Blueberry Muffin With Blueberry Filling Recipe

Prepare filling

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup blueberries, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to break down, about 4–5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water in a tiny bowl to make a slurry. Stir slurry into simmering blueberries and cook 1–2 minutes until mixture thickens and becomes glossy.

Remove from heat and let the filling cool to room temperature (10–15 minutes). If you prefer a smoother filling, press through a coarse sieve or pulse briefly in a food processor — but leaving some whole berries gives good texture for the muffin center.

Preheat and prep

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease cups lightly. Have the cooled filling ready.

In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbs granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl whisk 1 large egg with 1 cup whole milk, 1 tbsp melted cooled butter, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract until blended.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy — avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.

Gently fold 1 cup fresh blueberries into the batter, taking care not to crush them. If using frozen, toss them in a teaspoon of flour first to help prevent color bleed and sticking to the bowl.

Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill each muffin cup with about 1.5 tbsp (roughly a heaping tablespoon) of batter to form a base layer. This will create space for the filling.

Place about 1 rounded teaspoon of the cooled blueberry filling in the center of each partially filled cup, keeping the filling away from the muffin cup edges to prevent overflow.

Top the filling with additional batter, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Smooth tops gently if needed.

If using, brush the tops lightly with 1 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle turbinado or coarse sugar (about 1/4 tsp per muffin) over each for a crunchy top.

Bake in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake an additional 12–15 minutes, or until muffin tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the filling) comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Remove muffins from oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Cooling allows the filling to set a little so it doesn't run when bitten.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Rewarm briefly in the microwave before serving if chilled.