This Blueberry Muffin Bread is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe baked into a loaf pan with a streusel crumb topping. Loaded with blueberries and a crumble topping, you will want to devour every slice of this blueberry bread!
Ah, the summer is ending, kids are back to school, and yet here we are talking about blueberries. My parents just went for their last round of blueberry picking last week in Michigan. I miss those opportunities about living up there! Down here in Mississippi, the berries season is a bit too hot for picking in my humble opinion. 😉 We had our chance to pick strawberries during our 4th of July Michigan visit, though!
Many are now getting excited about the apple picking and pumpkin season. All things Fall! We were excited to find a fun farm with your usual fall activities (pumpkin patch, corn maze, rug slide, corn cannon, wagon ride, etc.) about an hour from here a couple years ago, and I think we'll go again this year!
We really enjoy the fall season, however, I do not want to rush into it -- especially down here where the temperatures are still in the 90's! So I'm not hitting up those pumpkin recipes quite yet! Although I wonder, did Starbucks release their infamous Pumpkin Latte yet?
Ingredients for Blueberry Muffin Bread
Let's talk about this Blueberry Muffin Bread. It is very easy to make, and every easier to devour! To make this bread you need the following simple ingredients:
- unsalted butter
- milk
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- blueberries (of course!)
How to Make Blueberry Muffin Bread
If you've been with me for quite some time, you know well my Favorite Blueberry Muffin recipe. In that recipe, we brown the butter on the stove top. I ditched that extra step for this muffin bread, just because these days I need the least amount of work as possible! By all means, you can still brown your butter if you want that extra nutty flavor. It really is fantastic. But, the recipe is written for my convenient method of skipping that step and just melting the butter in the microwave.
To make this Blueberry Muffin Bread, you simply complete the following steps:
- Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
- Stir together the dry and wet ingredients, then fold in the blueberries.
- Spread batter in loaf pan and sprinkle with streusel topping.
- Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour.
Helpful Tips for Making Blueberry Muffin Bread
Dust blueberries with flour: I sometimes dust my blueberries with a little bit of flour before adding them to the batter. Somewhere in my years of baking, I learned this helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter. So when I remember, I do it. Sometimes I'm in such a hurry to get this delicious loaf baked that I forget -- still turns out fine.
Use ONE whisk: This might seem like a silly tip, but when I make this Blueberry Muffin Bread recipe, I first combine the dry ingredients in a bowl so that I can use the same whisk to combine my wet ingredients after. If I combine the wet ingredients, first, then the whisk is wet and not useful for my dry ingredients. Why would I want to dirty one more whisk that I have to clean? Ah, here I am again searching for convenience. 🙂 I know you dig it!
Buttermilk vs. Regular Milk: In this recipe, you can use buttermilk and regular milk interchangeably. I've also used skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk and whole milk. It all works fine. The flavor will slightly change, but not enough to swear by one or the other. If I have buttermilk on hand, I will default to using it because I believe it gives a slight (very slight) edge over the other. But, it's not enough of a difference to warrant me spending money on it if I don't have it on hand.
Can I use frozen blueberries? Yes! You can definitely use frozen berries but make sure they are thawed, drained AND dried before adding them to your batter. You do not want the frozen/too cold temperature of the berries, or the extra liquid, to mess with the doneness of the middle of your loaf.
Freezer Friendly Blueberry Muffin Bread
We sometimes store our muffins or slices of muffin bread in the freezer. To freeze this bread, let the bread cool to room temperature then cut into thick slices. Place in single layer on baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Transfer slices to freezer bag and store in freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, let single slice set out at room temperature or heat in microwave for about 10 seconds. (Varies per microwave.)
Otherwise, store this bread on the countertop tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Try not to slice it until you're ready to eat it, and then only slice what you plan to eat. This will help keep the bread moist and cause less spillage of your delicious crumb topping.
Try these other yummy blueberry recipes before you dive into the pumpkin season:
Strawberry Blueberry Banana Oat Muffins
Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Bubble Up Bake
Crispy Cereal Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Blueberry and Pineapple Yogurt Pops
Sugar-Free Blueberry Cupcakes
Blueberry Crumb Bars
My Favorite Blueberry Muffins
Recipe Card
Bluberry Muffin Bread with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
For the loaf batter:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , plus 1 heaping tablespoon for blueberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted
- ⅓ cup buttermilk or milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen -- thawed, drained and dried)
For the streusel topping:
- 3 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter , diced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. (I prefer Baker's Joy.)
For the loaf batter:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk milk, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Slowly stir in the melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients all at once into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- In a small bowl, gently toss the heaping tablespoon of flour with the blueberries until evenly covered. Carefully fold the blueberries into the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
For the streusel topping:
- In a small bowl, combine all three streusel ingredients together. Rub together with your fingers until evenly crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over top of batter.
Bake:
- Bake the loaf for 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is slightly golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer loaf to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Storage:
- Store on countertop at room temperature tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, allow to cool completely then cut into thick individual slices. Line slices in single layer on baking pan and freeze for 20 minutes. Transfer slices to freezer bag and keep in freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, allow individual slices to come to room temperature on countertop or microwave for 10 seconds.
Erin says
Absolutely delicious! Have tried many muffin type recipes and the texture is never right, this was spot on! I tweaked the streusel a tiny bit by adding sliced almonds and some oats. This is THE muffin recipe I will use from now on without hesitation! I did bake in a loaf pan, but in a muffin pan would be great as well!
Thank you for this gem!
Sadie says
Excellent! Very moist and tender. Melts in your mouth. I subbed 1 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries for the blueberries and added orange zest, cardamom, nutmeg and almond extract so can't comment on the flavor as written. I also added 2 tbsp of vegetable oil for added moisture. There wasn't enough batter to make a tall loaf in a 9 x 5 inch pan. It was perfect for an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan.
Nikki Gladd says
I love your additions, Sadie !Thanks!
Dianne T Roberts says
Do you have to make it in a loaf pan? Could it be just as good as squares?
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Dianne,
I think it would be great in a 9x9 rectangle pan, but probably too thin if made in a 9x13. I haven't tested either size so can't tell you for sure though. Let us know how they turn out!