Mixed Berry Muffins

For a special breakfast or brunch treat, make these moist, tender Mixed Berry Muffins. They’re loaded with fresh fruit (blueberries and strawberries) and topped with an irresistible almond streusel. Perfect for special occasions — like the weekend!

I’m a self-proclaimed lazy baker. That means I like to make recipes that come together quickly and don’t require a pastry degree to “decorate. Muffins are one of my favorite things to make on a weekend morning. Just mix and bake. Perfect.

My family loves to chow down on these applesauce muffins, pumpkin glazed muffins and these maple walnut gems.

Today, I’m making something with a spring/summer vibe—mixed berry muffins with almond crumb topping. So good!

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Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • It’s a simple muffin recipe that comes together in 20 minutes.
  • You can use whatever type of fresh berries you like.
  • Kids LOVE these berry-filled muffins.
    • Leftovers make a great afternoon snack.
  • They freeze well.

Ingredients for mixed berry muffins:

  • All Purpose Flour
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Baking Powder
  • Cardamom (optional, but good)
  • Salt
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Melted Butter (I used unsalted butter)
  • Fresh Blueberries
  • Fresh Strawberries (can substitute with other berries)

How to make the muffin batter:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and melted butter in a medium or large bowl and whisk well to combine.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until there are no dry bits left.
  4. Stir in the blueberries.
  5. Fill prepared muffin tins with the batter and top each with several slices of fresh strawberries.
  6. Divide the almond streusel (see notes below) between the mixed berry muffins.
  7. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean with crumbs attached, not batter.

I like to use cupcake liners sprayed with nonstick spray so the crumb doesn’t stick.

This buttery almond streusel topping comes together quickly in the food processor, which is my preferred method. If you don’t have one, no problem, I’ll show you how to do it without one.

Ingredients for Almond Streusel Topping:

  • All Purpose Four
  • Sugar
  • Cold Butter
  • Sliced Almonds

Making streusel in food processor:

  1. Add the flour, sugar and cold butter to the bowl of a food processor.
  2. Pulse several times until a fine meal has formed.
  3. Add the sliced almonds and toss to combine.

Making almond streusel by hand:

  1. Combine the flour and sugar in a small bowl
  2. Cut the butter into 1/4″ cubes and add to the flour mixture.
  3. Use your fingertips to quickly work the butter into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly and not dry. Refrain from overworking, or the butter will heat up and form a paste.
  4. Add the sliced almonds and toss them together.
Add sliced almonds to the crumb topping.

Pro-Tip:

Because the mixed berries are baked into the muffin batter, you don’t have to use the “prettiest” fruit.

I use this as an opportunity to cull the slightly past-its-prime strawberries and blueberries that lurk in the same container as the good fruit.

Cut away any bad spots on strawberries, then slice them up.

If some of your blueberries look too soft or wrinkly for a fruit salad — this muffin recipe is where to use them.

I like that nothing goes to waste, and no one will know the difference when they bite into a soft, tender muffin filled with mixed berries because the fruit turns jammy in the cake-like texture.

Portioning the batter between muffin tins and adding sliced strawberries to the top.

You’ll find that this mixed berry muffin recipe is quite versatile. Here are just a few changeups that you can make.

Variations:

  • Use any mixture of berries that you like. It works well with raspberries and blackberries, but you may want to cut blackberries in half as they can be pretty large.
  • Add a little lemon zest to the muffin batter for a citrusy note.
  • Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or cardamom to the streusel for extra flavor.
  • Skip the almonds for a tasty crumb topping.
  • Use 2 cups of frozen mixed berries instead of fresh fruit (make sure the berries aren’t frozen in one big lump).
They are topping the berry muffins with streusel topping.

FAQ’s

Do frozen berries work in muffins?

Yes. But there are a few things to watch out for. Please ensure the fruit is frozen when you add it to the batter, and get the muffins into the oven quickly. If the fruit defrosts in the batter, it will discolor. Blueberries can turn to batter a bluish-grey or green, and defrosted red berries will turn the muffins pink.

Additionally, make sure that your frozen berries aren’t frozen into one solid lump, but are individual.

This recipe doesn’t work well with frozen strawberries.

Why do you need to be careful when adding berry fruits to muffin batter?

When making muffins with berries, you want the fruit to be whole so they bake into jammy pockets instead of bleeding throughout the batter.

Do you need to thaw frozen berries before baking muffins?

No. They should be frozen solid.

Can I use any fruit for this recipe?

It depends on the type of fruit. Some will do better than others in muffins.

The mixed berry muffins are resting in the baking tin.

Storage and Freezing:

Keep leftover mixed berry muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze them.

To freeze:

Place muffins on a parchment lined baking sheet, so they aren’t touching and freeze until solid. Transfer the berry streusel muffins to a ziptop freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Freeze for up to 1 month.

This method makes it easier to pluck a muffin out of the bag anytime you want one, without sticking.

Let the mixed berry muffins defrost before enjoying.

A display of muffins on individual stands.

How do they taste?

Sweet. Moist. Fluffy. In other words, divine! If you’re looking for a muffin recipe that goes the extra mile, these blueberry strawberry muffins with almond streusel are it!

My tasters loved how much fruit was packed into every bite.

The buttery crumb topping is exceptional, and those crunchy toasted almonds add a nice crackly texture.

These muffins with two kinds of berries are ideal for spring and summer breakfasts and special occasion brunches like Mother’s Day or 4th of July — they are red, white, and blue, after all.

The fruit on the inside is jammy and moist.

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Mixed berry muffins with strawberries and blueberries on the side.
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5 from 4 votes

Mixed Berry Muffins

These mixed berry muffins are loaded with blueberries and strawberries, then topped with a buttery almond streusel. So moist, you might need a fork.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword coffee cake
Dietary Restrictions Vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 cup blueberries fresh
  • 1 cup strawberries fresh, sliced

Topping

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons butter cold
  • ½ cup almonds sliced

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and spray each with vegetable spray. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt and whisk to combine.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in the blueberries and set aside.

Make the streusel

  • Add the flour, sugar and cold butter to the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until a fine meal has formed that will clump together when you press it between your fingertips. Transfer the streusel to a small bowl and add the sliced almonds. Toss with your fingers to combine.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Top the muffins with sliced strawberries and mound the streusel on top of the berries.
  • Bake for 18-22, until a cake tester comes out clean and top is golden. Cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tin, then transfer to a serving platter.

NOTES:

These muffins are loaded with berries, so you may need a fork and plate to eat them.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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14 Comments

  1. Gabrielle Glatt says:

    5 stars
    Hi Lisa,
    Do you think this recipe would work with almond flour and NOT using baking powder? I would use baking soda instead.
    Thanks,
    Gabrielle

    1. Almond flour is essentially almond meal — not flour and it may require more of the binding agent, like egg. Baking soda is a base and requires an acid to to be active. It’s also more powerful than baking powder, so you don’t need as much. A good guide is 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour — but if you’re using almond flour, you may need more. My educated guess would be 1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1 teaspoon lemon juice added to the mix, but you may have to play around with that. Fingers crossed, let me know how it goes!

  2. I agree, Lisa, this is definitely the time of year to be in South Florida! Love individual treats like this – Your little Berry Streusel Coffeecakes look delicious. What a great way to celebrate Spring!

    1. I know – isn’t the weather gorgeous? I literally have all the windows in the house open right now. It’s bright and sunny, mid-70’s and a cool breeze. Lovely!

  3. Stacey Demrigian says:

    that looks so delicious! thanks for sharing

  4. brandidcrawfordgmailcom says:

    Coffee cake is one of my favorite desserts. I love your idea of using a muffin tin. This would be great portion control for me.

    1. Hope you have better control than my tasters did! Serving size = 1 didn’t even register with them!

  5. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says:

    5 stars
    Wow..this is such a great idea to make coffee cake into little bite sized cups! Sounds delicious.

  6. Luci's Morsels says:

    I am having some major breakfast envy right now! This looks amazing!

  7. Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says:

    My berry-crazy husband is going to ‘die’ when he sees this come out of the oven Sunday morning! It’s sooo happening Lisa! I love the ‘pockets’ of gooey berry bursts!