Warm Blueberry & Almond Muffins (Moist Buttermilk Muffins Loaded with Fresh Blueberries)

 

 

 

There’s something extra special about a weekend breakfast, and these Warm Blueberry & Almond Muffins are exactly the kind of treat that makes slow mornings feel worth savoring. Bursting with juicy blueberries and enriched with the gentle sweetness of ground almonds, these muffins bake up tender, moist, and wonderfully aromatic—thanks to a hint of warm spice that fills the kitchen the moment they hit the oven.

Made with buttermilk for softness and topped with a delicate sprinkle of chopped almonds for crunch, they strike that perfect balance between wholesome and indulgent. Whether you enjoy them warm with a cup of tea or tuck one into your hand as you head out for a country walk, these muffins are simple to make, comforting to eat, and just right for those moments when you want something a little special.

If you love blueberry bakes as much as I do, this small effort delivers big rewards—sweet, jammy berries, a tender crumb, and a muffin that tastes like a hug. Let’s bake a batch together.

 

I know I don't work full time anymore and I don't really have all that many pressing issues in my life during the week, except for whatever work I make for myself and my church duties, but I still like to pull out the stops a bit at the weekend.

On the weekend I do like to do and enjoy a few things that I normally wouldn't during the rest of the week. Once in a blue moon treats, etc. Most Saturdays I like to make myself a little something special to enjoy for my breakfast. I am not really an egg for breakfast kind of a person, but give me cake or a muffin, and I am in!

I especially love these Blueberry and Almond Muffins. They are meant to be served warm. (That doesn't stop me from enjoying them cold! They are pretty tasty either way.) Moist with buttermilk deliciousness, and lightly spiced with mixed spice . . . that lovely combination of warm baking spices that makes all  baked goodies taste that little bit more scrumptious.

Generously stuffed with fresh berries that get almost jammy and even sweeter with the baking. They have a lovely almond flavor . . . both through the use of ground almonds in the batter and through the crunchy sprinkle of chopped almonds that you sprinkle over top before baking.

I was almost tempted to drizzle a lemon glaze over top . . . but then I thought . . . why mess with perfection. These are wonderfully tasty just as they are!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

BLUEBERRY & ALMOND MUFFINS

There is nothing complicated about these tasty muffins! 

• 1 5/8 cups (200g) of plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice (see recipe notes)
• 1/2 cup (50g) ground almonds
• 7/8 cup (175g) of granulated sugar
• 1 medium free range eggs
• 1 1/3 cup (300ml) of buttermilk
• 3 1/2 TBS (50g) of butter, melted
• 2 cups (250g) of fresh blueberries
• 2 TBS (15g) of chopped almonds to top

 

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

• Don't be tempted to use self-rising flour. The leavening amounts will be off.
• I have added instructions on making your own mixed spice in the recipe notes. Alternately you could use apple pie or pumpkin spice.
• Use ground unbleached almonds or almond flour.
• In the U.K. use caster sugar.
• You can easily make a good buttermilk substitute by whisking together equal parts of plain full fat yogurt and milk, or full fat sour cream and milk to make up the full amount.
• I used salted butter.
• You can use frozen berries if you wish, but do not thaw them out first.

 

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY AND ALMOND MUFFINS

As some would say, it's not rocket science!

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a 12 cup medium muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside. (You could alternately really butter the muffin tin well.)
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl. Whisk in the ground almonds and sugar. (I use a small wire whisk for this.)
3. Beat together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter in another bowl. Stir this into the dry ingredients, mixing only to combine. Fold in the blueberries. (If using frozen berries, do not thaw them out first. Do not overmix as that will toughen your muffins.)
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly amongst them. They should be roughly 2/3 full. (Don't overfill.)
5. Sprinkle some of the chopped almonds on top of each.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. (They should be well risen and the tops should spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the center of one should come out clean.)
7. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cook for several minutes before serving. Serve warm.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR GREAT MUFFINS

Here are my hints and tips for making sure that your muffins turn out beautifully every time:

1. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to roughly combine. 

 2. Don't over mix your muffins. The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. What you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Do not stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, and thick with a few floury streaks.

 3. Add your flavors last.  While spices should be added with all the other dry ingredients, additions like fruit and nuts should be added last. Give the batter one more light-handed stir once you've added them in just to combine.  

4. Line the pans. You can choose to either grease the muffin tin or line it with paper liners. If you choose to forgo the liners, make sure you grease the base and sides of the cups with oil spray or a little melted butter. If you're not going to eat the muffins for a while, do use paper liners as these will keep the muffins fresher for longer. 

 5. Don't overfill your pans. Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups.  Often if your tins are over filled the muffins will rise to the top and then collapse on themselves.

 6. For extra interest, add a flavorful sprinkle on top.  Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts or a crumble topping, even sanding sugar or cinnamon sugar, for even more taste and or crunch. As the muffins rise these toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.  

7. Protect your baking pan.  If there isn't enough batter to fill all the cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins bake evenly and will help to protect your pan from buckling. 

8. Cooling them down. Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise you risk them going soggy as they cool in the pan. 

9. Freeze extras for later. Muffins freeze beautifully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're baked, wrap them in plastic wrap  tightly,  and put them in the freezer for later. They will keep for about 3 months and reheat wonderfully in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high from frozen. 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THESE MUFFINS BE MIXED TOGETHER AHEAD OF TIME?

If you like you can mix together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, ready to mix together when you are ready to bake them. The dry ingredients can be kept in a bowl, covered on the countertop. The wet ingredients should be kept in the refrigerator, covered. Bring them to room temperature before mixing and baking. I would not do this more than 24 hours ahead of time.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE HALVED?

Yes, you can absolutely halve this recipe. Simply divide all of the ingredients by two and bake in a 6 cup muffin tin. Bake times will remain the same. (This is much easier done using the weight measures rather than the cup. Also it would be 1/2 of the beaten egg.)

CAN THESE BE FROZEN ONCE BAKED?

Yes, these can be frozen after baking. Simply wrap  each muffin individually in some cling film and then place them all into a zip lock baggie, label and date.  That way you can take out as many or as few as you wish to eat. You can thaw them on the countertop for several hours, or you can gently reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high. You can freeze them for up to three months, properly wrapped.

HOW LONG WILL THESE MUFFINS KEEP ONCE BAKED?

These muffins are best eaten on the day as they are relatively low in fat and contain fresh fruit. They are very easy to freeze however. See above.

 

A FEW MORE 

MUFFIN RECIPES TO ENJOY

We love muffin recipes in this house. Here are a few more tasty muffin recipes that you might also enjoy! 

SPECIAL K BREAKFAST MUFFINS - These are the PERFECT breakfast muffins. Quick and easy to make. Delicious. I highly recommend. Simple and filled with fiber. You can use ordinary Special K cereal, or you can be a bit more extravagant and use one of the varieties which contain fruit.  This recipe makes half a dozen fabulous muffins. 

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS - I am a hug fan of gingerbread anything. I think gingerbread is probably one of my favorite things to bake and eat! They are moist and delicious with a lovely crumb and beautiful ginger/cinnamon flavor. The recipe makes a full batch of 12 fabulous muffins!

 

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Yield: 12 medium muffins

Author: Marie Rayner

Blueberry & Almond Muffins

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Quick and easy to prepare for a weekend breakfast or brunch. Especially lovely served warm with a hot drink, or cold orange juice.

Ingredients

• 1 5/8 cups (200g) of plain all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice (see recipe notes)
• 1/2 cup (50g) ground almonds
• 7/8 cup (175g) of granulated sugar
• 1 medium free range eggs
• 1 1/3 cup (300ml) of buttermilk
• 3 1/2 TBS (50g) of butter, melted
• 2 cups (250g) of fresh blueberries
• 2 TBS (15g) of chopped almonds to top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a 12 cup medium muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl. Whisk in the ground almonds and sugar.
3. Beat together the egg, buttermilk and melted butter in another bowl. Stir this into the dry ingredients, mixing only to combine. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly amongst them. They should be roughly 2/3 full.
5. Sprinkle some of the chopped almonds on top of each.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cook for several minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Notes

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:

You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

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