Mixed Berry Muffins (Triple Berry Fruit Muffins)

Quick Summary: These mixed berry muffins are quick, one-bowl fruit muffins made with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries and topped with almonds. Baked bite-sized in a 12-cup tin, they mix in 10 minutes and bake in under 25 minutes. Fresh or frozen berries both work, so you can make these mixed fruit muffins year-round.

What are mixed berry muffins?

Mixed berry muffins are soft, cakey muffins made with a blend of berries rather than a single kind. This recipe uses a classic trio, so they are also called triple berry muffins: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries baked into a light, one-bowl batter.

Because the berries are mixed, you get a little of each flavor in every bite: sweet blueberry, tart raspberry, and deep blackberry. Bake them bite-size and finish with brown sugar and toasted almonds for a bit of crunch on top.

Why you'll love this recipe

1. Fluffy and tender. These muffins turn out light, not dense and greasy.
2. One bowl and quick. This easy recipe takes 10 minutes to mix and under 25 minutes to bake.
3. Bite-size and neat. They never overflow and look pretty on a plate.
4. A sweet snack for everyone. Kids and adults love them, and they are great for picnics, breakfast, or lunch boxes.
5. Year-round with frozen berries. Basic ingredients and frozen red berries make these fruit muffins a favorite in any season and a source of vitamin C.
6. Lower in sugar. Thanks to the low sugar content, these count as low-carb mixed berry muffins.
7. Easy to customize. Add mix-ins to the batter to make them your own.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Sugar: the recipe calls for granulated or caster sugar. You can swap white sugar for cane sugar, golden brown sugar, or light brown muscovado sugar, but the muffin texture will change slightly.

• Hazelnut flour: any hazelnut flour or meal works for this recipe. You can make ground hazelnuts yourself by processing nuts in a food processor. Use almond flour instead if you wish.

• Baking powder: aluminum-free baking powder (not baking soda) is preferable. Baking powder loses its effectiveness after about six months, so use it fresh.

• Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk, but feel free to use semi-skimmed milk, unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk for a dairy-free option.

• Grapeseed oil: used for its neutral flavor as a muffin oil. To replace, use vegetable oil or canola oil. If you want, add flavor by using roasted hazelnut oil instead.

• Vanilla extract: use Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, as it has the fullest flavor among vanilla extracts. Use alcohol-free vanilla flavor if you prefer.

• Red fruits: use different types of juicy berries: raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. You can replace blackberries with hulled and diced fresh strawberries or red currants if desired. Fresh fruit is the best, but you can make muffins all year round with frozen berries, too: no need to thaw first.

• Almonds: use toasted slivered almonds chopped into medium-sized or smaller pieces. To toast raw almonds, bake them at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes. Feel free to replace almonds with hazelnuts or other nuts of your choice.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.

• Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature.

Equipment

You need only a few basic tools to make these mixed berry muffins:

• 12-cup muffin pan
• Cupcake liners
• Hand whisk
• Mixing bowls
• Rubber spatula
• Medium cookie scoop
• Cooling rack

How to make mixed berry muffins

Step 1. Heat oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners or regular muffin liners.

Step 2. To make the muffin batter, use a hand whisk to beat the milk, grapeseed oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl, then set aside.

Step 3. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, hazelnut flour, and sugar (photo 1).

Step 4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined (photo 2).

Step 5. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop batter into the prepared muffin cups (one scoop per one cup).

Step 6. Add two blueberries, one raspberry, and one blackberry on top of each muffin, pressing a bit.

Step 7. Sprinkle muffin tops with brown sugar and chopped toasted slivered almonds (photo 3).

Step 8. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes (photo 4).

Check the doneness of the muffins: a cake tester or a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin has to come out clean.

Step 9. Let cool slightly and remove from the muffin pan. Once the muffins are completely cooled down on a cooling rack, remove the baking liners. 

Expert tips

1. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you start. For more information, read why room-temperature ingredients make a difference.
2. Replace hazelnut flour with almond flour and almonds with hazelnuts if you prefer.
3. Use frozen fruits instead of fresh berries: no need to thaw first.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, but not the other way around: this is the basic muffin method.
5. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, blend quickly for best results. 30 seconds is enough to avoid developing gluten in the batter. Otherwise, you will end up with tough muffins.

Recipe variations

Make these mixed berry muffins your own with a few easy swaps. Add dry spices (like cinnamon or nutmeg) with the dry ingredients, stir liquid extracts into the wet ingredients, and fold gentle mix-ins in last. For more pairings, see this Flavor Guide to Pairing Fruits in Drinks.

• Lemon blueberry muffins. Use a zester grater to zest half a lemon, then fold in ½ to 1 cup of wild blueberries.
• Raspberry pistachio muffins. Swap the hazelnut flour for ground pistachios, and top each muffin with a few raspberries.
• Blackberry almond muffins. Replace the hazelnut flour with almond flour and add ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the wet mixture.
• Streusel top. Add a streusel topping before baking for extra crunch and a bakery-style finish.

Storing & freezing

Keep leftover muffins (still in parchment paper liners) in an airtight container for up to three days.

The main rule is: the more oil is in the recipe, the longer the muffins' shelf life. Fat-free muffins are best eaten right from the oven, or at least the same day they're baked.

You can also freeze fruit muffins. Let them cool completely, then wrap each in plastic film or aluminum foil, or place them in a Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to one month.

Once you are ready to enjoy muffins, thaw them at room temperature. Then reheat in a microwave or the oven at 355°F (180°C) for 3 to 5 minutes.

Recipe FAQ

What is the difference between muffins and cupcakes?
Muffins are made by mixing wet and dry ingredients, while cupcakes use different mixing methods, such as creaming, Genoise sponge cake, or chiffon. Muffins have lower fat and sugar content than cupcakes. Also, muffins tend to overflow their liners while baking, creating a peaked, bell-shaped top. Cupcakes are usually baked so that their tops are almost equal to the body of the cupcake. Muffins can be topped with a buttery streusel (a crumb topping). Cupcakes are often iced or frosted and decorated with other toppings.

Can you use frozen berries to make muffins?
Yes, you can use a frozen mixed berry blend (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) for this recipe. Do not thaw them: add them to the batter or on top of each muffin when they are still frozen.

How do you make mini mixed berry muffins?
Use a mini muffin pan and one small scoop of batter per cavity. Reduce the bake time to about 12 to 15 minutes, and check for doneness a few minutes early since mini muffins bake fast.

How to make regular-sized fruit muffins
To make a dozen regular-sized muffins, increase all ingredient amounts by half. Then, place one scoop of batter into each baking cup, press a few berries, cover half the batter, and top with more berries. Bake as directed; check muffins for doneness.

Can you use other fruit in these muffins?
Yes. These work as mixed fruit muffins with chopped strawberries, cherries, or diced apple in place of some berries. Keep the total fruit about the same so the batter is not overloaded.

Can you add a streusel topping?
Yes. Swap the brown sugar and almond finish for a simple streusel of flour, butter, and sugar, and sprinkle it on before baking for a bakery-style crumb top.

Can you make this recipe in advance?
These muffins are best tasted when fresh. So, plan to make them closer to the time you plan to serve them. If you want to save time on the day of serving, I recommend making them in advance and freezing them.

How many calories are in a mixed berry muffin?
Each bite-sized mixed berry muffin has about 138 calories, though this varies with size and mix-ins.

Love small cakes? Try these next!

• Blueberry Muffins
• Raspberry Friands
• Triple Berry Cake
• French Madeleines

Browse all of my recipes for more baking ideas.

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on June 12, 2020. It has been revised to include improved content.