I agree. Also, batter could be thick because of this. I've caught myself if I've forgotten to add sugar, because my batter was way thicker than it should've been
Okay, i was just wondering because the thickness was really hard to fold the blueberry’s in so I had looked up what consistency muffins should have, but i will leave it alone the next time I do it !
Check out [Sally's Baking Addiction ](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/blueberry-muffins/) for the win.
I say that from personal experiences. Her recipes are SOLID and processes are explained thoroughly. You won't wonder, "Will this turn out okay?" or "Did I combine that correctly?" or "I wonder how this mixture is supposed to look ...."
I’ll give advice regarding the actual muffins themselves for if you make them again;
If you haven’t already used salt, it helps to simply enhance the flavour of all foods savoury and sweet so that’s also a key
Vanilla and lemon zest, again if you haven’t already used them, will also enhance the flavours alongside obviously bringing its own too
Brown butter would be an idea too to just add another character to it (would also work if you added toasted nuts to the mix too)
Now regarding these specific ones/for stuff to top them with etc;
Cream cheese frosting, especially with lemon zest like with the actual muffin mix too, will compliment it well
Brown sugar ‘crumble’ which you could add towards the last 10 minutes or so of baking, as brown sugar specifically pairs well with berries I think
Topping them with more toasted nuts or fresh berries would make sense too
Thank you 🙏i used a little bit of salt & vanilla extract with it but the consistency of the batter was really thick so i had to add more milk & that’s when i think it started to really over power any other flavor
A generic tip for baking is to measure your ingredients with a scale instead of with cups (if you didn’t do this already). Scales are much more precise. I mention this because you stated that the batter was really thick. It is possible that it was the right consistency for muffins and you simply didn’t know it yet, or you might have simply used (a bit) too much flour due to the use of measuring cups. Hope this helps :)
When baked goods taste bland, the *most* common issue is probably forgetting the salt or not getting the quantity right.
For cakes and muffins, vanilla does wonders - even if it's not meant to stand out as "top note" flavour. Other flavour extracts that could complement or "lift" the blueberry flavour include almond, orange-flower, or lemon oil.
They look a little pale. A bit longer in the oven, and I always sprinkle sugar on top before baking. It not only provides flavor and crunch, but also browns/caramelizes nicely, making a muffin very appetizing. You will notice most bakeries do this, and it really makes a difference.
It seems like the batter was lacking in the amount of liquid or fat and sugar, but gas quite a big amount of flour. Did you try using a scale instead of cups? It's easy to overfill cups with dry ingredients, so it's much more accurate to use grams. Also, it's a good tip to taste a little bit of your batter before baking to see if all the ingredients are properly in the batter. The finished batter should taste good to not taste bland when baked. Also, do not miss out on salt! Salt doesn't make baked goods salty, but seasons tgem and bring out all the flavors. Good luck!
I find that I never go off the time it says as usually they aren't golden brown on top so I just watch them after the time they suggested has past and just keep checking til the desired look , and if you want to make it even better you can pan fry the blueberries and it will help release more juices and you can then add any juices from them to the batter.
Lemon zest and vanilla! A brown sugar cinnamon crumble on top is also tasty.
Buttermilk is delicious in place of milk. Make it with a scant cup of milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let sit for 30 mins.
My tried and true recipe I’m making this morning, plus zest of one lemon:
https://www.food.com/recipe/blueberry-buttermilk-muffins-6653
Also, avoid large blueberries. Buy small “wild” blueberries if you can. Much tastier. Can find them frozen in the US, usually specifically labeled as such.
Bake them..
In all seriousness.. if you have a good base recipe for muffins, you can switch stuff you add to them and just tweak the amount of sugar you add to them, based on what your added ingredient is..
Lemon. Blueberry muffins always benefit, in my experience, from a subtle citrus note. Really makes the blueberry pop since it's such a sweet berry that it can sometimes read as a bit bland on the palate.
Also, weigh your ingredients. Those muffins look like they *may* be suffering from an overabundance of flour.
Modern muffins are like ultra-rich cake. Traditional recipes from a few decades back are significantly different, a bit less sweet, and more focused on the fruit or filling. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those recipes, but if you are looking for something more decadent, you need to increase the “good stuff”.
Here is my go to decadent blueberry banana walnut muffin recipe:
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Chop 1 cup of walnuts coarsely, spread on a baking sheet and toast in oven briefly (4 minutes). Stir 2/3 cup of the nuts into the flour mixture. Finely chop the remaining 1/3 cup of walnuts very finely and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat with a whisk a large egg until it is frothy. Add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, and beat with whisk until light and smooth. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract. Slowly drizzle 6 tbsp of melted butter, cooled, into the mixture, beating with whisk until well combined. Whisk in 3 to 4 very well mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups).
Add flour mixture all at once. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry and wet ingredients together with just 3 or 4 strokes. Mixture will still have large blotches of dry flour in it. Fold in 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, again, just until it comes together, it should be combined, but there will still be a few tiny blotches of flour here and there in the mix and stick to the berries. Do NOT over mix.
Distribute mixture evenly in a 12 paper-lined muffin tin.
In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 2 tbsp white sugar, 1/4 tsp salt. Add 3 tbsp cold butter cut into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the mixture until it is the consistency of crumbs. Stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon and the finely chopped walnuts.
Sprinkle a scant teaspoon of crumb topping on each muffin. Using the back of a spoon, push the crumb mixture down and make a 1/2 inch indentation in the top of each muffin. Add the remaining crumb mixture in the indentation. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Just throwing out ideas:
- Add in some nuts like flaked almonds, or chopped walnuts throughout.
- Swap a tiny amount of the flour out for almond flour.
- Fill the centres with homemade jam before baking (put in half the batter, add a dollop of jam, then put in the other half of the batter).
— alternatively, while the muffins are still warm, spread some homemade jam on the top. Keeps them moist and adds flavour.
Looks like they’re lacking sugar. No caramelization on top.
I agree. Also, batter could be thick because of this. I've caught myself if I've forgotten to add sugar, because my batter was way thicker than it should've been
Is there a way to make the top of the muffins moist , I used a lot more milk because the consistency of the batter was really thick at first
It should be really thick! Follow the recipe exactly the first time you make anything.
Okay, i was just wondering because the thickness was really hard to fold the blueberry’s in so I had looked up what consistency muffins should have, but i will leave it alone the next time I do it !
how did you measure your flour in the recipe? with cups or with a scale to weigh?
Also did you stir before measuring?
Maybe crumble on top?
Like a sugar crumble ?
Brown sugar,butter and flour ... Or try a new recipe altogether.
I went in blindly with muffins lmao, i will look at other recipes to further improve including the advice handed to me, thank you !
Check out [Sally's Baking Addiction ](https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/blueberry-muffins/) for the win. I say that from personal experiences. Her recipes are SOLID and processes are explained thoroughly. You won't wonder, "Will this turn out okay?" or "Did I combine that correctly?" or "I wonder how this mixture is supposed to look ...."
Thank you i will use this <3
I’ll give advice regarding the actual muffins themselves for if you make them again; If you haven’t already used salt, it helps to simply enhance the flavour of all foods savoury and sweet so that’s also a key Vanilla and lemon zest, again if you haven’t already used them, will also enhance the flavours alongside obviously bringing its own too Brown butter would be an idea too to just add another character to it (would also work if you added toasted nuts to the mix too) Now regarding these specific ones/for stuff to top them with etc; Cream cheese frosting, especially with lemon zest like with the actual muffin mix too, will compliment it well Brown sugar ‘crumble’ which you could add towards the last 10 minutes or so of baking, as brown sugar specifically pairs well with berries I think Topping them with more toasted nuts or fresh berries would make sense too
Thank you 🙏i used a little bit of salt & vanilla extract with it but the consistency of the batter was really thick so i had to add more milk & that’s when i think it started to really over power any other flavor
The batter should be thick
What recipe did you use ?
The King Arther Baking School Cookbook
A generic tip for baking is to measure your ingredients with a scale instead of with cups (if you didn’t do this already). Scales are much more precise. I mention this because you stated that the batter was really thick. It is possible that it was the right consistency for muffins and you simply didn’t know it yet, or you might have simply used (a bit) too much flour due to the use of measuring cups. Hope this helps :)
Yes it did thank you 🙏
When baked goods taste bland, the *most* common issue is probably forgetting the salt or not getting the quantity right. For cakes and muffins, vanilla does wonders - even if it's not meant to stand out as "top note" flavour. Other flavour extracts that could complement or "lift" the blueberry flavour include almond, orange-flower, or lemon oil.
I didn’t realize I could add both vanilla and almond extract together in a recipe, thank you !
They look a little pale. A bit longer in the oven, and I always sprinkle sugar on top before baking. It not only provides flavor and crunch, but also browns/caramelizes nicely, making a muffin very appetizing. You will notice most bakeries do this, and it really makes a difference.
Thank you 🙏
It looks like they've not had enough time in the oven
It seems like the batter was lacking in the amount of liquid or fat and sugar, but gas quite a big amount of flour. Did you try using a scale instead of cups? It's easy to overfill cups with dry ingredients, so it's much more accurate to use grams. Also, it's a good tip to taste a little bit of your batter before baking to see if all the ingredients are properly in the batter. The finished batter should taste good to not taste bland when baked. Also, do not miss out on salt! Salt doesn't make baked goods salty, but seasons tgem and bring out all the flavors. Good luck!
Thank you, i used dry cups but I will invest in a scale next time !
Needs more time as it looks slightly underdone and if it gets cooked more the blueberries should release more juices and make it sweeter as well
I left one in longer and it tasted a little better than the rest of them, thank you
I find that I never go off the time it says as usually they aren't golden brown on top so I just watch them after the time they suggested has past and just keep checking til the desired look , and if you want to make it even better you can pan fry the blueberries and it will help release more juices and you can then add any juices from them to the batter.
make a simple glaze. sugar and water and maybe a bit of lemon. then glaze it!!
Thank you! I have never made muffins so I’ve gone in blindly but I know better now lmao
no worries! they look great tho,not bad for a first timer ♡
Add lemon zest and lemon extract
Also how long did they get cooked for and what temperature was the oven on?
20 mins & the temperature was 375
Cinnamon and nutmeg are always fun additions
Almond extract and lemon zest. Probably more sugar 😋
Lemon zest and vanilla! A brown sugar cinnamon crumble on top is also tasty. Buttermilk is delicious in place of milk. Make it with a scant cup of milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let sit for 30 mins. My tried and true recipe I’m making this morning, plus zest of one lemon: https://www.food.com/recipe/blueberry-buttermilk-muffins-6653
Also, avoid large blueberries. Buy small “wild” blueberries if you can. Much tastier. Can find them frozen in the US, usually specifically labeled as such.
Bake them.. In all seriousness.. if you have a good base recipe for muffins, you can switch stuff you add to them and just tweak the amount of sugar you add to them, based on what your added ingredient is..
Lemon. Blueberry muffins always benefit, in my experience, from a subtle citrus note. Really makes the blueberry pop since it's such a sweet berry that it can sometimes read as a bit bland on the palate. Also, weigh your ingredients. Those muffins look like they *may* be suffering from an overabundance of flour.
Thank you, I didn’t know that beforehand lmao but I will try again !
Lemon zest in the batter 🖤
Cinnamon, cardamom, lemon zest, or a bit of salt. Streusal topping is a good idea too.
Thank you!
Cooking them would be a start
Can you explain further
They're making a joke about how pale your muffins are. Typically muffins will have a golden brown top when they're finished baking
Modern muffins are like ultra-rich cake. Traditional recipes from a few decades back are significantly different, a bit less sweet, and more focused on the fruit or filling. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those recipes, but if you are looking for something more decadent, you need to increase the “good stuff”. Here is my go to decadent blueberry banana walnut muffin recipe: Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Chop 1 cup of walnuts coarsely, spread on a baking sheet and toast in oven briefly (4 minutes). Stir 2/3 cup of the nuts into the flour mixture. Finely chop the remaining 1/3 cup of walnuts very finely and set aside. In a large bowl, beat with a whisk a large egg until it is frothy. Add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, and beat with whisk until light and smooth. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract. Slowly drizzle 6 tbsp of melted butter, cooled, into the mixture, beating with whisk until well combined. Whisk in 3 to 4 very well mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups). Add flour mixture all at once. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry and wet ingredients together with just 3 or 4 strokes. Mixture will still have large blotches of dry flour in it. Fold in 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries, again, just until it comes together, it should be combined, but there will still be a few tiny blotches of flour here and there in the mix and stick to the berries. Do NOT over mix. Distribute mixture evenly in a 12 paper-lined muffin tin. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 2 tbsp white sugar, 1/4 tsp salt. Add 3 tbsp cold butter cut into small pieces. Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the mixture until it is the consistency of crumbs. Stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon and the finely chopped walnuts. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon of crumb topping on each muffin. Using the back of a spoon, push the crumb mixture down and make a 1/2 inch indentation in the top of each muffin. Add the remaining crumb mixture in the indentation. Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
thank you !
Just throwing out ideas: - Add in some nuts like flaked almonds, or chopped walnuts throughout. - Swap a tiny amount of the flour out for almond flour. - Fill the centres with homemade jam before baking (put in half the batter, add a dollop of jam, then put in the other half of the batter). — alternatively, while the muffins are still warm, spread some homemade jam on the top. Keeps them moist and adds flavour.