Mixed Berry Muffins

Love berries with your breakfast? You’ve GOT to try these Mixed Berry Muffins, which feature blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Learn how to make this sour cream muffin recipe and make them year-round! Makes 16 muffins.

2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in June 2014. The recipe has been updated to taste better, and the post include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love these muffins!

These muffins are a result of me rolling with the punches in 2014. My grandfather, Pop, died, and I knew I wanted to travel to Georgia to his memorial and spend time with my family.

My husband, my cousin and her children drove from Texas to Georgia together. And I whipped up this easy muffin recipe to bring with us on the road so we’d have something to snack on since I had an excess of fresh muffins in our fridge.

Now, full disclosure: the original recipe called for some different ingredients, but I have adapted this Berry Muffin recipe over the years to include my sour cream muffin base, which, in my opinion, is the absolute best.

Why I love this recipe:

To me, this is the perfect muffin recipe. They are bursting with a mixture of berries and have a lovely pop of lemon.

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These bake up beautifully and easily. They are a recipe that can be made for any time of the year, but especially during the spring, when fresh berries reign supreme. 

These light and fluffy muffins are moist, slightly sweet and perfect for any occasion, be it breakfast, brunch or even an afternoon snack.

Also, the muffin tops have a beautiful crust, thanks to sparkling sugar, that makes them even more delicious.

More muffin recipes to try: Blueberry Muffins | Strawberry Lemonade Muffins | Chocolate Chip Muffins | Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips | Vegan Banana Muffins | Spiced Apple Cider Muffins

What you need to make this recipe:

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• 12-cup muffin pan or tin
• Parchment paper liners for the muffin cups (cupcake liners are the same thing as muffin liners)
• Baking spray
• Zester or microplane
• Kitchen scale
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Cookie scoop or ice cream scoop
• Toothpick or cake tester 
• Wire rack for cooling
• Muffin and cupcake storage container

Here’s what you’ll need to make these easy berry muffins:

• Fresh berries — we’re using a combination of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries in this muffin recipe. Personally, I prefer the fresh berries, but you can use frozen berries, too, if you do don’t thaw them. Toss them in straight from the freezer. Be prepared for them to discolor the muffin batter. The taste will be OK, though. 🙂
• All-purpose flour — we like to use unbleached AP flour in our household, but the regular kind works, too. I have not tried this with a gluten free flour blend, however.
• Baking powder — always make sure your baking powder is fresh. Get a new one every few months, even if you haven’t used it all. 
• Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is the best salt for baking. I like Diamond Crystal. 
• Granulated sugar — this is also called white sugar. Don’t swap it for brown sugar or the batter won’t set up right. 
• Sour cream — use a full-fat sour cream for best results, not a light or fat-free sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt is lower in fat than sour cream, but they could probably work as a swap if that’s what you have on hand. Please note that the texture of plain yogurt would change the texture of this matter.
• Vegetable oil — you can also use any neutral-tasting oil such as avocado oil or vegetable oil. Melted butter could also work as a substitute.
• Lemon zest — I love using lemon zest to add a little pop to the berries we feature in these muffins.
• Milk — whole milk is best, but use what you have. You can also use a non-dairy milk like almond milk or soy milk. 
• Large eggs — I always say use the best eggs you can afford.
• Vanilla extract — a high-quality vanilla extract makes a big difference in your baking recipes. Another secret ingredient so to speak! 
• Raw sugar — this coarse sugar is for sprinkling over top of the muffins. You can skip it if you don’t have it, but it adds the most crispy, caramelized texture on top of the muffins. 

Customizations and substitutions

Gluten-free muffins: I haven’t tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, but a 1:1 mix should work fine. Let me know if you try it! 

Fruit muffins: This sour cream muffin recipe is a great base for other berries and fruits. Try it with cranberries, strawberries and blueberries! These would be great as Mulberry Muffins, too.

Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin tin to make tinier muffins. These are great for a party with more guests. You’ll need to adjust the baking time, as they won’t need as long as regular muffins. 

How to make Mixed Berry Muffins

First, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a muffin tin with baking cups, then spritz with baking spray. Set the tray aside.

If you have just washed the berries, be sure to pat them dry completely with a paper towel or a kitchen towel.

Toss the mixed berries with a tablespoon of flour in a small bowl, and set aside. This will prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Measure the rest of the flour (2 cups), baking powder and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside. These are the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, combine the granulated sugar, sour cream and vegetable oil. Whisk together until fully incorporated and smooth.

Pour in the lemon zest, eggs and vanilla extract into the sour cream mixture. Finally, stir in the milk.

Whisk it all together until well combined.

Slowly sprinkle the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula until just combined. 

Overmixing could cause your muffins to become tough.

Fold the berries into the batter gently. If you’re too rough, you risk popping the blueberries and will end up with purple muffins. 

Divide batter evenly between the prepared baking cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. (I added 3 tablespoons of batter to mine.) 

Sprinkle the raw sugar over the tops of the muffins. You can also add a few extra berries on top of each muffin for extra flavor and a beautiful finish.

Transfer to the preheated oven, and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the tops turn golden brown and an inserted toothpick in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes, then enjoy with your favorite breakfast beverage! We love these paired with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, as well as a bubbly Strawberry Champagne Cocktail.

How to store and freeze:

These Triple Berry Muffins are easy to keep on hand for an easy breakfast! Simply store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can toast them in a toaster oven or reheat in a microwave if you want them warm.

You can also freeze fully baked and cooled muffins. Place them on a baking sheet and flash freeze for one hour — this prevents them from sticking. Th​en put them in a zipper-locking freezer bag. 

To reheat, heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. 

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

We love sharing muffin recipes with the people we love. They’re an easy win because they can be made in advance and also… who doesn’t love some fluffy muffins with fresh fruit?

Playdate hangouts in the morning hours are always lovely, and kids are sure to love this homemade muffin recipe with juicy berries.

Here are some ways I’d make these muffins to share with our people:

• Make a double batch for a big group. Or transform them into mini muffins! 
• Serve them warm in a basket or bowl lined with a kitchen towel. This helps to preserve some heat. 
• Bring them to a party or gathering in a muffin storage container. They’ll be an instant hit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s how you can make them at home: