Blueberry Chai Muffins

I don’t know what it is about blueberry muffins in particular, but I’ve never met a person who doesn’t love them. If I’m not grabbing a pain au chocolat at a bakery, I’m going for a fruit tart, something lemon, or a blueberry muffin. They’re just cozy and soft and tender and I am rarely disappointed (though those times when you get one and the blueberries are oddly chewy – no thank you, keep your weird blueberry raisins to yourself).

I was drinking a chai latte the other day while simultaneously noticing how popular chai flavorings are in January (for the first time but honestly I should be slightly embarrassed to admit that – though I’m not – since OBVIOUSLY because chai is one of the coziest of spice blends), and I thought… oh my gosh, a chai-spiced blueberry muffin sounds divine.

So here we are!

One thing I loved about these muffins, besides their flavor, the blueberries, and simply the fact that they are blueberry muffins, is how lovely of a dome top they give. These puff up beautifully (and stay puffed even once cooled), like a proper bakery muffin. Plus, you’ll see an optional recipe for blueberry compote below which will make your blueberry world go round – and if you’ve never made compote you’ll realize how easy it is and so incredibly delicious!

Here’s to impeccably flavored, chai and blueberry deliciousness right in your own kitchen!

WHAT ARE BLUEBERRY CHAI MUFFINS?

If you know and love chai flavors, these are the bites for you. Spiced to cozy perfection, each muffin is packed with chai spices – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper – with sweet blueberries folded in. It’s like a flavor bomb in every bite (which are the only bites I want). See the tips below for how to pack in even more chai flavor!

For an additional blueberry punch, make the blueberry compote and spoon it over these muffins as you eat them. Whenever compote is suggested, compote is had (in my opinion).

INGREDIENTS

• Flour – A key baking ingredient and when mixed with liquid, gluten is created which helps to aid in the texture and chew of your muffin
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Your leavening agents in this bake, that primarily affect the rise of your muffins
• Salt – Don’t underestimate the power of salt! It’s a bigtime flavor amplifier so don’t skip
• Chai Spices – We’re talking cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and ground black pepper!
• Granulated Sugar – Muffins are lightly sweetened and the tiny granules of white sugar  do just the trick
• Unsalted Butter – In baking, more often than not I prefer using unsalted butter simply to control the level of salt in my final product 
• Eggs – Do you want your muffins to be held together and have a rich texture? Me too! Want to start an egg fan club?
• Vanilla Extract –  A subtle flavoring to enrich all the other flavorsome goodness within
• Whole Milk – You can use 2% instead but the added fat in whole milk creates an even richer texture to these beauties, and it’s my go-to for baking
• Blueberries – I mean obviously… Frozen or fresh, you do you! These make for the perfect muffin fruit as well as easily turn into a delicious compote, should you choose to make it
• Coarse Sugar – An optional topping to really seal the deal on that bakery-muffin-vibe. Once you’ve filled your muffin pan, sprinkle a little over the tops ahead of baking
• Fresh Orange Juice – Grab an orange and get to squeezing (yes, fresh orange juice not the overly sugary juice in the grocery store aisle). This brings your compote together to cook down those blueberries and give you all that extra yummy sauce – drooolllllll

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY CHAI MUFFINS

Heat your oven to 375F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (or grease them if you prefer). To make your own liners using parchment paper, check out this helpful video!

If you want that extra chai flavor, make your chai-infused milk now by bringing your one cup of milk to a simmer in a small pot. Then add in one tablespoon of loose-leaf chai tea (or one tea bag) and steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the tea and allow the milk to cool to room temperature. Reminder, this is an extra step so feel free to skip and just let the spices do the talking if you prefer!

For the dry ingredients, sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg) together in a large bowl and set aside.

Then whisk together your melted butter and sugar in a separate bowl before cracking in your eggs, mixing well, and then whisking in your vanilla extract and milk, until combined. Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with your wet ingredients and use a spatula to stir together until just combined. Your batter will be a little lumpy, so don’t worry, just be careful not to overmix, which can result in dense muffins.

If you’re using frozen blueberries, toss them with a tablespoon of flour to help prevent them from sinking before folding them into your batter with a spatula. 

Using a spoon, fill each muffin tin almost to the top – this is what will help get those bakery-style domed tops – and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the compote, place a small pot over medium-high heat and stir together your blueberries, sugar, and orange juice. Bring this to a gentle boil while you stir occasionally. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and thicken for 12-15 minutes. Blueberries tend to be a little juicer than other fruits, so they can take a little longer to thicken in the pot than say cranberries. 

Remember that the compote will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry about it being super thick in the pot. You want it to have a slight run to it after it cools and sets (this is not jam!). Remove your blueberry compote from the heat and pour it into a bowl or jar to cool. If making ahead, cool to room temperature, cover, and place in the fridge. Spoon over your muffins and enjoy!

3 reasons you’ll love these muffins

MAKING AHEAD & STORING

Place your muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for four days or in the freezer for up to three months. Your blueberry compote should be covered and will last in the fridge for up to two weeks.

MORE FRUITY RECIPES

Looking for some more tiny, fruity bites? Try these Mini Fruit Tarts with a buttery crust, filled with raspberry sauce, pastry cream, and topped with fresh fruit. Want something just for you? Try this Single-Serve Cranberry Pie with layers of graham cracker crust, cranberries, and fresh whipped cream.

Blueberry Chai Muffins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 36 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 15 muffins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

These blueberry muffins are cozily packed with all the chai spices and bake domed to perfection, like your favorite bakery muffins. Top with an optional blueberry compote for an even more blueberry-packed, flavor bite in what is soon to be your new go-to muffin recipe. Yields: 15 muffins

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Spatulas
• Whisk
• Fine Mesh Sieve
• 12-cup Muffin Pan
• Muffin Liners or Parchment Paper
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Pot
• Spoon
• Ingredients

Ingredients

MUFFINS

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar optional for topping

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE (optional)

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice approx. half a medium orange

Instructions

MUFFINS

• Preheat oven to 375F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners
• If you want an extra chai flavor, make your chai-infused milk now (otherwise skip this step). Bring your one cup of milk to a simmer in a small pot and add one tablespoon of loose-leaf chai tea (or one tea bag). Steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the tea and allow the milk to cool to room temperature
• In a large bowl, sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda salt, and all of the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg). Set aside
• In a separate bowl, whisk together your melted butter and sugar. Add in your eggs, whisking well, and then your vanilla extract and milk, until combined
• Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with your wet ingredients and use a spatula to stir together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can result in dense muffins. The batter will be a little lumpy
• If using frozen blueberries, toss them with a tablespoon of flour to help prevent them from sinking. Add your blueberries to your batter and fold in with your spatula
• Fill each muffin cup almost to the top, which will help you get those bakery-style domed tops, and sprinkle with coarse sugar
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
• Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

COMPOTE

• Place blueberries, sugar, and juice in a small pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and bring to a gentle boil
• Reduce heat to a simmer and thicken for about 12-15 minutes, stirring often. The compote will thicken as it cools so don’t over-thicken in the pan, you want it to have a run to it after it cools and sets (this is not jam!)
• Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl or jar to cool. If making ahead, cool to room temperature, cover, and place in the fridge

Notes

*If you have a chai spice blend already made, omit the listed spices and simply use two teaspoons of your blend instead! You can also add an additional teaspoon for even more spice action.

*If you want a deeper chai flavor, infuse your milk with chai tea. See notes in this post above for instructions!

*Fill each muffin tin almost to the top! This is how you will get those beautiful domes to appear.

*Don’t overcook your blueberry compote in the pot, remember that it will thicken as it cools so 12-15 minutes of cooking time is sufficient for it to thicken before transferring it to a bowl or jar.