Tim Hortons Copycat Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Learn how to make these homemade Tim Hortons copycat blueberry muffins with a bakery-style high top and sweet crumbly streusel. This easy baking recipe yields perfectly moist, fluffy muffins bursting with juicy blueberries that taste even better than the original coffee shop favorite.

Difficulty:

Beginner

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

25 mins

Serves:

12 muffins

Ingredients

<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">280g plain flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">150g granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2.5 tsp baking powder</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp baking soda</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/2 tsp salt</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">240ml buttermilk (or 235ml milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">115g unsalted butter, melted</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 large eggs, room temperature</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1.5 tsp vanilla extract</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">300g fresh blueberries (or frozen, not thawed)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tbsp plain flour (for coating blueberries)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">For the streusel topping:</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60g plain flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">50g granulated sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">25g brown sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tsp ground cinnamon</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60g cold unsalted butter, cubed</li></ul>

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

🍽️ Serving Size: 1 muffin

🔥 Calories: 312 calories

🥑 Fat: 14 g

🧈 Saturated Fat: 8 g

🍞 Carbohydrates: 45 g

🍭 Sugar: 25 g

🍗 Protein: 4 g

🫀 Cholesterol: 62 mg

🧂 Sodium: 240 mg

Equipment

<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">12-cup muffin tin</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Paper muffin liners</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop</li></ul>

Directions

<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>Preheat your oven to 205°C (400°F). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with butter. Position your oven rack in the middle position for even baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>First, make the streusel topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingertips to work it into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. This texture is crucial for that classic crumbly topping. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the muffin batter.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. The thorough mixing of dry ingredients ensures even leavening throughout your muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter (cooled slightly so it doesn't cook the eggs), eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. The acidity in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create a tender crumb and help the muffins rise beautifully.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl until lightly coated. This flour coating prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom of your muffins and helps prevent bleeding of color into the batter.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently fold together with a rubber spatula just until all flour disappears. The batter will look thick and lumpy - this is perfect! Overmixing develops gluten and results in tough muffins, so a few lumps are actually desirable.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>Very gently fold in the flour-coated blueberries, taking care not to crush them or overmix the batter. You want to maintain those pockets of juicy blueberry throughout the muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them completely to the top. This may seem like too much, but filling the cups completely is the secret to achieving those tall, domed tops that Tim Hortons muffins are famous for.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>Remove the streusel topping from the refrigerator and generously sprinkle it over each muffin, gently pressing it slightly into the batter so it adheres during baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Bake at 205°C (400°F) for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue baking for 20-22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. This initial high-temperature burst creates that classic high-domed "muffin top" that's the hallmark of bakery-style muffins.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 11</h4>Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to remove them too soon, they may break apart as they're still quite tender when hot.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 12</h4>Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. These muffins also freeze beautifully - wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20-30 seconds to enjoy a fresh-tasting muffin anytime!</li></ol>

FAQs

Find answers to your most pressing questions about this delicious recipe right here.

What ingredients are used in Tim Hortons Copycat Blueberry Muffins?

These copycat muffins require plain flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla, fresh blueberries, plus flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter for the signature streusel topping.

How to cook Tim Hortons Copycat Blueberry Muffins at home?

Learn how to cook Tim Hortons Copycat Blueberry Muffins by mixing dry and wet ingredients separately, gently folding in flour-coated blueberries, filling muffin cups completely, topping with streusel, and using a temperature trick (starting at 205°C, reducing to 180°C) to achieve those perfectly domed tops characteristic of bakery-style muffins.

Why should I coat blueberries in flour before adding them to muffin batter?

Coating blueberries in flour before folding them into the batter serves two important purposes: it prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking, and it helps minimize colour bleeding, ensuring your muffin batter stays golden rather than turning purple.

What's the secret to getting high-domed tops on homemade blueberry muffins?

The secret to achieving those coveted high-domed muffin tops is a combination of filling the muffin cups completely to the top, starting with a higher oven temperature (205°C) for the first 5 minutes, then reducing it (to 180°C) without opening the door for the remaining bake time.

Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh for bakery-style muffins?

Yes, frozen blueberries work perfectly in these streusel-topped muffins! Use them straight from the freezer (don't thaw first) to prevent bleeding. They may slightly increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes, but will provide equally delicious results with the same tender crumb.

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