Sky-High Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Streusel

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

These are dessert muffins, not breakfast muffins: tall domed tops crowned with crunchy brown sugar streusel, a tender sour cream crumb scented with lemon and vanilla, and so many blueberries the batter barely holds together. The tricks are a thick, rested batter and a two-temperature bake — a blast of 425°F sets a fast-rising dome, then a lower heat finishes the centers without drying them out.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g), plus 1 tbsp for the berries
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups fresh blueberries (about 12 oz)
• 2 tbsp coarse or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Make the streusel first: in a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup flour, the brown sugar, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, cinnamon and 1/8 tsp salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture holds together in pea- to marble-sized clumps. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and 3/4 tsp salt until evenly combined. In a second bowl, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingers for 15 seconds to release the oils, then whisk in the eggs until pale and slightly thickened, about 45 seconds.
3. Whisk the oil and melted butter into the egg mixture, then the sour cream, milk and vanilla, until completely smooth with no streaks of sour cream.
4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and fold with a flexible spatula just until no dry flour remains — 12 to 15 strokes. The batter should be very thick, closer to soft cookie dough than cake batter. Do not beat it smooth; a few small lumps are correct.
5. Toss the blueberries with the reserved 1 tbsp flour, then fold them in with 5 or 6 gentle turns of the spatula. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes; this hydrates the flour and helps the muffins climb instead of spreading.
6. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with tall paper liners (or grease it well) and lightly grease the top surface of the pan so overflowing domes release cleanly.
7. Divide the batter among the 12 cups using a large spoon or #16 scoop, mounding it high — the cups will be filled to the very top and slightly above. Press the streusel clumps gently onto each mound so they stick, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
8. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes without opening the door, then reduce the oven to 375°F and bake 16 to 18 minutes more, until the domes are deep golden, spring back when pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding berries) comes out with only moist crumbs. Total bake time is 24 to 26 minutes.
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around any streusel that has fused to the pan and lift the muffins onto a rack. Serve slightly warm for dessert, plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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