Blackberry Almond Muffins

The abundance of fresh ripe berries is one of the greatest things about Summer. Peak of season blackberries take a starring role in these Blackberry Muffins. Made with buttermilk and a hint of almond, they are perfect for a sweet breakfast bite or as a treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

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The base for my Blackberry Muffins with Almonds is my simple basic muffin recipe, because why mess with something that is so flavorful and as moist as can be. The beauty of these muffins lies in their versatility—you can effortlessly swap out the juicy blackberries for just about any berry under the sun. Imagine them as a blueberry muffin, or a raspberry muffin. The possibilities are endless, but there's something about blackberries in Summer that makes them my top pick.

Whenever I want to add fresh blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries to muffin batter, I freeze them for a bit beforehand. This prevent the berries from bursting and keeps them intact so that when I bite in, I get a burst of juicy berry in a cloud of fluffy muffin. The best part is, you can freeze your fresh berries for 6 to 8 months. Long enough to extend your Summer breakfast vibes until Spring!

Ingredients & Substitutions

These homemade blackberry muffins are made with a standard list of muffin pantry basics. All of my muffin recipes are delicious, so you should probably keep it stocked at all times in case of muffin emergencies. I have included a few simple substitutions you can easily make if you are missing anything, because you need these blackberry muffins in your life.

(p.s. I took this ingredient picture during testing a half batch of blackberry muffins and neglected to take another one when I did the full batch. Do me a favor and pretend there are 2 eggs in the picture because I just don't want to do it all over again right now. Please don't make me 🤪)

• All-purpose flour - If you have lots of self rising flour, from making my 2 ingredient biscuits, my 3 ingredient pancakes, or my English muffins, you can use that here! Just skip the baking powder and the salt when gathering your ingredients, as self rising flour contains those.
• Buttermilk - I use buttermilk in my recipe keep the muffins extra delicious and moist. The buttermilk not only adds moisture, it also brings tons of healthy protein to these fluffy muffins. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t worry, just swap in Greek yogurt, or even regular yogurt, both of which will give you added tangy flavor and even more protein. If you don't have access to buttermilk, you can use regular or Greek yogurt, labneh, or kefir. Even sour cream will do the job!
• Butter - I use all butter this recipe, but you can use all or half vegetable oil if you prefer. You can also use vegan butter or coconut oil. Use whatever combination of liquid and/or solid fat that you prefer, as long as you keep the measurements the same.
• Salt - I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in all of my recipes, both sweet and savory, so I always know how salty things will be. If you have a favorite salt, feel free to use it, but if using regular table salt, you might want to reduce the amount as it actually has a saltier flavor than kosher salt.
• Sugar - I use regular granulated sugar, or table sugar, for these muffins, but you can use half brown sugar if you want a more caramel flavor.
• Blackberries - You can use whatever berries or fresh fruit you prefer. If using strawberries, or any other really juicy fruit, cut them and then blot them on paper towel to draw out their excess moisture. (I show you how in my strawberry biscuit recipe)
• Almond flavors - Blackberries play very well with almond flavors. You can substitute with vanilla extract if you don't have almond, but having it on hand will make it easier to make my almond croissants later 😝. I up the ante by topping with sliced almonds. Sliced almonds from the grocery store come untoasted, which is perfect for this as they will toast while baking.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Why freeze blackberries for muffins?

Even in the peak of berry season, I always freeze my berries before adding them to recipes like my blueberry muffins, my mixed berry bundt cake, and even to my blueberry cornbread. Here's why:

• No breakage - All of these batters are thick. Adding fresh berries to them can cause them to break up as you fold them in. Frozen berries hold their shape.
• No leakage - When berries break apart during mixing they leave streaks of color that usually look gray or a like a weird tie-dye effect that looks good on no one. Frozen berries wouldn't dare.
• Better baking - Frozen fruit thaws gradually during the bake, making the muffin bake more evenly, and the berries keep their shape and color better than fresh berries. Open up a muffin and you are likely to see, not a weird purple blob, but a whole blackberry, ready for its close-up.

All that being said, if you don't have time to freeze your berries, just use a gentle hand while folding them in. If using store-bought frozen blackberries, don't bother thawing them out. Take them straight from the freezer and add them directly to the batter, then fold.

Instructions

Making this blackberry muffin recipe is so easy. Mix the liquids and the dry ingredients separately and then stir them together.

A few things to prep before we get started:

• Place your blackberries on a small sheet pan or freezer safe plate and place in the freezer while you get everything else started.
• Melt your butter and allow to cool while you mix the batter.
• Preheat oven to 425°F and spray the wells of your muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners and lightly spray them. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. 
• Add one tablespoon of the flour mixture to your frozen blackberries and toss together to keep them from falling to the bottom of the muffins. Set back into the freezer.

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and almond extract, if using. Whisk together completely.

Step 2: Continue whisking while adding in melted butter.

Step 3: Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Step 4: Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until the last of the flour disappears.

Step 5: Fold in the floury blackberries. Stop folding when the fruit is evenly dispersed in the batter.

Step 6: Use a medium scoop, or a couple spoons, to divide batter evenly into the the prepared muffin cups. Top with slivered almonds.

Step 7: Sprinkle with sparkling, granulated, or coarse sugar if desired.

Step 8: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350°F, without opening the oven.

Bake for another 18 to 22 minutes, or until they are golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan and then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes longer. 

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