Blueberry Corn Muffins

These muffins are warm, comforting, and basic in the absolutely best possible way. Basic like your favorite sweatshirt or that movie you can watch over and over and never get tired of. Basic like that friend you are always happy to see and who has seen you at your worst and is still always happy to see you too.

Sometimes basic is boring. But sometimes it is everything you want and need. That's what these blueberry corn muffins are.

They take less than 10 minutes to whip up and are just as good for breakfast as they are for an afternoon pick-me-up or served for dinner with something equally comforting like quick chicken soup or homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

12 simple ingredients

• Cornmeal, of course. I like to use medium ground cornmeal in these muffins because it keeps them soft while also adding that pleasing, slightly crunchy cornmeal texture. But, you can use coarse ground or fine ground cornmeal if you prefer more or less texture.
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Butter. I like quite a bit of salt in my sweet treats, so I usually use salted butter. If you are sensitive to salt, use unsalted butter.
• Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil in these muffins, but you can use any kind you like. That little bit of oil makes these muffins extra tender and keeps them fresh for longer.
• Honey AND brown sugar. A combination of honey and brown sugar gives these muffins a lighter texture while adding more flavor than white granulated sugar.
• Eggs
• Buttermilk adds flavor and creates an extra tender texture.
• Blueberries. Fresh or frozen blueberries work equally well in these muffins!

Variations and additions

• Instead of blueberries: Use any other kind of berry you like in these muffins, or use a mix of berries!
• To make gluten free blueberry corn muffins: swap the all purpose flour for a gluten free one-to-one baking mix. My favorite brans are Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
• Add some fresh or dried herbs or spices: I love the combination of blueberries and cardamom and a ½ teaspoon of dried cardamom stirred into the dry ingredients will not disappoint. Blueberry and basil and blueberry and mint are also delicious combinations. Consider adding a tablespoon or two of finely chopped fresh basil or mint to the batter for a unique twist.
• Use coarse ground or fine ground cornmeal: I usually opt for medium ground cornmeal in these muffins because it keeps them but with some of that delicious, slightly crunchy cornmeal texture. If you want even more cornmeal texture, use coarse ground cornmeal. If you want less, use finely ground cornmeal.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir with a wire whisk to blend.

Add the melted butter, oil, honey, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk to another bowl and beat with a wire whisk to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until everything is blended together. 

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the blueberries evenly on top of the muffin batter (they will sink into the muffins as they bake).

Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes inside the muffin tin then remove to a wire baking rack. Serve blueberry corn muffins warm or at room temperature.

Fresh or frozen blueberries? Either work just as well in these muffins but if you use frozen blueberries, the muffins will take slightly longer to bake.

How do you keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom? Simply pile the blueberries on top of the raw muffin batter instead of mixing them in. As the muffins bake, the blueberries will start to sink down into the muffins, but will not sink all the way to the bottom.

Why I love to use tulip paper liners for these muffins

As you can see in the photos, I baked my blueberry corn muffins in tulip style muffin cup liners. Tulip liners are great because they rise above the muffin tin, allowing you to fill the muffin cups with more batter and containing the blueberries.

They also look pretty and make removing freshly baked muffins super easy.

I especially love using tulip liners when topping muffins with streusel, like these sour cream streusel blueberry muffins. For these blueberry corn muffins, they allow you to top each muffin with blueberries without worrying that they will escape and roll out into your oven.

My local grocery store doesn't carry them, so I order mine on Amazon.

How to store blueberry corn muffins

Freshly baked blueberry corn muffins will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

They also freeze well. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap then place the wrapped muffins in a zip-top bag or other airtight container. Freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 4-6 hours.

Pro tip! Individually wrapped frozen blueberry corn muffins make for easy on-the-go breakfast prep!