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.
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.
Table of Contents
“Delicious and easy! Love the little crisp crunch of cornmeal and juicy blueberry together in a warm breakfast bite.”
What You’ll Need To Make Blueberry Cornbread Muffins
- 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.)
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.
Whisk until well combined.
To keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins, toss them with 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk and lemon mixture with the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Stir until just blended.
Add the flour-dusted blueberries.
Stir until just combined.
Spoon the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners. They will be very full.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and lightly golden.
Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack.
Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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
- 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).
- Combine the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the flour mixture. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- Note: Be sure to zest the lemon before juicing it.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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This was the perfect recipe to use for my huckleberries. The recipe is perfect as is!
I did 1/4 c white sugar, 2/4 c brown. I used 1 T vanilla v. 1 t and 2 T fresh lemon juice. This has to be the best recipe I’ve tasted for blueberry muffins ever!
Your blueberry corn muffin recipe looks good. It would be a better recipe if you included the weights of the ingredients.
Hi Sheldon, This recipe actually has metric/weight conversions. 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. Enjoy the muffins if you make them!
Could I bake these in a pan to be cut into squares? Thx
Sure, that will work. 🙂
These muffins are fantastic! I have tried making them with and without lemon, and both times they were delicious! Thank you!
These are excellent. I left out the lemon zest as I was serving with lentil stew and wanted the corn and blueberry flavor to come through. I used frozen wild blueberries as I read somewhere they have more flavor, as having more flavorful skin, less flavorless pulp. I think it’s interesting that the muffins don’t need baking soda. I doublechecked to make sure I hadn’t missed it when I copied out the recipe, but it’s not there and they rise just fine without it. I also appreciate the caution not to overstuff the muffins with blueberries. I probably would have done that.
DELICIOUS !!!!
MY Honey and I did this Recipe together and with Just tasting the batter He approved. Thank you for Sharing this Recipe. We will Definitely be making them again 😍😍😍😍
Wayyyyy too much sugar asked for in the recipe, something I find all too common in muffins, especially those with fruit. This being a corn muffin, I prefer to taste the corn and the blueberries, so strongly recommend folks cut the crazy amount of sugar (in half or more) asked for in muffin recipes as a whole – for this it allows you to really get both the savory of the corn and natural sweetness of the blueberries (which, when I made these, increased to 3/4 cup blueberries as I love them!)…and it’s great! BTW I make faux buttermilk from unsweetened almond milk and lemon juice and it works just as well as dairy, and use duck eggs since we keep them out here on the farm, making them a bit richer in taste as well. YUM.
This is my favorite muffin recipe. The blueberries and cornbread combination works really well.
Jenn, Absolutely love these muffins and have baked them several times. Sadly a family member has just been diagnosed with a serious health problem and will be needing surgery. It is essential that she follow a dairy-free diet. Can you help me with replacing the dairy in these muffins?
Hi Heidi, I’m sorry that someone in your family is ill! I do think that you could prepare these with a non-dairy milk, like soy or almond milk, and a dairy-free butter substitute. I’d love to hear how it turns out with these changes.
Thanks for your quick reply, Jenn. I did try making these muffins with almond milk and non-dairy butter. They turned out well. Not quite as good as your recipe, but better than giving them up. Thanks for so many great recipes. Would love if you could publish some non-dairy recipes in the future. That is what I will be looking for now.
Heidi – I’d try almond milk with the lemon juice, and use olive oil rather than vegan butter as you’ll get better moisture that way (and more flavor than the mixed oils they use in most dairy-free butters). Made these this weekend and they were great!
These look yummy, so many farm blueberries in CT right now. I’d like to try dairy free version too, how much olive oil replacing butter?
Thanks,
Christine
Hi Christine, you’d need 1/2 cup but I’d suggest using vegetable oil as it has a milder flavor than olive oil. Hope you enjoy!
If I were to add poppy seeds to this recipe, what adjustments works be necessary? Thank you
Hi Ann, It’s fine to add poppy seeds with no adjustments. Enjoy!
Thank you so much! These are great!
Always looking for something to use our home grown fruit in. From the batter and smells from baking I won’t be disappointed. Thank you for such a sweet and taste bud loading treat.
These muffins are delicious. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour with excellent results.
These are great with minor modifications. I cut the butter to one half stick and use a little bit more milk, use orange extract instead of vanilla, and1.5 cup blueberries because I can. I bake them at 375 to ensure that the cornmeal crisps. They come out perfectly every time.
These are delicious! Instructions are perfect. Baking time was a few extra minutes to get the golden color. Flavorful and crispy! Thank you so much! Will be adding these to the lineup along with your other fabulous blueberry muffins.
I’ve made these muffins several times now and they’re always a hit. Tonight I made a double batch because I share and want to have plenty for myself too. Even though the recipe advises against, I double the blueberries called for. So far there have been no problems with that and blueberries are so yummy I just couldn’t resist. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Jen
We have visitors coming from Canada tonight. I’d like to make these and wonder if the muffin liners be omitted if I use silicone muffin pan? Actually, it’s one of those Flexipans from France—a luxury gift!
I’m also making your zucchini fritters. Just assembled the batter. Your recipes always impress company. Can’t wait to receive you cookbook — I think this week.
Thanks so much!
Hi Renee, thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support for my cookbook! If you’re using a silicone pan, I think it will work to skip the muffin liners. Hope everyone enjoys!
Absolutely delicious! Boyfriend brought the leftovers to work (so I wouldn’t eat all of them myself) and they got great reviews. The first time I made these I completely forgot the butter – right after I put those in the oven, I whipped up another batch with butter. Lo and behold, the ones without butter were nearly just as good as the ones with! The crumb was definitely nicer with butter, but only by a little. And I felt more justified smothering the ones without butter in, well, more butter. I’ll definitely be making them again, but next time I’m just going to forget about the butter. I think just the milk actually added enough fat to make them moist and delicious.
I really like these muffins with less sugar and butter. I only used 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter and increased the milk.
This made the muffins just very slightly sweet with the help of the blueberries.
I have never liked blueberry muffins. I tried this recipe because I bought a strange batch of blueberries that tasted fine, but had a mealy texture that my toddler didn’t like. So I thought I’d give this a go so the berries wouldn’t go to waste. I have to admit, I was not excited about these but they were very good. Not at all like a regular blueberry muffin – less sweet, texture more like cornbread, and I love the hint of lemon. My son is absolutely obsessed. He reaches and cries for these all throughout the day, I’ve never seen anything like it. I literally had to hide them out of sight so that he would stop asking for them. Safe to say, these were a hit! Thanks for another great recipe.
Can you use coconut milk? I can’t do dairy. Thx
I think that would work!
Dr. Google says coconut milk will make baked goods too greasy. Oat milk is recommended as a substitute for whole milk.
These were excellent. I had real buttermilk so I used it. I only used 5 T of butter and a cup and a half of blueberries. I used Orange extract instead of vanilla. They came out perfectly.
These are excellent. Nice change from regular corn muffins. They freeze well and then just a few seconds in the microwave.
My husband proclaimed these were excellent. He didn’t even use butter which for him is unheard of.
Thanks again Jen. You never let us down.
Simple, straightforward and delicious. I love your recipes!
Delicious, nice touch putting blueberries in the corn muffin. Great with chicken dishes
Best blueberry muffins I have ever made, and I have been baking 50 years, (yikes!). Tender, delicious and addicting. Have made them three times in the past two weeks because everyone who tries them loves them and they disappear so quickly.
Hi Jen, looking at my review of these wonderful muffins and forgot to add that for the jumbo muffins I bake them for 30 minutes on the middle rack. They come out perfect!
Excellent recipe – came out perfect in 28 minutes cooking time. The only addition I did was added some clear Sanding Sugar on top for that extra sparkle.
Can you use frozen blueberries? Do you have to let them thaw before using?
Yes, Deborah, using frozen is fine. Don’t defrost them, though, or your batter will turn purple, 🙂
This are a family favorite. I freeze summer berries and make them all year long.
Whole family loved them!! Great for a busy morning or after school snack, too!
Hi Jen…hands down THE best blueberry muffins! The corn meal gives them such a lovely texture….I find most blueberry muffins are too cakey, these are perfect. I’ve been making them with frozen huckleberries we picked last summer. This recipe doubles really well, I make 12 large muffins, and reduced the sugar by one cup for a double recipe.
Thanks so much for all your recipes, I love your website!!
Can I substitute buttermilk for milk? Should any other adjustments be made? Can’t wait to try, they wound wonderful!
Hi Alisa, It’s fine to use buttermilk; just omit the lemon juice as well.
These are excellent. They’re moist and tender and not too sweet. I doubled the lemon zest and didn’t find it overpowering. One cup of blueberries is ample as noted in the recipe. The muffins don’t rise much so filling the cups very full as instructed is important. I used fresh blueberries that had been washed and air dried and they didn’t bleed into the batter as frozen ones tend to do. My muffins were done in 26 minutes. I used cast iron muffin pans without paper liners and didn’t have a problem removing the muffins. They’re light and fragile until they cool but came out of the pan easily once cooled.
I want to make these gluten free. Can I just sub gluten free flour?
Hi Toni, I haven’t made these with gluten-free flour, but I think it should work. I’d love to know how they turn out if you prepare them!
A little disappointing for me. I was expecting a lot more taste. I followed the recipe exactly, but they were bland.
I spend an enormous amount of time in the kitchen baking and cooking and these weren’t anything special.
I served them still warm, but also had one after it completely cooled, sorry to say, very disappointed.
Delicious! I made these one morning and they didn’t last too many mornings after the first. I had some buttermilk I wanted to use up, so just used that instead of the milk/lemon juice mixture, and they were still wonderful.
Is this recipe in your book? It should be! It’s great, instructions, measurements, baking time all just right and it tastes wonderful. The lemon juice and zest is perfect. It’s not too sweet, too heavy, too hard to make or “too” anything. It’s just right! YUMMMMM.
Hi Pam, so glad you liked the muffins! This recipe won’t be in my book (but you can always find it here :).
Made these today. So nice and light. Not overly sweet. Just a lovely lemon taste with a few blueberries. Good suggestion not to overdo it with blueberries. Like the little crunch of the cornmeal.
Will be making these again and again! 🙂
Oh Jenn, these muffins are dangerous! Thank you for this amazing recipe. I baked them this afternoon … they’ve been out of the oven, for precisely 10 mins. & I’ve eaten 2!!! (Freezer, here we come!) 😉
These are delicious. I made a double batch just to try them out 2 days ago, and my family has gobbled them up!
Made these this afternoon and my husband and I love them. The lemon zest adds that little extra. Recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
what do you think about making mini muffins?
Hi Cheryl, Yes, I think mini muffins would work. I’d bake them at the temp that the recipe specifies and start checking for doneness around 12-15 min. Hope you enjoy!
Wonderful flavor and so easy to make. I will be making these often. Thank you!
Just made the muffins and they turned out great. just like all your other recipes I’ve tried from your site. Always looking forward to your weekly emails.
Most muffins are somehow disappointing – these were WONDERFUL. My only note is that it only made ten muffins for me. Thank you Jen!
Perfect. I swear Chef Jenn you will make a baker out of me yet! These are very tasty, love the sweet blueberry with the savory cornbread! They looked just like yours, my husband was so excited to see I made something special. Thank you!
Looks delicious!! I usually make large muffins.. What would be the bake time?
Hi Sue, I’ve never made these jumbo-sized, but I think should you should add about 5 – 10 minutes to the baking time. (I’d start checking them after 5 extra minutes.)
Do these freeze well?
Yes Sandu, these should freeze nicely!
My hubbie has diabetes and I would love to make him these cute little bites of goodness! Can Splenda be used in place of sugar in this recipe?
Hi Thalya, I’ve never baked/cooked with Splenda, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s likely to work. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you prepare them with Splenda!
Could this recipe be made with more corn meal and less flour, for gluten free alternative?
Hi Kate, I’m afraid without the flour that the muffins wouldn’t rise and would be very crumbly. You could always substitute the all purpose flour with a gluten-free variety.