Blueberry Muffin Tops

1. Stage

Prepare the batter: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine and set aside.  Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer. Beat together on medium speed until fully combined, smooth, and creamy, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

2. Stage

Add the egg and oil: Add the egg and beat together on medium speed until fully incorporated. The mixture may look like it’s on the cusp of separating. That’s okay. Add the oil and beat together on medium speed, scraping as needed, until fully incorporated.

3. Stage

Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat on low until just combined. Repeat, alternating the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, scraping the bowl between each addition. Some dry bits remaining are okay. Do not overmix the batter.

4. Stage

Toss the berries and fold into the batter: Add the blueberries to the bowl you used for the flour mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour over the blueberries and gently toss to coat.  Add the coated blueberries to the batter. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter until any remaining dry bits have been incorporated and the blueberries are evenly distributed. Do not overmix.

5. Stage

Rest the batter: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. This rest helps keep the muffin tops from spreading too much and creates a better dome on top.

6. Stage

Preheat the oven and prepare the streusel: While the batter rests, arrange the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  To make the streusel, add the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and salt to a small bowl and mix. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir the mixture together until most of the flour mixture is hydrated. There will still be some dry bits.  Using your hands, work the streusel until no dry bits remain. The mixture should be crumbly but able to hold together in a clump when you squeeze it. Squeeze together small amounts of the mixture to form little streusel clumps.

7. Stage

Portion out the muffin tops and top with streusel: Using a 2-inch scoop, scoop out 6 portions of batter onto each baking sheet. To avoid the muffin tops baking into each other, stagger them on the baking sheet and leave a few inches between each one.  Very gently press (you don’t want to flatten them) heaping tablespoons of the streusel on top of each muffin top scoop.

8. Stage

Bake the muffin tops: Arrange the muffin tops in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes until the muffin top is puffed and the structure is set. Rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Bake for an additional 4 to 6 minutes until the muffin tops are golden on top, golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (11 to 13 minutes total).

9. Stage

Cool and serve: Let the muffin tops cool on the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. If desired, place a spoonful of powdered sugar in a sifter and lightly dust each muffin top. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Leftover muffin tops can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.  Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!