I call this multi-purpose muffin batter my “master batter.” It’s a straightforward recipe to which you can add any of your favorite muffin extras. I personally love blueberries or juicy mangoes. The sky-high, soft, and tender muffins have that coveted bakery-style look to them. You can get that same finish by using a few of my secrets—baking at a high initial temperature, using enough leavener, and generously topping them with streusel, of course.
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 0.33 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup (60g) butter, cold
Muffins
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup (215g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a 6-count jumbo muffin pan with non-stick spray or line the cups with muffin liners. Set aside.
- Make The Streusel Topping: Combine the granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter and mix around with a pastry blender or your hands until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
- Make The Muffins: In a large bowl, gently toss together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla. The mixture will be pale and yellow. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix everything together gently by hand. Avoid over-mixing, though no big pockets of flour should be remaining. The batter will be extremely thick and somewhat lumpy. Fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. Top each with streusel. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes and then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F and continue to bake for 25–26 minutes until the tops are lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. The muffins taste best eaten the same day, though you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
