This Tip Changed How I Will Make Blueberry Muffins Forever

Is there anything better in this world than a warm, fresh-from-the-oven muffin, scattered with juicy pops of fruit? To me, the answer is no—I mean, when else can you get away with eating cake for breakfast?! My favorite since childhood is the classic blueberry muffin (I have Dunkin' to thank for that), and I love to whip up a batch any time I have leftover buttermilk in my fridge. I always keep my favorite recipe in my back pocket, especially because they're one of the quickest treats to make the morning of. Working in a bakery for years, I learned plenty of tips and tricks but one thing has always alluded me: How not to end up with purple-streaked muffins. That is, until now.

How to Stop Blueberry Muffins From Turning Purple

I came across this tip while watching a video where cookbook author and dessert expert Claire Saffitz bakes a batch of blueberry muffins with her mom, Sauci. And, as we know very well here at Allrecipes, moms always know best. Sauci shared her tip for the best way to add blueberries to batter so they come out perfectly every time.

It's all in the berries themselves. I usually turn to frozen berries for convenience and ease. But anyone who's ever put frozen blueberries into the mix knows—whether pancake, muffin, or cake batter—even if you go straight from the freezer and they don't thaw, the juice that's collected on the outside of them will immediately turn your batter purplish-blue. It's not the end of the world, but it does shatter the illusion of a bakery-style baked good at home. I had read that tossing blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter helps to stop sinking, but it doesn't do anything to remedy the purple problem.

But I don't always have fresh berries on hand when the muffin craving strikes. Plus, if they are soft or quite ripe, fresh blueberries can burst as you're mixing them into your batter (which is a quite stiff batter), causing the same problem at frozen.

Sauci's solution? Opt for fresh but freeze them yourself. That way, as the muffins bake, they slowly meld into the batter and turn into individual little pools of blueberry goodness, without bursting so fast that they leak into the muffin and tint it.

From here on out, I'll be stocking up on blueberries when they're on sale and popping them in the freezer (I'll wash and dry them first). I already keep ripe bananas in there for any banana bread cravings, and now those bananas will be joined by blueberries, poised and ready for whenever I'm in the mood for a muffin, stack of blueberry pancakes, or another bread or Bundt.