These Copycat Jumbo Panera Blueberry Muffins are bursting with blueberries, a touch of lemon, and a course sugar crunch.
More muffin recipes I'm sure you will love: Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Mango Blueberry Muffins, and Apple Raspberry Muffins.
Panera Bread Company (or St. Louis Bread Company for locals) makes my all-time favorite wild blueberry muffin. But I can't be running to buy Panera muffins every time I am craving an amazing blueberry muffin. So I decided it was time to create a copycat recipe.
Note: Panera recent changed their blueberry muffin recipe. This copycat recipe was created to replicate their original blueberry muffin recipe with the crunch sugar topping.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- These jumbo blueberry muffins are bursting with blueberries and lemon flavor and are sure to become your favorite blueberry muffin.
- These muffins have large tall chewy muffin tops.
- They are topped with coarse sugar for that satisfying extra crunch.
- Simple to make there is no mixer required.
Little did I know this was going to be the toughest recipe I have ever worked on. I made eight batches of muffins trying to create the perfect Panera Blueberry Muffins.
Most of the muffins tasted great but I struggled with creating a tall muffin top that didn't spread too much. I know I'm not alone with my muffin top struggles.
Finally, on my eighth try, I was able to create a blueberry muffin recipe that has lots of blueberries, a subtle lemon flavor, a tall sweet crunchy top, and a soft moist center.
These muffins are so easy to make at home; no more running out to buy one when a craving strikes.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: This blueberry muffin recipe uses more than 3 cups of all-purpose flour. The batter is thick like cookie dough to keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.
Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: I really wanted a tall muffin top. So this recipe uses both types of leaveners.
Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.
Blueberries: Fresh or frozen blueberries are interchangeable in this recipe.
Sugar: Plain old granulated white sugar is used to sweeten these muffins.
Milk: Milk adds moisture and creates a tender crumb. I usually use whole milk, but other dairy milk should work just fine. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk. If you give it a try please let me know how they turn out.
Vegetable Oil: Oil produces moist tender muffins.
Large Eggs: Eggs add moisture and help bind everything together. The extra egg yolk provides additional fat which makes the muffins softer. It also produces muffins that are more golden in color.
Lemon Peel Zest and Lemon Juice: Using both lemon juice and lemon zest helps to concentrate the lemon flavor. The lemon juice will also react with the baking soda giving the muffins more lift.
Coarse Sprinkling Sugar: For that crunchy, sparkly muffin top, add a sprinkle of coarse sugar. You can also use Sugar in the Raw, Demerara sugar, or turbinado sugar.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Loaf Pans: Muffins and loaves of quick bread are very similar.
- Pour the batter into the 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 60 to 65 minutes. The blueberry bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Standard Sized or Mini Muffins:
- For standard size muffins baked at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. Yields about 12 standard muffins.
- For mini muffins, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 11-13 minutes. Yields about 24 mini muffins.
- Fruit Variations: Swap the blueberries for your favorite fruit try strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Move the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease one jumbo 6-count muffin pans with nonstick spray or line with muffin papers. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Toss the blueberries in the flour mixture until they are well coated. This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, lemon juice, and zest.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes which gives the leavening ingredients time to activate.
Tip: Be careful to not crush the blueberries and do not over mix. Overmixing creates gluten which results in tough, not tender muffins. Mixing by hand works great for muffins. You shouldn’t need an electric mixer. Muffin batter doesn't have to be completely smooth. A few lumps and streaks of flour are just fine.
Step 5: Divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Step 6: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Allow the muffins to cool for several minutes in the muffin pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
Storage
These muffins will stay moist for a couple of days when stored at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Any longer than that at room temperature and the blueberries will start tasting fermented especially on warm days.
For longer storage keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top bag. Thaw muffins at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
When they are in season, there is nothing better than fresh blueberries. But they can be expensive and hard to find in the middle of winter. Frozen blueberries are a great substitute when you are craving blueberry muffins in January.
Frozen blueberries can be added directly to the batter while they are still frozen. Sometimes frozen blueberries can turn your batter an odd greenish-blue color. According to this article from King Arthur Baking, the best way to prevent this is to give them a quick rinse under cold water.
After rinsing the blueberries, dry them using a couple of paper towels. When adding blueberries to the batter fold them in gently being careful to not squish and release any of the blueberry juice.
I hate biting into a blueberry muffin and not seeing any blueberries. I want a juicy blueberry in every bite. Otherwise, what is the point? There are a couple of different ways you can prevent blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your muffins.
Coat the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. The flour coating will help them stick to the batter and keep them from sinking to the bottom.
Thick muffin batter: Thick batter helps ensure the blueberries stay evenly distributed rather than concentrated at the bottom of the muffin. The batter for these muffins is almost as thick as cookie dough.
Muffins can be baked with or without liners. If baked with liners they will have a softer outside texture. Muffins baked without liners will be slightly crispier and darker on the outside.
I couldn't find jumbo muffin liners at my local store, so I bought these muffin liners from Amazon.
To get a tall muffin top fill the muffin pan to the very top with batter and start baking your muffins at a higher temperature then after about five minutes lower the temperature.
I start my muffins at 425°F (220°C) and then lower the temperature to 350°F (180°C). Starting at a higher temperature gives the baking soda and baking powder a nice boost of heat that encourages leavening.
It also allows the outside of the muffin to set quickly giving the inside the structure it needs to keep rising. This trick will only work with really thick muffin batters that have enough structure to support a tall muffin top.
Baking times for all recipes are only suggestions. The actual baking time will vary depending upon your oven. It is helpful to know your oven and worth purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary as much as 50 degrees plus or minus.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean or with just a crumb or two sticking to it your muffins are done. If there is uncooked batter on the toothpick bake the muffins for a few minutes longer.
Alternatively, you can check your muffins with an instant-read thermometer. This one from ThermoWorks is my favorite. Once the center of the muffins has reached 200 - 205 degrees Fahrenheit they are done.
Expert Tips
- When stirring be careful to not crush any of the berries to keep the muffins from turning a weird blue-green color.
- If you use frozen berries, rinse them under cold water several times and pat dry. This will help prevent the color from bleeding into the muffin batter.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing will create too much gluten causing your muffins to be tough.
- The muffin batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough. This prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom and helps to give the muffins a tall muffin top.
- Muffins bake best on the middle rack of the oven. Too low and the bottoms will burn, too high and the tops will brown too quickly.
More Blueberry Recipes
Thanks for Reading!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below! You can also snap a picture and post it on Facebook or Instagram be sure to tag me @RaspberriesandKohlrabi.
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📖 Recipe
Copycat Jumbo Panera Blueberry Muffin
Equipment
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease one jumbo 6-count muffin pans with nonstick spray or line with muffin papers. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Toss the 1 ½ cups blueberries in the dry ingredients until they are well coated. This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the 1 cup granulated white sugar, ½ cup milk, ⅔ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, lemon juice, and zest.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful to not crush the blueberries and do not over mix. The batter will be thick. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
- Divide the batter between each muffin cup, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, the muffins are done.
- Allow the muffins to cool for several minutes in the muffin pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- When stirring be careful to not crush any of the berries to keep the muffins from turning a weird blue-green color.
- If you use frozen berries, rinse them under cold water several times and pat dry. This will help prevent the color from bleeding into the muffin batter.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing will create too much gluten causing your muffins to be tough.
- The muffin batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough. This prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom and helps to give the muffins a tall muffin top.
- Muffins bake best on the middle rack of the oven. Too low and the bottoms will burn, too high and the tops will brown too quickly.
Melissa says
I've made these frequently and they're gone the same day! This time I really changed them up: used spelt starter* & flour, used up some browned butter instead of oil, added yogurt not milk, *Used up all the discard, so extra starter meant I tried my best to calculate the ratios of wet to dry. Completely forgot the lemon.
They were fabulous!
Thanks again for these wonderful recipes 🙂
Erica says
I am so happy you liked them. What I have learned about adding starter/discard is it is usually a 1 to 1 ration of liquid to dry which makes it pretty easy to add to many recipes. You just have to remove equal parts dry and wet ingredients.
Julia's Child says
Definitely could be sweeter. I think I'd add a 1/2 cup more sugar.
Erica says
I am sorry you felt it could be sweeter. We all have different preferences.
Char Ricker says
Thanx for answering my questions. First of all I used. Measuring cups (next time I will go by weight). I bought a new scale a few days ago. My pans are dark so I will take that into consideration. Will let u know the results.
Charlene says
Tried ur recipe for Panera’s blueberry muffins. My batter looked like ur pics but turned out over dry and not very sweet. I made 2 batches so if u have any suggestions let me know and I’ll try again when this batch is eaten.
Erica says
Charlene, I'm sorry the recipe didn't work out well for you this first go around. Let's try to troubleshoot.
For the sweetness, I don't think the batter itself is a really sweet one especially with the addition of the lemon juice and zest. What type of blueberries were you using? Fresh or frozen? Unfortunately, the flavor/sweetness of fruit can vary. I find that frozen berries have a more consistent flavor most of the time. Did you include the sugar topping? I think it adds a nice crunch and a little pop of sweetness.
As far as being too dry there are two possible issues that I can think of. Have you checked your oven temperature recently? Sometimes they can run hotter than the temperature they are set for causing baked goods to overbake and dry out. The second possible issue might be ingredient measurement. Are you measuring ingredients by volume (cups and measuring spoons) or by weight (using a kitchen scale)? Weight measurements will be more accurate. If you are measuring by volume you will want to use a spoon to lightly scoop dry ingredients like flour into the measuring cup and then level the measuring cup with the back of a knife.
Edit: I just thought of one more possible problem. What color are your muffin pans? Darker pans will cook faster than lighter colored pans.
Nily says
I'm eager to try your recipe, but I have a standard 12 muffin pan. How do I scale this recipe to fit my pan? Also, what would be the cooking time? TIA!
Erica says
This recipe should fit in a standard-sized muffin pan as written. You will want to modify the baking times to 425°F for 5 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350°F for 20 minutes.