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Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

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Cornbread makes a perfect backdrop for blueberries, which burst as they bake, creating little pockets of juice that keep the muffins tender.

blueberry cornbread muffins

You can’t help but love these little blueberry cornbread muffins, a cross between classic blueberry muffins and cornbread. The slight crunch and savory flavor of cornmeal make a lovely backdrop for the blueberries, which burst as they bake, creating little pockets of juice that keep the muffins tender. The muffins are simple to make. With just a few bowls and a whisk, you can whip them up in 15 minutes, and enjoy them warm from the oven with your coffee 30 minutes later.

“Delicious and easy! Love the little crisp crunch of cornmeal and juicy blueberry together in a warm breakfast bite.”

Rachel

What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Muffin ingredients including vanilla, milk, and cornmeal.
  • Milk: Provides moisture and richness to the muffins batter.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds acidity to react with baking powder, helping the muffins rise. You’ll use the lemon’s zest as well, so make sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the muffin batter, providing structure. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
  • Yellow Cornmeal: Adds a slightly gritty texture and a subtle corn flavor, characteristic of cornbread.
  • Sugar: Sweetens the muffins and helps to create a tender crumb.
  • Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent helping the muffins rise.
  • Blueberries: Break down during baking, creating pockets of juicy flavor and adding bursts of sweetness.
  • Eggs: Act as a binding agent, holding the muffin batter together and providing structure.
  • Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with its aromatic sweetness.
  • Lemon Zest: Adds brightness and citrusy aroma, complementing the blueberries.
  • Butter: Incorporates richness and flavor into the muffins.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by zesting the lemon (you’ll use the zest later) and combining the milk and lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, and you’ll have homemade buttermilk. (You could just use buttermilk, but since the recipe calls for lemon zest, you might as well just use the juice and avoid buying buttermilk.)

Zested and squeezed lemons next to measuring cup of milk.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt and in a large bowl. I like to place the ingredients in the bowl neatly, so I can see what I’ve already added — otherwise, I’m likely to forget.

Bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Whisk until well combined.

Bowl of dry ingredients.

To keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins, toss them with 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture. Set aside.

Bowl of blueberries with some cornmeal mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon mixture with the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest.

Bowl of wet ingredients.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Stir until just blended.

Whisk mixing wet and dry ingredients.

Add the flour-dusted blueberries.

Blueberries in a bowl of muffin batter.

Stir until just combined.

Blueberry cornbread muffin batter in a bowl.

Spoon the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners. They will be very full.

Muffin pan filled with blueberry cornbread muffin batter.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and lightly golden.

Blueberry cornbread muffins in a muffin pan.

Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack.

Blueberry cornbread muffins on a wire rack.

Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh in blueberry cornbread muffins?

Absolutely! Frozen blueberries work just fine in these muffins. Add them while frozen to avoid turning your batter purple. Also, be sure to toss the blueberries with the flour mixture to prevent them from sinking during baking.

What purpose do the lemon juice and zest serve in blueberry cornbread muffins?

The lemon juice helps the muffins rise and adds a subtle tanginess that enhances the flavor of the blueberries. Similarly, the zest brings a bright citrus aroma to the muffins.

Can blueberry cornbread muffins be frozen?

Yep – the muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

blueberry cornbread muffins

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Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Cornbread makes a perfect backdrop for blueberries, which burst as they bake, creating little pockets of juice that keep the muffins tender.

Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (see note)
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup blueberries (see note)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon (about 1½ teaspoons)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners (don't skip the liners or the blueberries will stick to the pan).
  2. Combine the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture. Set aside.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk/lemon mixture, vanilla and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Stir until just blended; and then stir in the blueberries. Do not overmix.
  6. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup very full. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden around the edges. Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm with butter or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Note: Be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
  8. Note: Don't be tempted to increase the blueberries: one cup is just the right amount -- if you jam-pack the muffins with berries, they'll be too tart and wet.
  9. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 228
  • Fat: 9g
  • Saturated fat: 5g
  • Carbohydrates: 33g
  • Sugar: 15g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Sodium: 275mg
  • Cholesterol: 53mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • I love this recipe. I am a sucker for blueberries and lemon juice in a recipe. The cornmeal gives the muffin such a nice bite too. I mix regular t all purpose flour and white whole wheat flour 2:1 and that helped my generous wet blueberry measurement to bake perfectly, luckily.
    I will most assuredly bake these muffins again. I also
    love your pumpkin scone recipe!

    • — Dee Holm on March 3, 2024
    • Reply
  • Can the batter be made in advance and refrigerated? If so for how long, and would it have to come to room temp again before baking? Thanks!

    • — Allison Peck on February 1, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Allison, Unfortunately, it won’t work to refrigerate the batter as the muffins won’t rise well when you go to bake them. If you’d like, you can mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then combine them and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake them.

      • — Jenn on February 1, 2024
      • Reply
  • Thanks! They’re so delicious. Second time I made them I used greased mini muffin pans and a large Madeleine pan . They came out bite sized , crunchy , snd delicious.

    • — Lisa G. on December 17, 2023
    • Reply
  • Oh my goodness! This sounds so intriguing! I have mulberries coming out of my ears! I’m going to sub equal amounts frozen mulberries for the blueberries (but I’m definitely going to try it with blueberries too!) and take someone else’s suggestion and sprinkle some finishing sugar on top for a special crunch! I can’t wait!

    • — Debi Schule on October 29, 2023
    • Reply
  • Great recipe, spot on! This is the first muffin recipe which actually gave me the perfect
    amount of batter! We like it “corny” so I did half and half on the flours. A bit of raw sugar sprinkled on top before baking gave it a sweet little “crunch”. This will be my
    go to forever 🙂 corn muffin recipe. Thank you.

    • — linda on August 21, 2023
    • Reply
  • I was looking for a blueberry muffin recipe I could add to my go-to library. Very pleased with this one. Muffins were moist and light. I decided to add one small touch and included 1/2 tsp of lemon extract and a small amount of raspberries that I had on hand. I’ll be adding this one to the library, thanks for sharing!

    • — Odessa Baker on July 5, 2023
    • Reply
  • These are great muffins. More body than a blueberry cupcake and not as dense as a corn muffin, not too sweet, just the right pairing for tart or sweet blueberries. One cup of blueberries was plenty to make each muffin have a lot of berries. I have a big container of pecan pralines from Costco that I’m trying to use so I chopped up a couple and sprinkled it on top to make a streusel topping.
    My 2 yr old grandson loved these muffins and I will be making them weekly – they are that good.

    • — Marilyn S on July 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • These came out absolutely perfect! Soo so good! Very happy that I doubled the recipe. Would definitely make these again.

    • — Jessica on May 10, 2023
    • Reply
  • This recipe came out delicious! Thanks for sharing. I reduced the amount of sugar by one-half. Still sweet enough and delicious. My 7-year old claimed these to be my best yet!

    • — YLIETTE GUZMAN on April 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • Wondering whether frozen berries can be used instead of fresh, and if so, should they be defrosted first. Thanks!

    • — Fran C on October 10, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Fran, frozen can be used, and I wouldn’t thaw them first (or they will turn your batter purple). Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on October 10, 2022
      • Reply
  • These were delicious! I forgot to add the lemon zest ☹️and only had about a scant half cup (maybe less) of sugar but I found it sweet enough for me. I added 2 minutes baking time and they came out perfect! I’ll definitely make again and look forward to the flavour the lemon zest will bring.

    • — Jules on August 7, 2022
    • Reply
  • Please post recipes with gram weights, thanks for your consideration

    • — D on August 2, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi D, The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on August 2, 2022
      • Reply
  • I like mine to taste more corny, so I use 1C each of flour and cornmeal and I substitute a skimpy 1/2C oil for the butter. Like many others, I used less sugar- 1/2C. These muffins are delicious! Just made my third batch in two weeks. (Full confession, my boyfriend prefers the ones I made with the full amount of sugar, but he doesn’t seem to have any problem eating the reduced sugar ones!)

    • — Debbi on July 13, 2022
    • Reply
  • I cut the recipe in half.

    • — Lisa on July 12, 2022
    • Reply
  • No sugar needed or cut in half

    • — Barbara From Ohio on July 2, 2022
    • Reply

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