It's a big statement to make - the BEST blueberry muffin recipe... I know. But I promise these homemade muffins have a soft, moist texture and they are perfectly sweet! But I also have The BEST Moist Chocolate Cake, and you all agree (just read the comments!). So hopefully you can trust me on this.

WHY IS THIS THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE?

1. They are soft and moist and tender. They are not crumbly nor dense.

2. Olive oil really makes them shine! You don't necessarily taste an olive-y flavour, but it enriches the taste and complements the spices and berries so well!

3. A hint of mixed spice -- not TOO much. It's enough to make these taste well rounded and more hearty. I use a combination of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg that seriously takes these to the NEXT LEVEL!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUFFINS AND CUPCAKES?

The difference between muffins and cupcakes is the method! If you are creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then you are making cupcakes my friend! Muffins are quick breads, NOT cake. Muffins have a soft, moist open texture instead of a fine, tight crumb structure like cake.

WHAT IS A "QUICK BREAD"?

Quick breads are batters that are made by first mixing wet ingredients in one bowl. Then, mix dry ingredients separately in another bowl. Simply combine the two with minimal stirring to form the batter. It is a very simple method.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt into a large bowl. Add granulated sugar and whisk it to blend evenly.

STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, milk, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl.

STEP 3). Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture.

STEP 4). Stir gently until just combined with some streaks of flour left. Add blueberries and fold them in gently. Do not over-mix. A few small lumps are just fine.

STEP 5). Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling them to the rim. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven to 350°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE

Use oil, not butter. I know, coming from me that's crazy! But for the softest texture, oil is best.

Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is mostly combined (with a few light streaks), then the batter is ready for baking. Since muffin batter is more lean with less sugar than cake batter, it is more likely to develop gluten and result in a tougher texture.

Fold the berries in gently - mixing too vigorously will cause them to burst and can cause the batter to turn grey.

Sprinkle sugar on top before baking! That provides a lovely crunchy top.

RECIPE FAQ

WHAT KIND OF OIL CAN I USE TO MAKE THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE?

For this recipe I like to use olive oil for its rich flavour (see below). However you can make this recipe with any neutral oil. I prefer sunflower oil because it has the cleanest flavour and is stable. Be sure to use fresh oil that is stored in a cool dark place. Rancid oil will completely ruin your muffins!

HOW DO I GET A TALL MUFFIN TOP?

Muffins with a super tall pointed top look nice but are often dry. That's because the batter needs to be quite dry and dense to get that way. A denser batter will dry out quickly on the surface and crack. Nice soft moist muffins will have a flatter top and be DELICIOUS!

If you want a pointed top for these muffins, there are two things you can do:

Rest the batter for 1 hour, covered, before baking. This will allow the flour to hydrate further so there is less evaporation through the surface during baking.

Bake at a high temperature -- 400°F -- for the first 5 minutes. This will give the batter an initial bolt to kick-start that baking powder and set the surface quickly.

CAN YOU USE FRESH OR FROZEN BLUEBERRIES TO MAKE THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE?

You can use either! Fresh blueberries are ideal because their cell walls are still intact and the juices are kept inside until they are penetrated by heat. They also won't bleed into your batter like frozen blueberries would.

Frozen blueberries still work wonderfully though! Just make sure that you do not defrost them because all of the juice will leach out. In these photos, I used frozen blueberries.

Also, do not mix too much after adding frozen blueberries because the reaction of baking soda (alkaline) with the antioxidants that create the vibrant violet colour of blueberries will actually increase the pH and cause it to turn more blue and make the batter look grey. To prevent this, just scatter the blueberries evenly over the surface of the batter and fold them in with just a few strokes.

Using frozen blueberries also means that you may need to add a couple more minutes to the baking time since your batter will obviously be very cold!

Enjoy!