The Best Blueberry Muffin Mix: Our Pro Bakers’ Top Picks
Updated: Apr. 23, 2024
Looking to stir up something sweet without much fuss? You'll want the very best blueberry muffin mix. Check out our pro bakers' favorite brands.
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Who Makes the Best Blueberry Muffin Mix?
As with all baked goods, scratch-made is best. While we all may love old-fashioned blueberry muffins made with berries picked right in our backyards, that’s not always a possibility.
So when your schedule is busy and the berries at the supermarket look lackluster, there’s nothing wrong with reaching for a box of muffin mix—provided it’s the best blueberry muffin mix. To find the ones that taste as close to homemade as possible, our Test Kitchen snagged every package they could find and tasted them side-by-side.
How We Sampled Muffin Mixes
For this taste test, our team picked up a whopping nine boxes of blueberry muffin mix. These mixes ranged from the just-add-water variety to streusel-topped options.
Like with all our tests, our team sampled each without knowing the brands’ identities. Our goal is to keep tastings objective and avoid any biases. Each muffin was judged according to these categories:
- Appearance: Muffins should bake up with a relatively uniform golden exterior. A domed top with peeks of berries inside is a sign of a good treat.
- Texture: A good muffin—made from a mix or from scratch—should be plush inside. The outside can have a thin crust, but overall these treats should be tender.
- Flavor: Blueberry muffins should, of course, be blueberry-forward. Artificial flavors and artificial berries (yes, they exist in many packaged mixes) won’t win brands any points. In addition to good berry taste, muffins should be just slightly sweet.
Check out which blueberry muffin mix you need to snag during your next grocery run.
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Mix with the Most Berries
Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix
Throughout this taste test, our Test Kitchen found that many mixes were lacking in blueberries. Our team was always asking for more—until they bit into their samples made with Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix.
This mix is unlike many we tried because, in addition to the dry mix, the box also contains a can of wild blueberries to stir into the batter. “This means there are lots of blueberries throughout these muffins,” explains Ellie Crowley in the Test Kitchen.
Besides the major fruit presence, these bites also bake up lovely. “They have a nice dome on top with a tender, moist texture,” explains the Test Kitchen’s Shannon Norris. Other testers describe these muffins as being so tender that they’re almost cake-like. How good does that sound? Just don’t forget to top these with a bit of butter.
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Best Bakery-Style Muffin Mix
Duncan Hines Simple Mornings Blueberry Streusel Muffin Mix
Most packaged muffin mixes make bakes that are unadorned. While a basic muffin is delicious, our pros admitted that they have soft spots for streusel-covered treats like the muffins made with Duncan Hines Simple Mornings Muffin Mix.
According to Ellie, “This one looks like a muffin you’d get from a bakery, so this is impressive that it’s a box mix you can do at home!”
This appearance is all thanks to the streusel sprinkled on top of these treats. This sugary crumble topping adds a touch of sweetness and crunch—both very welcome with blueberry muffins.
Once you get past the streusel, though, you’re going to get a really wonderful treat. Muffins made with this Duncan Hines mix have a nice, domed top and lovely light texture. The blueberries in this mix are bright and tart, though our team would like a few more. If that sounds like you, raid your freezer and toss a handful of frozen berries into the batter before portioning out into the pan.
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Best Texture
Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix
For muffin folks that love their treats to have a bit of crunch on top, make sure to add Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix to your grocery cart.
But before we talk about Test Kitchen-Preferred texture, let’s get into how stunning these muffins are. “This batch puffed up nicely and has a rustic, crackled top,” says Josh Rink in the Test Kitchen. This is the sort of appearance that makes you want to dig into a basket of these treats.
Once you do bite into these, you’ll find that they have a slightly crisp exterior. “There’s a nice crunch to the outside,” says Ellie, “but they’re super soft on the inside.” This duality of bite and tenderness makes these Krusteaz muffins so satisfying to eat.
Of course, these muffins also taste delicious. The berries in this muffin mix are wonderfully tangy and balance well with the slightly sweet muffin crumb.
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Most Versatile Muffin Mix
King Arthur Baking Company Country Blueberry Muffin and Quick Bread Mix
Unlike cake mixes which can be transformed into layer cakes, cupcakes, cake pops and even cake mix bars, muffin mixes deliver just one type of bake—unless you opt for King Arthur Blueberry Muffin and Quick Bread Mix.
This baking mix gives you options. This package can be used to make a dozen muffins, a loaf of quick bread or even a Bundt cake. Our Test Kitchen loves this versatility. After all, you may crave muffins when you pick up a box of mix, but then later think that a blueberry Bundt is the better bake for your book club meeting.
For the purposes of our test, Taste of Home‘s pros judged this mix in muffin form only, and they were so pleased with the results. These muffins bake up a wonderful dark blonde color with a moist, tender crumb. The fruit flavor is also more in depth than other mixes.
“There are two types of blueberry flavor here,” explains Shannon. “It adds to the complexity and makes these muffins sweet and tart.” This is thanks to King Arthur’s blend of real blueberries and blueberry granulate (that’s a baking tidbit made with blueberries, blueberry juice and apple puree).
One note from our pros: Bake these muffins for the minimum recommended time. A minute over, and you’ll find the muffins can become overbaked and overbrowned.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing food, kitchen gadgets and cleaning gear looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test Kitchen-Preferred.
If you want to fill your pantry and fridge with the best products, check out these tests:
Originally Published: April 10, 2023
