When you want a blueberry muffin for breakfast but don't need several dozen sitting on the counter, here's a great small batch recipe for you to try! This small batch blueberry muffins recipe makes 6 muffins for just pennies each.
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Blueberry muffins are life. They are my absolute favorite. Especially Cake Mix Blueberry Muffins or these Red White and Blueberry Muffins. I could eat them every day and never be bored.
This Small Batch Blueberry Muffins recipe was made from an adaption to my Old Fashioned Blueberry Muffins Recipe. While we don't use buttermilk, we do use a lot fewer ingredients and still get incredible results.
These muffins are perfect for a simple breakfast or snack. With my kids not being a fan of blueberries, I usually eat most of the muffins when we have them.
This recipe has been saving me from "needing" to eat 12+ muffins in just a few days, haha. While I could just make a Blueberry Muffin in a Mug, it just isn't the same.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. We only need some basic and frugal pantry staple ingredients to pull this recipe together like flour, sugar, and baking powder. We also only need to use 1 egg.
- Easy to come together. This recipe comes together easily with a whisk and a mixing bowl. No fancy equipment is needed. Perfect for beginner bakers, kid helpers, and a simplified routine.
- Smaller batch. A small-batch recipe reduces waste, uses fewer ingredients, and bakes all at once. No rotating muffin pans or storing extra muffins you won't eat.
🛒 Ingredients
Vegetable oil- You will need to give the muffins some oils for "added fats." This is what makes the muffins moist. You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or even melted butter, but note that melted butter will make the muffins dense.
Egg- This is a binding agent and one that helps with the leavening as well, but if you don't have any eggs available, you can try my Eggless Blueberry Muffins instead.
Milk- For added moisture, use some milk. Regular dairy milk, almond milk, or even buttermilk will all work well here.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Blueberries. Use fresh or frozen blueberries, no need to thaw frozen ones. Mix gently to avoid blue or purple streaks in the batter. If you have extra berries, try my Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding or Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones.
Swap the Mix-Ins. Replace some or all of the blueberries with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or other berries like cranberries, raspberries, or diced strawberries for different flavor variations.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use Frozen Blueberries. Frozen berries are usually cheaper than fresh and work just as well. No need to thaw, just fold them in gently.
Stretch the Batter. Turn the recipe into mini muffins if needed, this creates more portions using the same amount of batter.
Use What You Have. If you run out of blueberries, swap in chocolate chips, diced strawberries, or raspberries without buying anything extra.
🥄 Instructions for Small Batch Blueberry Muffins
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2: Line a muffin pan with paper liners and then set it aside.
Step 3: Add your vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl (Image 1).
Step 4: Whisk together to combine (Image 2).
Step 5: Add in the egg (Image 3).
Step 6: Whisk together until fully incorporated (Image 4).
Step 7: Add the milk (Image 5).
Step 8: Whisk again until smooth (Image 6).
Step 9: Add in the baking powder and salt (Image 7).
Step 10: Mix to combine (Image 8).
Step 11: Whisk in the flour until no white streaks remain (Image 9). Be careful not to overwork the batter as you go.
Step 12: Add in the blueberries (Image 10). Gently fold them together until well distributed. Overmixing may cause blue streaks in the batter.
Step 13: Use a medium-sized cookie scoop or an ice cream scooper to fill each muffin cup ⅔rd of the way full. Top with some additional blueberries., if desired (Image 11).
Step 14: Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean (Image 12).
Step 15: Remove the blueberry muffins from the pan and let them cool on a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Add Extra Blueberries. If you want more berry flavor, add up to ½ cup extra blueberries. Placing the extra berries on top gives the muffins a nicer appearance.
- Why Two Baking Temperatures? Starting the muffins at a higher temperature helps them rise quickly and creates that perfect domed muffin top instead of a flat surface.
- Don't Overmix. Mix the batter gently, just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the muffins gummy or rubbery.
❄️ Storage
Room Temp. These Small Batch Blueberry Muffins will keep for up to a day or two in an airtight container at room temp. They taste best when fresh and warm from the oven.
Freezing. You can freeze your cooled muffins for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Just thaw before serving.
❓ Recipe FAQs
This recipe is calculated to cost less than $3 for 6 muffins which is far cheaper than the same amount of muffins from any grocery store. Not only is making your own muffins cheaper, but it's nicer too as you can control what goes into the batter and how much to add. You can even keep them as plain Vanilla Muffins.
Adding in too many blueberries can cause the muffins to fall apart. If there are so many blueberries that there is hardly any batter between them when baked, there won't be much "muffin" to hold the berries together, causing a (delicious) mess.
While melted butter can cause a more delicious muffin, oil actually helps to make them fluffier. Butter can cause your muffin to turn out more dense, and as a result, vegetable oil is often my go-to.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Blueberry Cream Cheese SconesRecipe $4.07 / Serving $0.51
- Blueberry Cream Cheese BabkaRecipe $2.32 / Serving $0.23
- Sugar Free Blueberry JamRecipe $2.83
- Blueberry Bagel Bread PuddingRecipe $3.60 / Serving $0.45
🐝 If you tried these small batch blueberry muffins, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Small Batch Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil - ($0.08)
- ½ cup granulated sugar - ($0.18)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.01)
- 1 large egg - ($0.15)
- 5 tablespoons milk - ($0.06)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - ($0.05)
- 1 pinch salt - ($0.01)
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour - ($0.09)
- ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen - ($1.96)
Instructions
- Prep pan. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Mix base. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add egg. Whisk in the egg until fully incorporated.
- Add milk. Whisk in the milk until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients. Whisk in the baking powder and salt, then add the flour and mix just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Fold blueberries. Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush them.
- Fill. Divide the batter between muffin cups, filling each about two thirds full. Add a few extra blueberries on top if desired.
- Bake. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Recipe Tips. Baking at a higher temperature helps create tall, domed muffins. Mix just until combined to avoid dense or gummy texture.
- Blueberries. Fresh or frozen both work. If using frozen, do not thaw before adding.
- Freezing. Freeze cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw before serving.
- Storage. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. Best enjoyed fresh and warm.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole says
Does anyone have any guidance on how long to cook if I want to add Greek yogurt for added protein? Would I sub that for the oil or half and half? Thanks in advance!