Quick and Easy Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins
My blueberry muffins are inspired by my daughter’s love for blueberry pancakes every weekend - they essentially are blueberry pancakes in muffin form. They are lightly sweet, easy to throw together using frozen berries, and made with Greek yogurt, which contributes to a soft and tender crumb with a lightly tangy flavor.
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To get the fluffiest and airy crumb, we’ll bake this muffin at 425°F (218°C) initially to create a rapid rise and set the structure for a domed muffin top through steam expansion. We’ll then lower the temperature to 350°F (176°C) to allow the interior to bake evenly. This two-step baking method balances a crisp, golden crust with a soft and fluffy center. They are lovely served as is, or you can provide a bit of maple syrup on the side for dipping, like my daughter enjoys.
What is the flavor/taste/texture of my Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins?
What type of liner is best for my blueberry muffins?
There are two types of liners that I like to use for my muffins - either the standard cupcake liners or tulip-style parchment liners.
With cupcake liners (pictured on the right), the batter rises very high and then starts to spill over onto the metal pan, which creates a mushroom-like shape. Tulip-style liners (pictured on the left) stick up higher, so the batter rises upward more, giving a taller, more dome-shaped muffin.
I buy my dark cupcake liners from Amazon, here.
I buy my tulip liners from Amazon, here.
What ingredients will you need to make my Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins?
1 | ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, UNBLEACHED
Gluten formed from this flour gives the baked good its structure. Unbleached flour contains slightly more protein than bleached, encouraging better rise and chew. Its higher protein content also contributes to a firmer crumb.
2 | BAKING POWDER
As a chemical leavener, baking powder releases carbon dioxide when exposed to moisture and heat. Without it, the muffins would be dense and flat.
3 | NONFAT GREEK YOGURT
Greek yogurt brings in moisture, a subtle tang, and natural acidity to tenderize the crumb. The 2% fat adds richness without weighing down the batter. Its proteins help support structure while keeping the texture soft.
4 | EGGS
Eggs serve as a binder and contribute moisture, richness, and structure. The proteins coagulate in the oven, helping the muffins hold their shape.
5 | BROWN SUGAR
Beyond sweetness, brown sugar adds moisture and softness due to its molasses content. It also deepens the flavor, especially when using dark brown sugar. Lighter varieties offer a milder taste but still aid in tenderness.
6 | VANILLA EXTRACT
Even a small amount can round out flavors with warm, sweet aromatic notes.
7 | KOSHER SALT
Salt balances the sweetness and sharpens other flavors in the batter.
8 | UNSALTED BUTTER
Fat from the butter adds richness and helps carry flavor throughout the muffin.
9 | FROZEN BLUEBERRIES, WILD PREFERRED
Wild blueberries are a smaller type of berry that I love for muffins. (I find the cheapest and tastiest ones at my Trader Joe’s.) If it’s not labeled “wild,” they are the larger variety, which will still work fantastically. I just find that the smaller berries are more evenly distributed, have a bit less water content, and deliver more intense flavor. Keeping them frozen reduces bleeding and color streaking in the batter. You can use fresh blueberries, too, and I’ll annotate the changes for you in the recipe card.
10 | TURBINADO SUGAR (Optional for topping, not pictured)Large crystals of this coarse sugar stay intact during baking, adding a sweet crunch and a sparkly, bakery-style finish.
Step by step:
STEP 1 | Prep oven, pan, and ingredients
WHY:
Baking muffins at a high initial temperature (this recipe starts at 425°F/218°C) helps create a quick burst of steam in the batter, which causes rapid expansion and promotes a nice domed top. The intense heat will set the outer edges quickly, while the center continues to rise through the action of the baking powder, creating a nice contrast between a crisp edge and a tender interior.
HOW:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan. (See the types of liners you can use, above.)
STEP 2 | Prepare the dry and wet ingredients.
WHY:
Whisking the baking powder with the flour distributes it within the flour for an even crumb. The wet ingredients are mixed first so they can form an emulsion that will suspend the flour particles in step 3. The reasoning behind the melted butter is that the wet ingredients are all liquid, and if you try to add solid butter, even if it’s softened, it won’t mix into the batter.
HOW:
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder (2a). In a large bowl, mix the Greek yogurt and eggs. Look what happened here! I was baking with my daughter in this picture, and we got double yolks in one egg! I’ve only gotten this twice in my life, and it was pretty awesome to see (2b). I still added the second egg, though, as you can see that the double-yolked eggs contain much smaller yolks.
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Add brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. I like to use my fingers to check the brown sugar for lumps during this step (2c). Melt butter in the microwave and add it to the batter (2d). Since we used Greek yogurt and eggs, the hot butter will raise the temperature of the batter slightly, just enough to thicken it somewhat while you’re mixing it.
STEP 3 | Add the dry ingredients + blueberries
WHY:
Adding the flour in parts helps prevent overmixing, which keeps the crumb tender. Folding in the blueberries last minimizes streaking and keeps them evenly distributed throughout the thick batter.
HOW:
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Add the flour mixture in two parts (3a,b).
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Here are the blueberries that I like (3c) - fold them in by hand gently (3d). (To avoid blue streaks, you can rinse the berries under cold water, pat them dry, and then fold them in. Some streaking may still happen.)
STEP 4 | Scoop + bake
WHY:
Overfilling the cups and starting with high heat gives us tall, domed muffin tops. Lowering the temperature mid-bake allows the interiors to cook through without drying out the edges.
HOW:
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Distribute heaping mounds of batter in your cupcake pan. You may think it’s crazy to add so much batter, but this is what creates the domed top of muffins (4a).
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Top the muffins with extra frozen blueberries and/or a generous sprinkling of coarse turbinado sugar (4b,c).
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Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for another 18–20 minutes, or until golden and domed (4d,e).
Video
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That said, substitutions aren’t impossible but can be the toughest part of recipe development. Small swaps, like reduced-fat milk (2% fat) for whole milk (3.5% fat), usually work fine. However, bigger changes—such as replacing oil with applesauce or sour cream with Greek yogurt—can significantly impact texture and density.
Be wary of general, all-purpose substitutions in baking; I find that usually there is never a one size-fits-all solution. I carefully select ingredients for my recipes, so for the best results, start with the original recipe and modify with caution.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
Blueberry Greek Yogurt Muffins
For the muffin batter:
- 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups) nonfat plain Greek yogurt**, cold from fridge
- 100 g (2 large) eggs, cold from fridge
- 207 g (1 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 200 g (roughly 1 ¾ cups) frozen blueberries*** (keep frozen until you add them to the batter)
Optionally for topping:
- 3-4 tablespoons of turbinado sugar****
- an additional small handful of the frozen blueberries
For the muffin batter:
- 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 300 g (1 ¼ cups) nonfat plain Greek yogurt**, cold from fridge
- 100 g (2 large) eggs, cold from fridge
- 207 g (1 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 200 g (roughly 1 ¾ cups) frozen blueberries*** (keep frozen until you add them to the batter)
Optionally for topping:
- 3-4 tablespoons of turbinado sugar****
- an additional small handful of the frozen blueberries
- Preheat the oven + prepare the muffin pan.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan. - Prepare the dry and wet ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl (using a hand mixer preferably, but if you’ve got the energy, use a whisk), mix the Greek yogurt and eggs on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix for about 1 minute, until the brown sugar is mixed in completely (but still will be grainy)—mixture should be light brown and fluid with no sugar patches. Let that sit while you prepare the butter.
Melt butter until completely liquid in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add the hot butter to the cold yogurt mixture and beat on medium for about 1 minute until the batter thickens and lightens slightly in texture and color. - Add the dry ingredients + blueberries.
Add the flour mixture in two parts (using a sifter if you prefer a very even crumb), mixing on low speed just until combined. Scrape the bowl and ensure the batter is well-mixed—thick, cream-colored, and a little soft and airy.
Fold in frozen blueberries gently. (To minimize blue streaks, you can rinse the berries under cold water, pat them completely dry, and then fold them in. Some streaking always happens with frozen blueberries. I think they’re pretty in the baked muffin so that I wouldn’t worry too much.) - Scoop + bake.
Use two spoons or an ice cream scoop to distribute heaping mounds of batter (it’s big - almost the size of a billiards ball) into your liners. The amount of batter per liner is around 90-95 grams. (You do not have to weigh your batter - I just do this during recipe development, and I like to provide these numbers to those who are interested.) Alternatively, if you want ginormous muffins, try to use all the batter in only 11 liners.
I like to wet my fingers and smoosh the batter down into each liner to ensure I fill all the cups to the tippy tops. It will look like you overfilled your pan, but this is what creates the domed top of muffins. Top the muffins with extra frozen blueberries and/or a generous sprinkling of coarse turbinado sugar.
Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden and domed.
For accuracy, muffins are set around 190°F (88°C), but for a crustier top, bake until the centers reach about 198°F (92°C).
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*You can use either regular or tulip cupcake liners. Regular liners give a “mushroom” top, while tulip liners help the muffins' dome stand taller. See my pictures above for the differences.
**I developed this recipe using nonfat plain Greek yogurt. I’ve tested higher-fat yogurts, which work too, but will yield a slightly different texture. With 2% you’ll get a somewhat denser crumb, and with full-fat, you’ll get a creamy crumb with a muffin dome that will rise and slightly fall as it cools. The structural protein in the muffin is not quite high enough to handle the fat, but it is still a pretty muffin and delicious.
Sour cream also works, though it produces a much denser crumb and oilier liners due to the higher fat. That being said, if sour cream is all you have, you can still use it - my family still gobbled up the sour cream test muffins.
***Wild blueberries are smaller and more flavorful. I buy mine either at Trader Joe’s or sometimes my grocery store carries the Wyman’s Wild Blueberries. You can use the bigger blueberries too - just try to use the weight measurement to get the right amount. Fresh blueberries work great too—just wash and dry them first. Since they slightly warm the batter (unlike frozen berries, which cool it), you may need to bake for a little less time. Keep the 425°F start the same, but watch closely during the last 10 minutes of the 350°F phase.
****You’ll need a type of coarse sugar for topping high-hydration muffins, such as these. If you use anything finer, like white granulated sugar, it very quickly dissolves into the batter while the muffins bake. By using sugar with fat chunky crystals, it’s much more difficult for the wet batter to dissolve, leaving behind a nice crunchy topping for the finished muffins.
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