Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins were enjoyed for decades by patrons of the famed Boston-based department store. My muffins, healthier and ready in 30 minutes, mimics the classic with a pillowy muffin texture, ripples of purple blueberry pulp, and features my own mouth-watering streusel.
These famous Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins are soft as a cloud, dotted with fresh blueberries and marbled with blueberry pulp. I topped mine with a sweet streusel crumb, a departure from the classic muffin sold by the New England department store.
Another twist in my recipe is that, like my cranberry orange muffins, and my chocolate chip muffins, my pumpkin muffins and even my baked apple cider donuts, these blueberry muffins are egg free and dairy free. I use apple sauce instead of eggs, an effective replacement because apple sauce is high in pectin and has the same impact on muffin dough as eggs hence the fluffy texture. This means my rendition of the classic Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin can be enjoyed by everyone.
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Why You’ll Love Them
Soft & bursting with blueberries. This blueberry muffin is soft and fluffy, rippled with blueberry juice, and dotted with whole blueberries thanks to two special tricks used by Jordan Marsh's original muffin baker.
Made easily in one bowl. You'll need a small bowl to squash blueberries into a pulp and another small bowl to mix up the streusel, but the batter is all mixed in one bowl. My recipe is small batch, making 6 fat muffins, but can easily be doubled.
Dairy-free, gluten-free. Everyone can enjoy these muffins. The classic uses eggs, and this recipe uses apple sauce instead. Apple sauce is high in pectin which reacts with the acid in blueberries to raise and pull together the muffin just as an egg does. Vegan butter is easy to find and use gluten free baking flour for our gluten free friends.
What Are Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins?
Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins are the stuff of legends. My father worked in the financial district of downtown Boston and frequently brought home these fat, delicious blueberry muffins made famous by the store's baker, John Pupek.
The chain, founded in the mid 1800s, filed for bankruptcy in the mid-1990s but the memory of these muffins lives on for many of us New Englanders. Making them at home is not hard though, so come along and I'll walk you through my version of the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe.
Ingredients
Flour - This recipe works well with both all purpose flour and 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour.
Sugar - I used organic cane sugar but any cane sugar works. The reason I use organic cane sugar is that it tastes better (try it and see!), and its non-gmo and fair trade so workers who process this sugar are not exploited.
Butter - I used a vegan butter called Earth balance to make it dairy free, but regular works exactly the same in both the muffin and the streusel.
Apple sauce - Use unsweetened, and choose a brand that has only apples in the ingredients. You don't want added sugar, additives or other strange ingredients. This replaces the egg in the classic recipe.
Blueberries - You should use fresh berries in this recipe as frozen will create too much moisture.
Leaveners & flavors - Vanilla, baking powder, salt and milk.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Apple sauce. You can use the same amount of aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Pour out the liquid and allow it to come to room temperature. A regular egg also works if your muffins don't have to be egg free.
Flour. You can use gluten free baking flour, Bob Red Mill's 1 to 1 baking flour works well.
Vanilla. I'm told the original Jordan Marsh muffin recipe used anise extract instead of vanilla. I personally have also had good outcomes using almond extract instead of vanilla in recipes. It's all about which flavor you prefer.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are the general steps to make this recipe. Find the detailed measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
step 1: The butter for the streusel should be chilled, but all other ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat the oven at 400 F. This high temperature is temporary. Rub the top of the muffin pan with butter or baking spray; line pan with paper muffin liners. Toss some blueberries in flour, and crush a portion with a fork.
step 2: Make the streusel first and freeze it while you make the muffin batter.
step 3: Cream the sugar and butter, add liquids, add dry ingredients through a fine mesh strainer and stir up muffin batter until just combined.
step 4: Add the crushed blueberries into batter and swirl in gently, but don't mix thoroughly.
step 5: Toss the remaining fresh blueberries in flour and fold the berries into the batter.
step 6: Fill the cupcake wells just under to top edge, pack on the topping and put them in that hot oven.
step 7: Lower the oven to 350 F and bake for 20-25 minutes. The streusel will have dry and wet patches, and the edges of the muffin will have a brownish toasted tinge.
Recipe Tips
1. Be sure all ingredients except the butter for the streusel are at room temperature to start.
2. Don't miss the step to coat fresh blueberries in flour before putting them into the batter. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin.
4. Make your streusel first and put it in the freezer while you make muffin batter. If you want to set aside streusel for longer than half an hour, don't freeze, just refrigerate.
5. For streusel, be sure your butter is chilled, not softened, certainly not melted.
6. Be sure to measure your flour carefully. If you don't have a scale, then carefully fluff the flour in the bag with a fork, then spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Mis-measuring flour is the number one reason for baking fails.
7. Fill your muffins to the top and then add your streusel. To be sure your muffin tops don't stick to the pan, be sure to grease the top of the pan.
8. Don't mix the batter too long or gluten will be released and the texture will be rubbery.
9. Move fast once you are done stirring the batter - the window to allow the batter to react and rise is small.
Tips from the classic Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe:
- Add blueberry pulp to the batter to add moisture,
- Toss whole blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter in order to help the blueberries disperse evenly.
Storage
Room temperature & refrigerated. Store the muffins in a sealed container for 24 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The tops will begin to moisten so put them in preheated oven for 5 minutes before serving.
Freeze. The batter cannot be made ahead and frozen, but the baked muffins freeze well. Wrap them individually in cling wrap, and put in a sealed container. They will last at least 2 months. To thaw, unwrap them and allow them to thaw at room temperature. If the top crumb seems wet, put it in a preheated oven for 5 minutes.
FAQS
In general, Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins range between 250 and 350 calories. Adding a crumble top can move it toward the higher end.
Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins recipe requires fresh blueberries because frozen berries will increase the fluid level in an unmeasurable manner and thus make the muffins soggy.
Over mixing is the primary reason muffins become tough. That's because the agitation warms the batter and causes gluten to be released which makes the texture rubbery.
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📖 Recipe
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- mixing bowls, large and small
- fine mesh strainer or sifter
- muffin pan, muffin pan liners
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Muffin
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter softened or room temperature
- ½ cups organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoon apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup fresh blueberries whole berries, plus extra for topping
- ¼ cup fresh blueberries crushed with fork
Streusel
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 3 tablespoon butter chilled but not rock hard
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 400 F. You will lower it when you put muffins in.
- The butter for the streusel should be chilled, but all other ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Grease the top surface of the 6-well cupcake pan (so muffin tops don't stick). Then line the cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Crush the ¼ cup of fresh blueberries with a fork and set aside.
- Toss the ½ cup of fresh blueberries in flour and set aside.
Make Streusel Top
- Make the streusel top first and freeze while you make muffins
- To do this, use a fork to mix the flour, sugar and butter together into a crumbly mixture. Don't thoroughly cream it up. Instead, let chunks of flour and butter be visible.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup organic cane sugar, 3 tablespoon butter
- Put bowl in the freezer (or refrigerator for more than half hour) while you mix up muffins.
Make Muffins
- In one large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined.¼ cup butter, ½ cups organic cane sugar
- Add the 3 tablespoon of apple sauce, mixing it into the batter while adding.3 tablespoon apple sauce
- Add vanilla.
- Sift in flour, salt, baking powder. Add the milk and vanilla.1 cup all purpose flour, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix this mixture until creamed together.
- Add crushed blueberries into batter and fold in but don't mix in thoroughly.¼ cup fresh blueberries
- Fold floured blueberries into batter as well.½ cup fresh blueberries
- Fill each cupcake well with batter nearly to the top. Add two whole blueberries on the top of each muffin.
- Sprinkle and lightly pack on the streusel topping.
- Put muffins in the oven and lower heat to 350 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- The muffins will be done when a tester comes out clean, and the streusel has both dry and wet patches, and the edges of the muffin will be a brownish tinge.
Storage
- Room temperature & refrigerated. Store the muffins in a sealed container for 24 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The tops will begin to moisten so to serve put them in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Freeze. The batter cannot be made ahead and frozen, but the baked muffins freeze well. Wrap them individually in cling wrap, and put in a sealed container. They will last at least 2 months. To thaw, unwrap them and allow them to thaw at room temperature. If the top crumb seems wet, put it in a preheated oven for 5 minutes.
ricki
Hi! Wonderful recipe! I was wondering if the nutrition is based on the serving size of 6 muffins ?
Dee Dine
Yes, per one muffin!