaller the better so that you’ll have a better distribution of blueberries throughout the muffin. If you’re able to get your hands on wild blueberries they will be amazing in this recipe thanks to their small size and incredible flavor.

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.

Special Equipment

In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.

  • Standard muffin pan, for baking the muffins. You could also use a mini muffin pan to bake 24 mini muffins.
  • Paper muffin liners, for ensuring the muffins don't stick to the pan.
  • Cookie scoop (1 ½ Tablespoons or 3 Tablespoons size), for portioning the batter into the muffin liners. This tool is optional but helpful.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: Make the muffin batter. Melt the butter, then set it aside to cool slightly.

Overhead view of dry ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Overhead view of wet ingredients in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Add vegetable oil and both sugars to butter and whisk to combine. Add egg and whisk to combine. Add sour cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk one more time until the mixture is well blended.

Overhead view of muffin batter in a glass bowl.

Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended.

Overhead view of blueberries blended into muffin batter in a glass bowl.

Step 5: Mash about a third of the blueberries using the tines of a fork. Add the mashed and whole blueberries to the muffin batter and fold the berries into the batter. Chill the batter overnight in the fridge

Overhead view of unbaked streusel in a glass bowl.

Step 6: Make the streusel topping. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and whisk until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.

Muffin batter in brown paper liners in a metal muffin pan.

Step 7: Line 6 wells of a standard muffin pan with paper liners. Divide the muffin batter evenly into the paper liners so that they are ¾ full. 

Muffin batter topped with streusel in brown paper liners in a metal muffin pan.

Step 8: Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the muffins.

Six baked muffins in a metal muffin pan.

Step 9: Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake the muffins for another 20 to 25 minutes.

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.

Recipe Tips

I highly recommend refrigerating the batter before baking. See ‘Why chill the muffin batter before baking?’ below for more information.

I love to use a cookie scoop for portioning the batter into the muffin pan and find that two level scoops of batter using my 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop is perfect for each muffin.

Stagger the muffins in the pan, leaving every other well open. This allows the oven's heat to better circulate around the muffins as they bake and helps to create more domed tops. I learned this trick from Sam of Buttermilk by Sam, and it works so well! It may seem a little bit fussy when baking 12 muffins since most pans hold 12, but since we're baking just 6 muffins definitely go ahead and give this a try.

If you prefer a sugary muffin top, replace the streusel with a sprinkling of turbinado (raw) sugar. Simply sprinkle about ½ teaspoon (about 1.5 to 2 grams) turbinado sugar over each muffin before baking.

This recipe calls for first baking the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) before turning the oven down to 350°F (177°C) and continuing to bake the muffins. Starting the bake in a very hot oven helps to create beautifully domed muffin tops, and turning the temperature down after 5 minutes ensures that the tops of the muffins don’t burn before the centers finish baking.

About 10 to 15 minutes after removing the muffins from the oven, carefully remove the still warm muffins from the muffin pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This will help to ensure that the muffin bottoms don’t become soggy.

Bitten muffin showing muffin's texture stacked with other blueberry muffins on a wooden cutting board with white flowers.

Recipe FAQs

What is the secret to making moist muffins?

Using both butter and oil in the muffin batter is the secret to baking muffins that are moist and tender and that don’t dry out too quickly. Though butter provides great flavor, oil provides more moisture and tenderness to the batter, which is why this recipe uses both fats. Brown sugar, sour cream, milk, and egg all help to provide moisture in this recipe.

What is the best oil to use in muffins?

I recommend vegetable oil for its neutral flavor, but canola oil would also be a great choice and can be used as a substitute for vegetable oil in this recipe. Unsweetened applesauce can also be used as an oil substitute in equal measure, though the resulting muffins won’t be quite as moist and tender.

How do I get perfect streaks of blueberries in my muffins?

The secret to beautiful streaks of blueberries in blueberry muffins is to mash some of the blueberries (about a third of the blueberries in the recipe) and to fold both mashed and whole blueberries into the batter. Using a mixture of mashed and whole blueberries creates a batter with swirls of color that’s bursting with berries.

Why chill the muffin batter before baking?

Just like with my favorite chocolate chip cookie dough, chilling the muffin batter before baking gives the flour more time to hydrate, which leads to more tender muffins with taller domed tops. You can bake these muffins without letting the batter rest in the fridge overnight, but allowing the batter to chill first (even if for just an hour) will yield a better muffin.

Storage Instructions

Room Temperature: Muffins are best on the day they are baked, though leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Muffins can also be frozen, stored in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.

More Blueberry Recipes

  • Overhead view of a cake topped with lemon sauce and decorated with lemon slices, fresh blueberries, and basil sprigs.
    Blueberry Cake with Lemon Sauce
  • Close-up overhead view of cookies topped with streusel and surrounded by fresh blueberries.
    Blueberry Cookies with Streusel Topping
  • Blueberry scones surrounded by fresh blueberries and topped with streusel and powdered sugar.
    Blueberry Muffin Scones
  • Stack of mini muffins on a metal plate.
    Mini Blueberry Muffins

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Recipe

Blueberry muffins on a wooden cutting board with white flowers and fresh blueberries.

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

This small batch blueberry muffin recipe makes just 6 cinnamon streusel-topped muffins bursting with fresh flavor.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 muffins
Calories: 287kcal
Author: Allison Ferraro
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Special Equipment

  • standard muffin pan
  • Paper muffin liners
  • Large (3 Tablespoons) cookie scoop optional

Ingredients

Muffin Batter:

  • 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 ⅛ cups (141 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 gram) salt
  • 2 Tablespoons (27 grams) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) sour cream
  • 3 ounces (91.5 grams) milk
  • ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (111 grams) fresh blueberries, divided

Streusel Topping:

  • 2 Tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) dark brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon (0.25 grams) ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Make the Muffin Batter.

  • Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave or on the stove. Set the melted butter aside to cool slightly while you move on to the next step.
  • In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • To the melted butter add vegetable oil and both sugars. Whisk to combine. Add egg and whisk to combine. Add sour cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk one more time until the mixture is well blended.
  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended. Do not over mix the batter.
  • In a small bowl, use the tines of a fork to mash about a third of the blueberries. Add the mashed blueberries and the remaining whole blueberries to the muffin batter and fold the berries into the batter.

Chill the Batter.

  • Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Make the Streusel Topping.

  • In a small bowl, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and whisk to combine. Add melted butter and whisk until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.

Bake the Muffins.

  • When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a muffin pan with six paper liners.
  • Divide the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan so that the six paper liners are ¾ full. (I love to use a cookie scoop for portioning the batter into the muffin pan and find that two level scoops of batter using my 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop is perfect for each muffin.)
  • Use your fingers to crumble the streusel topping evenly over the muffins.
  • Bake the muffins at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C), keeping the muffins in the oven and without opening the oven door. Continue to bake the muffins until the tops are golden and spring back when gently poked, 20 to 25 minutes more.
  • Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the still-warm muffins from the pan and transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Muffins are best on the day they are baked, though leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Muffins can also be frozen, stored in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
Mini Muffins - You can also use this recipe to bake 24 mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. Adjust the baking time to 4 minutes at 425°F then 10-12 minutes at 350°F.
If you prefer a sugary muffin top, replace the streusel with a sprinkling of turbinado (raw) sugar. Simply sprinkle about ½ teaspoon (about 1.5 to 2 grams) turbinado sugar over each muffin before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Noreen Lorenzen

    August 29, 2024 at 5:08 pm

    Hi, when you suggest standard muffin pan, are you meaning cupcake tins with space for 12 , or are you meaning an actual muffin tin? I have muffin tins with space for 6 large muffins.
    Your recipe says small batch but I am confused if it will fill my muffin tin or if I should stick with the smaller 12 space cupcake tin and divide into 6 spaces.
    Appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Allison Ferraro

      August 29, 2024 at 9:34 pm

      Hi Noreen! Great question! When I refer to a standard muffin pan it would be the same pan size as a cupcake tin, with 12 wells for baking muffins. I would consider your pan with 6 spaces for baking large muffins a jumbo muffin pan. Hope that helps!
      - Allison

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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