Buttermilk Berry Muffins Recipe
Beautiful buttermilk muffins - berry-streaked with sugar-sparkled tops, big flavor, and buttermilk-tender texture.
The other morning I found myself gushing to this guy about some muffins I baked. Josey is my neighbor (ladies, don't hate), and he's super inspiring - fully geeked out on all things flour, seed, and grain. As a side note, when I get him to show me how to make his Dark Mountain Rye Bread, you'll be the first to know. I see Josey around a lot, and sometimes we chat about what we're baking. So, there I was, telling him about a batch of muffins I was particularly into, they were just GOOD.
Berry-streaked with sugar-sparkled tops, big flavor, buttermilk tender texture, I kept going on and on. On the way home it occurred to me that I should probably write them up. Here goes.
I used whole wheat pastry flour, huckleberries from last summer (frozen), and topped them with crushed rose cinnamon sugar. They're not overly sweet, and they're nice and moist from a the buttermilk and a of couple bananas worked into the extra-thick batter. Although, it's worth noting that after baking the banana flavor didn't overwhelm the berries.
You can use any berries you like, frozen or otherwise. Blueberries are always good, chopped strawberries are also a favorite in muffins.
Now, here's where the magic happens. To make these extra-special, I decided to top them. I love the combination of berry and rose, and that's part of what inspired the rose & spice sugar-dusted tops. The next time around I might even spritz the muffins, in the last few minutes of baking, with rose water (or rose sugar water), or something along those lines, to heighten the floral aspect.
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Buttermilk Berry Muffins
I used frozen huckleberries here, but you can substitute blueberries, mixed berries, toasted seeds, dried fruit, etc, etc. I make a rose cinnamon sugar* for the topping, but you can do a straight-forward cinnamon sugar if dried rose petals are hard for you to come by.
- 1 1/4 cups / 5 1/2 oz / 160 g whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/4 cups / 10 1/2 oz / 295 g unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup / 3 1/2 oz / 100 g firmly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 5 1/2 oz mashed, ripe banana (~2 med.)
- 240 ml buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup / 4 oz / 115 g unsalted butter, barely melted
- 1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g berries, plus more for topping
- rose cinnamon sugar*
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Preheat the oven to 400F / 205C, with a rack in the center. Line a muffin tin with papers. I used baking cups here, with those you can skip the tin.
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In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
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In another bowl combine the banana, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and butter. Stir until blended and uniform.
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Gently stir the berries into the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients over dry, and mix until just combined. For tender muffins, do your best to avoid over-blending.
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Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full (maybe a bit more than that), sprinkle with more berries and a generous dusting of cinnamon rose sugar.
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Bake for 20-30 minutes (larger muffins on the long side), or until golden-topped, and a tester/toothpick comes out just clean.
Makes 1 - 1 1/2 dozen, depending on size.
*Make rose cinnamon sugar by combining 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon crushed, dried rose petals.
Adapted from Kerry Smith and the Nityananda Institute by way of Edward Espe Brown's The Complete Tassajara Cookbook and then How to Boil an Egg by Rose Carrarini.
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Made this today, but substituted Bob’s 1:1 flour since I needed to make them gluten free. Used fresh blueberries. Worked great! Made 1 1/2 dozen easily. I have two of Heidi’s cookbooks, and they’re among my favorites.
Thanks Carolyne!
Love how absolutely jam-packed these are with blueberries!
Will definitely have to try!
Those muffin papers are so cute! So much cuter than the standard muffin tin liners. Also, I really like the idea of mixing the mashed banana into the batter… I have a few overly ripe bananas on my counter right now that would be perfect for that!
All these gorgeous pictures make me want to start painting and sketching pictures of food!
Could I use applesauce instead of the bananas? I already use bananas in another recipe and was wondering if anyone has tried with applesauce? Thanks for letting me know……
I made these and they are just heavenly. Perfectly balanced, delightfully not too sweet. A new fav, thank you xo
these look SO good, I’ll have to try get my hands on some buttermilk from somewhere or try adding lemon juice to milk. Does any one know if that really works?
LOVE the idea of using rose! Your flavor combinations are out of this world. So unique and creative.
I made these and followed the instructions although my instincts told me the temp was too hot and the cooking time was too long. I took the muffins out after 20 minutes and they were baked dry and dark brown on top. What a waste of great ingredients. The standard time for cooking muffins is 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. I will use these standards the next time I try this recipe.
HS: Hi K – if you’re making larger muffins, you’ll likely need the extra minutes (note reflected in the recipe). That said, I always try to make the recipe adaptable to the quirks across everyone’s ovens – once you see the tops on whatever it is you’re baking, keep a closer eye, and then test now and then until they’re done. Particularly if your oven is running hot.
These look beautiful! I’ll have to make them this August, when the Huckleberries are in season here in Montana!
I have some buttermilk leftover from another recipe – this will be the perfect way to use it up! Such beautiful muffins!
Huckleberries! Yum! And the cinnamon rose sugar is such a fantastic, unique addition!
These were amazing! I ended up not having enough frozen bananas, and I intended to use applesauce, but I was out of that too. So I subbed oil for the rest of the bananas (and the butter too), a blend of olive and sunflower oil. I also subbed the buttermilk with some yogurt, regular milk, and a squeeze of lime. I used blackberries and raspberries. They rose so high in my 12 count muffin pan and turned out just gorgeous. Everyone loved them.
I used a regular muffin tin, twice. Made 17 muffins, which were done faster than recipe indicates probably because they’re smaller. No rose petals, but I substituted culinary lavender. For the berries, I used a mixture of blackberries and blueberries. This is a good solid muffin recipe–thanks, Heidi!
They look delicious. Do you really need to use sea salt??
I made these right away and they were awesome!!!! I didn’t have buttermilk in the fridge – which rarely happens as I love it. I used yoghurt thinned with milk to replace. Also, no rose petals. Mixed frozen berries. I also found the recipe to yield a lot of batter.
So yummy! I’ll be making more tomorrow. Thanks, Heidi!
Beautiful dreamy photos and absolutely love the idea of cinnamon rose sugar!
What a delicious combination.
I had just two bananas at hand to make your wonderful Banana-Espresso-walnut-muffins (from ‘Super Natural Cooking’), when you offered this new recipe. So I had to change my baking plan ;-).
With this muffins I particularly like the crust of cinnamon-rose-sugar in contrast to the moist interior of the muffin.
I love the idea of a rose cinnamon sugar topping! Very classy. It deserves a recipe where those flavors or just that as a topping is highlighted, I think. Atop a simple scone? or a little lemon cookie? hmmmm. Thanks for the inspiration!
Bouchon Bakery thanks you for the sale of one blueberry muffin I purchased the morning I read this post. I couldn’t help myself and ironically I’m not really a big muffin fan. Can’t wait to try this recipe for Easter though!
i love the muffin wrappers – where do you get those?!
HS: Look for them at baking supply outlets/shops, or places like Sur la Table.
I made these last night – delightful! I bought a spritzer to spray the muffins with rose water a few minutes before taking them out, but when I first checked they seemed done. Too eager to use my contraption, I sprayed and let them cook a few minutes more. I ended up with them overcooked and not tasting the rose much anyway. I definitely want to try these again. Next time, I think I’ll mix the rose cinnamon sugar with rose water, or diluted rose water, and brush on the top with a pastry brush before baking.
Also, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s Light Spelt Flour. I like to use it whenever your recipes call for a blend of whole and white flours. It makes a perfect substitute for people avoiding traditional wheat flours. Thanks for all the great recipes…I have tried and loved several of yours!
Just made these delicious muffins! I think it’s worth noting that if you are using a standard-sized muffin tin then you will get nearly twice the yield (so you can be ready with a second pan). This recipe made a dozen overflowing muffins and an extra-tall 6″ round “cake” for me (didn’t have a second pan).
Do you think dried lavender would work in place of the rose petals? I happen to have some from a trip to Bellingham,WA.
Thank you – Love your blog and shop.
Yummy! And it must be so nice to have a neighbor who inspires you 🙂
this sounds delicious. and cute neighbor!
where do you buy the muffin cups? adorable!
I love this recipe! Blueberry muffins are my favorite!
Oh how delish! I am such a huge fan of your blog Heidi! I make a Red Rose Cognac Sugar that I will try with this recipe. My mouth is already watering yuumm. Thanks for the inspiration.
those muffins look so pretty and petite. can not wait till the weekend to make them. Yummy!!!
Gorgeous recipe~ Heidi, is it possible to sub yogurt for the buttermilk? Thank you!
These look like the best blueberry muffins EVER! I love that they have huckleberries in them, too. How cool!
Love to make these, Heidi. Can you tell us what 240ml is in cups? Thanks!
Gosh, these are just such lovely looking muffins!
These look so yummy! I can’t wait to bake them And thank you SOOOO much for putting the measurements in metric and imperial too! We English just can’t cope with cup sizes alone.
These look so gorgeous! And delicious, of course 🙂
Miam, sounds delicious. Will give this recipe a try. Thanks Heidi!!
@ Andrea: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk with the juice of 1/4 of a lemon as a subtitute. This is what I use. 😉
You are awesome, and these look incredible! Rose, huckleberry and banana sound like a stunning combination. Glad to know where to get those lovely baking papers. I was just perusing Josey’s blog for the first time an hour ago, when a friend sent me the link to his new bakery. Hope to make it over there soon soon soon! You are indeed a lucky neighbor!
For those commenters looking for a GF substitute, I recently posted a GF banana muffin that I’d imagine would take well to these lovely add-ins (though I would swap out the buckwheat flour as I think it would overpower the rose): http://www.bojongourmet.com/2013/03/gluten-free-chocolate-buckwheat-banana.html
HS: Thanks for this Alanna – hope to run into you there (or elsewhere!) sometime soon.
I love that you added a topping. Topping always takes the muffin tops over the top. 😉 Beautiful.
The recipe sounds easy and a little special at the same time. And lovely link to the lovely Josey. You’re pretty lucky in the neighbour department too!
These look yummy. And your friend is very nice looking too 🙂
I found the baking cups online at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Paper-Muffin-Cupcake/dp/B002JPJ05U/ref=pd_sim_k_3
These sound like the ideal breakfast on these early spring days–subtly sweet, floral and full of berries.
I really like the sound of the topping, too; I’ve been into sprinkling bits of rose petals on various things myself lately. I wonder how these would be with some ground or finely chopped pistachios? Rose and pistachio are always a winning combination.
I have everything on hand to try these asap. But I’m most intrigued by the rose cinnamon sugar. I made lavender sugar around the holidays with my own dried lavender and it’s so good. I must try the rose sugar, I know I’d love it. Thanks for your recipe awesomeness and sharing! ps. I have a batch of your bran muffins on my counter right now!
Whole grain berry muffins are my all time faves. For those who asked about subs – I use kefir for buttermilk, and silken tofu or mashed sweet potatoes for bananas. Super moist. I’ve even made them gluten free.
…And who doesn’t love a guy named Josey?!
These look delicious! I love the addition of the banana for added sweetness and rose petal/cinnamon sugar. The aromas when they come out of the oven must be divine. And Josey the bakery guy sounds like a cool friend to have nearby. Well done. Thank you!
For those of you who were asking about the baking papers, you can typically find them at baking supply shops or I pick them up at Sur la Table on occasion. Have fun! -h
Love the idea of spritzing the muffins! What an elegant, but simple muffin!
i love berries and i am going to try them. they look mmm!
Hi Heidi,
I live outside the US and I cannot find buttermilk anywhere. What can I use instead? I love muffins, and this recipe looks and sounds delicious. Any ideas?
Thanks.
How timely! It’s my daughter’s turn to bring snack tomorrow for her preschool, so we made these with what we had. I doubled the recipe and made mini-muffins, expecting to get 48 mini-muffins. I ended up getting 4 full pans of mini-muffins, or 96! We used bananas from the freezer, half frozen wild blueberries (we live in Maine :), and half diced up peaches we froze in a simple syrup last summer. (The blueberries plus peaches added to 2 cups in a double recipe.) They baked up great. I don’t think they’ll last long, though. They were lovely warm out of the oven, but I have the sense they’ll get dry in a day or two. Nice flavor, though!
Josey is so inspiring, and your muffins are darling. I am hungry! How quickly can I get a flight to SF for dark mountain rye, rose dappled huckleberry muffins or anything inspired by your magic touch?
The beautiful exploded berry — trademark of a well-made muffin.
These look divine. What could be a better way to start the day than a Buttermilk Berry Muffin and a big cup of tea? I don’t know that I’ll ever use those ripe bananas for banana bread again. Great recipe. Thx.
How lovely!
Heidi, as I lie in bed sick as a dog in freezing cold London (UK), reading your recipe has given me an excuse to cheer up. Thank you, and love anything buttermilk! Yumboz! x lili
I just realized where I’ve heard of Josey before! A long-time friend’s daughter (Erin Kunkel Photography) just shot pictures for Josey’s new cook book! These muffins are right up my alley…love the ingredients.
These sound absolutely lovely! Such a prefect recipe for the coming spring 🙂
I have to laugh when you say ‘gushing’ about your latest cooking feat, as I do the same. It’s like food isn’t just food, it’s a creation. A piece of art, that happens to smell great and satisfy basic needs.
Hmm. Since I don’t have those little huckleberries, I can use blue or blackberries. And, since I’ve never liked bananas from infancy, maybe applesauce? I love everything buttermilk…Muffins are so variable.
So many things to love about this post — muffins, paper wrappers, and Josey! Can’t wait to try this out with some of our own local flour. Any suggestions for subbing out the bananas?
You should record your conversations Josey and transcribe them for us here.
I can only imagine how many awesome things you guys are chatting about!
It would be so so cool
These are STUNNING! The liners make a perfect little package for these delicious-sounding muffins!
If we ever make it to the cabin again, please, please bring these. Although I really want one now!
Heidi, These look absolutely delicious! My nana in India makes lot of stuff using rose petals..your recipe reminded me of her!
These look gorgeous. And delicious too!
I love your Super Natural Every Day cookbook. I made the Oatcakes last week and thought they were incredible! This recipe looks awesome too! Where can I find muffin papers like the ones in your picture? They really add something special.
Miam! That sounds absolutely divine and I love the idea of the rose sugar on top!
These sounded great until I saw “bananas”; my husband cannot stand bananas. Is there another fruit -or applesauce- that could substitute for the dreaded b’s?
Apart from the recipe, I really like the muffin papers. Where did you get them from?
I love the touch of rose petals. Only you, Heidi, only you.
any clue as to where i can find huckleberries in nyc..? i think i’ve been to every farmer’s market there is in this city. i know they don’t typically grow in the northeast, and that i can replace huckleberries with other berries, but i’m so into the idea of using them! thanks.
Lindsey – keep your eyes peeled in freezer sections. I actually buy them most often from my mushroom dealer. He has them fresh in bursts of and on during the year, but in the freezer most of the time. 🙂
Heidi! These look fabulous! I’m definitely going to make them. Where did you get your huckleberries from? I live in the East Bay, and know that they grow locally, but last year I had a hard time finding out where I could get/pick them…
What a lovely recipe. Love the rose & cinammon topping.
What absolute beauties!
PS: I loved your posts about Rome – I recently moved there for work and, thanks to you, discovered both MIA and MIA market (conveniently one is close to work and the other close to home) – what treasuretroves!
That rose cinnamon sugar sounds like a winner, such an inspired touch. I’d love me some of these muffins!
I subbed ~ 1/2 cup of applesauce for the banana and added twice the amount of fruit–blueberries and cherries. I also brushed the muffin tin (a non-stick one) with butter rather than use muffin cups or liners. They turned out beautifully and made a few more than 12 regular-sized muffins–I just put the leftover batter in the fridge until my muffin pan cooled from the first batch and then baked the rest. Thanks, Heidi, for your lovely recipes. They have quickly taken a place among my favorites!
Yes, these look DEE-LISH! I can hardly wait to make them myself! Did you answer the other readers yet about those cups? Where did you get them???
Also, a note about substituting for the buttermilk, I wouldn’t… so much of the supermarket milk is now Ultra Pasteurized (also known as Ultra High Temperature pasteurized). This milk is not as healthy because it’s missing most of the cultures, and to my knowledge, the enzymes as well, making it very hard to digest and virtually of no benefit to the human body… It can’t be made into cheese or yogurt… I imagine it behaves differently in baking as well. Heidi, if you have any comments on UHT milk, I’d love to hear them!
What an amazing recipe and they look so pretty. The rose-cinnamon sugar is something that I want to definitely try over a cake or muffin. Such a clever idea! Thank you, Heidi.
Rose cinnamon sugar…how do you come up with it?! I just love how you make something so simple become so unique.
I really love your receipes! I’ve just bought your book ‘super natural every day’ here in Germany. As I am coeliac, could you recomend any gluten-free flour, instead of the all purpose flour used here?
looks so yummy! i actually adapted your blackberry ricotta cream scones recipe to a buttermilk one and bake them like this. can’t wait to try the banana sweetening/texture flair!
These look delicious & semi-healthy! I wonder if the buttermilk imparts any flavour/texture difference? I’ve always just squeezed lemon into milk 😉
I love the rose petals in this recipe! Can’t wait to make it. I just made rose tea today 🙂 What else do you use dried rose petals in? Suggestions much appreciated!
Oh, yeah! these are absolutely perfect for RIGHT NOW. Totally hit the spot, Heidi. Thank you.
These look wonderful… I live in Brazil, however, and we don’t have buttermilk. Do you think it’s possible to substitute for yogurt or half yogurt, half whole milk? Or would that compromise the flavor?
These really look just perfect. I love the colour and the crust, oh the crust 🙂 May I ask you where you got those “Panetone-like”-muffin-tins?
I’d love to know more about the papers as well! I see them used in my local french bakery and they look so cute!
These remind me of some very delicious strawberry buttermilk muffins from Joan’s on Third in Los Angeles. Can regular milk and vinegar be substituted for the buttermilk?
Will definitely be trying these. 2 questions. Where to find rose petals? I have rose water but don’t think that will do. Also, loved the muffin holders/tins. Where can I find them? Thanks.
These look so good and I’ve got some fresh berries that seem to be asking to be used in a recipe that is so fabulous! Thanks for the story too!
Where can I find that beautiful muffin paper cups?
oh what a great, unique muffin recipe!
Mhmmm…the combination of berry and rose looks like spring already :)!
Buttermilk can do no wrong! I always get great results with just about everything I make using it from banana bread to cinnamon rolls. Your little muffins are so pretty! I love the liners – rustic and perfect!
I love everything about this recipe! Buttermilk just makes everything better, and the rose cinnamon sugar sounds divine!
Also, the baking cups are so elegant! Much nicer than the white papers ones I have on hand. I’m making these right away, even if I can’t find huckleberries. 🙂
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