The second week of Stay at Home is over and I keep forgetting what day it is. Anyone else having that problem? There are three things I’ve learned this week. First, you must put on pants in the morning; otherwise, by mid-day you feel like a sloth. Second, working from home means that you never actually stop working. Third, daily outdoor time is a necessary activity for sanity. For the first time in years, my neighborhood is alive with daily dog walkers, small children playing in their backyards, and every one is waving at one another and shouting words of encouragement. A silver-lining to these uncertain times.
Another silver-lining is this week’s new recipe for Blueberry & Almond Crumble Muffins. It’s featured today on Pantry Staple Sweets, my new weekly baking column for Feast Magazine. Muffins are an excellent way to use up any fruit you might have in your refrigerator or freezer. These classic blueberry muffins have a small twist with the addition of a crumbly topping. An adaptation of Jordan Marsh’s famous recipe, they can easily be adapted further to whatever ingredients are on hand. They’re quick and easy to throw together, so make them this weekend for a special pastry to enjoy along with breakfast. If you make them, be sure to tag me on Instagram. I always love seeing your beautiful creations and connecting with you there. Stay safe and well, Friends.
Helpful Tips For This Recipe
*Substitute fresh blueberries with frozen if needed.
*If almond flour isn’t available, or you prefer not to use nuts, substitute it with all-purpose flour. The crumble will still be delicious and have a nice texture. If you prefer muffins without a topping, skip the crumble entirely and generously sprinkle the top of each muffin with sugar before baking.
*When making muffins, take extra care not to overmix the batter after the flour has been added. At this point, you want to mix just until combined and gently fold in the blueberries a few times to keep from overmixing. Overmixing creates a tough muffin and these are light and tender.
Blueberry & Almond Crumble Muffins
Makes 16 muffins
Almond Crumble
1/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Blueberry Muffins
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (optional)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 cups fresh blueberries
In a small bowl, combine both flours, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix until combined. With your fingers, press dough into clumps and then break apart into small pieces. Transfer crumble to freezer to chill while you prepare the blueberry muffins.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking oil spray and line with paper liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Beat together until combined, on medium-high, 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Add the baking powder, salt, and vanilla and then mix to combine. On low, alternate adding half of the flour mixture and half of the milk mixture, beating until mostly combined. Remove bowl from mixer and gently finish combining with a spatula. Fold in the blueberries until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling about 2/3 full. Generously sprinkle the top of each muffin with almond crumble and, if desired, lightly sprinkle with sugar. Bake muffins for 29-30 minutes, until golden brown on top and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan and transferring to rack to finish cooling. Muffins are best enjoyed the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Can you use whole buttermilk instead of whole milk? Just trying to use what I already have!
Hi Amanda! Great question. I would be hesitant to use buttermilk as a substitute for whole milk in this recipe. Technically, the muffins will probably turn out ok; however, buttermilk has a tangy flavor and is lower in fat than whole milk. The fat content of the whole milk adds flavor and tenderizes the muffins since fat acts as a barrier to gluten development in baked goods. My concern is that the muffins may turn out tougher than normal. When substituting milk with buttermilk in recipes, some bakers like to add a mixture of buttermilk and heavy cream to compensate for the lost fat. If you try the substitutions I’d love to hear back on how it went!
Hi! I didn’t end up using buttermilk or whole milk. With the current stay-at-home order, I decided to use a whole milk substitute, 1% milk with a little more than a teaspoon of unsalted melted butter. My husband agrees that the texture was still soft, but I found that I had to shorten the cooking time. Perhaps my muffin tin yielded smaller muffins or I didn’t fill them as much I was supposed to. In any case, these muffins are my new favorite way to eat blueberries! I also liked the hint of almond from the almond flour. Thank you!
I’m so happy to know that it all worked out and that you enjoyed them! Wishing you good health with plenty of blueberry muffins in the future. 🙂
Do you have to use Almond flour for the almond crumble? I don’t currently have any and am unsure if I’ll find some at the grocery store when I go later this week.
Hi Karisa! Feel free to substitute the almond flour amount with all-purpose flour. It’ll still taste great.
Hey Teresa! Can the vanilla extract and kosher salt be substituted with any other ingredients?
Hi, Maannsi! I’ve had someone share that they accidentally used almond extract instead of vanilla and it turned out great! You could use a fine sea salt instead of kosher, but I wouldn’t omit the salt all together. Enjoy tweaking this recipe!
Hello, can I use coconut oil as sustitute for the butter . If the answer is yes, the measurements would be the same? my husband has a special diet and he’s very picky ! help!
Hi Yani! I have not tested this recipe using coconut oil, but in theory you should be able to substitute butter with coconut oil in equal amounts (1:1). Make sure to use it at the consistency specified in the recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for ‘room temperature’ butter, then make sure the coconut oil is solid. If it states ‘melted,’ then use melted coconut oil. Best of luck!