Mini Blueberry Muffins with Double the Blueberry

There is something magical about blueberry muffins.  I always associate this tasty breakfast carb with brunches and special occasion breakfasts.  A few months ago I made some Mini Blueberry Muffins in an attempt to feed my toddler. He was mildly pleased with them, but I knew I could make my own recipe that was far superior.  Fast forward to my dad’s retirement party and I made these Mini Blueberry Muffins and I could not be more pleased with them!

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Story Time

 

After Thanksgiving, my older brother and I decided to host a retirement party/ birthday party for my dad, younger brother, and one of my aunts.  Well, you know how excited I get when the opportunity to bake arises! Since my dad is full of opinions, I consulted him and we decided that these Mini Blueberry Muffins would be a great choice for the party.  

This would be my first time hosting a REAL party.  I’m talking about 20 people attending, lots of food, decorations, the whole shebang.  This stuff stresses my husband out, but I was on it! For food, hand held, small portions would be my focus.  That meant Mini Dark Chocolate Cupcakes for the birthdays and Cheddar, Bacon, and Chive Biscuits as a savory option.  But the Mini Blueberry Muffins would round out the brunch carb trio.

 

 

An Ode to IKEA…

 

Once we arrived in Maryland, we got to rediscover our love for Ikea.  Can we all agree that Ikea is AMAZING?! Benjamin was finally old enough for Småland and has declared it his home (but he says we can visit him).  Ikea has a delicious cafeteria, cheap furniture, and I can’t walk through the marketplace without grabbing at least one thing.

Anywho, Ikea.  I found some super cheap plates there for like $0.76 each and bought a big ole stack of them for the party.  My aunt is very passionate about the environment and getting rid of single use plastic. I could NOT have disposable plates at the party!  The Ikea plates were the perfect size, cheap, and will last through many parties yet to come. If you’re looking for more reusable options, check out the cupcake liners I used with my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes.

 

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Let’s Back it Up

 

The recipe I made for Benjamin months ago was dry, bland, and a true let down for any blueberry muffin fan, such as myself.  At that point, I knew I was going to start a baking blog, so I jotted down some notes on how to build my own recipe for Mini Blueberry Muffins.  Y’all know that I’m a fan of all things mini!  (I kinda want some Mini Dutch Babies again…)

In my Mini Blueberry Muffins recipe, I knew I wanted to use brown sugar to add moisture and flavor.  In order to keep them from being too heavy, I chose light over dark brown sugar.  But I’ve tried this with white sugar and it was just as yummy.  I also added some lemon zest to sharpen the flavors and add a subtle compliment to the blueberry.  But the fun unique twist in my recipe would be the addition of dried blueberries.  

 

Originally, I planned on going for a healthier muffin, maybe even a bran muffin, but Josh advised to go more towards the “cupcake without frosting” approach.  Guys, he was right. Good thing I took his advice! Instead of the whole wheat flour I considered, I did a mix of AP flour and cake flour for a light, satisfying texture.

 

 

Mini Blueberry Muffins

 

There are thousands of blueberry muffin recipes out there, so what makes my recipe special?  It’s those dried blueberries! Just like the raisins in an oatmeal cookie, those dried blueberries plumped up beautifully when I baked them and added a unique texture to the Mini Blueberry Muffins.  Since I was making minis, I also decided I would have to use frozen wild blueberries instead of the full sized variety.

Full sized blueberries, fresh or frozen, would have been too big.  Each mini muffin would have had maybe a blueberry or two and it just wouldn’t be a good distribution.  Of course, frozen blueberries do bleed color into the batter, but I thought this added a beautiful purple swirl to them.  If this bothers you, go with the fresh blueberries.

 

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Tell Me How!

 

Alrighty then.  Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with your hand mixer in a large bowl.  Beat in the egg to combine.  In a separate bowl (or glass measuring cup), whisk together your wet ingredients; buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest.  Combine the dry ingredients into a separate bowl.

 

 

We’re basically using the creaming method I use in a lot of cakes and cupcakes (like my white cake).  You’re going to alternate adding dry and wet ingredients.  It’s important to start and end on the dry ingredients to make sure everything combines properly.  I like to scrape the bowl down once or twice as I work. Now all you need to do is fold in those berries!

 

 

 

Blunders?

 

I’m super proud of this recipe because it actually worked out perfectly on the first try!  But it almost didn’t because this goof of a baker almost forgot the egg!  Yikes! Luckily I remembered it in time. However, I think it would be nice to sprinkle some sugar, like turbinado sugar, on top of the Mini Blueberry Muffins before putting them in the oven.  It would add a nice sugary crunch that I happen to enjoy in a blueberry muffin.

Update: I made these beauties again and I remembered the turbinado sugar!  Don’t be afraid to add a lot to the tops of the muffin batter.  It adds a nice little touch of sparkle and crunch, but they taste just as fine without it.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Now I want more Mini Blueberry Muffins!  These were all gone by the end of the day and now my belly is craving them.  I love how the double blueberries played out in this recipe. Using dried blueberries made these muffins unique and so much fun to eat.  Who doesn’t love an extra dose of blueberry in your breakfast muffin?! If you try the sugar topping, let me know how that worked for you.  And don’t forget to share this recipe with anyone who needs tasty muffins in their life!

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