As summer rolls on, berries start popping up everywhere. And when blueberries are at their peak, it’s hard to beat a good blueberry muffin. I often keep my blueberry muffins pretty simple, but what if there were an easy way to make the breakfast treat even better? Enter Jessie Sheehan (@jessiesheehanbakes), cookbook author, podcast host and the queen of easy peasy (but still a little fancy) baking.
In an Instagram video, Sheehan shared a genius way to turn a basic blueberry muffin into something next-level, and the real magic happens after the muffins come out of the oven. Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Make Donut Muffins
While most of us let our muffins cool and call it a day, Sheehan takes one extra step that changes everything. She starts by brushing each muffin, top and sides, with melted butter. I already love butter on a warm muffin, so this was great to see, but she pushed it even further by rolling the buttery treats generously in granulated sugar.
This genius move gives each muffin a sparkly, sweet crust that crackles slightly when you bite into it. The texture is soft and tender inside, but with that classic sugared donut crunch on the outside. It’s unexpected, fun and incredibly satisfying. It turns a simple muffin into a donut muffin, and who wouldn’t want that?!?
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How to Make This Recipe Even Easier
Sheehan makes her blueberry muffins from scratch, but if you need a shortcut, this technique also works with muffins made using a boxed mix. Just grab a box of muffin mix, some fresh blueberries (my trick for adding a hit of extra freshness), melted butter and sugar to have muffins that look and taste like they came from a charming little café, all without the mess or stress.
And once you get the hang of it, feel free to start experimenting. Raspberries or blackberries would be a delicious sub for blueberries (or use a mix of berries). And the sugar can get a glow-up too. Stir in a bit of cinnamon or cardamom for a little bit of spice. You can also head in a classic donut shop direction and toss the warm muffins (no need to brush with butter) in powdered sugar.
Jessie’s method proves that the smallest touches can completely elevate a simple breakfast item into something that feels special. Whether you go the scratch-made route or start with a boxed shortcut, this recipe is a keeper.
So the next time you’ve got a muffin craving, don’t just follow the directions on the box. Grab a bowl of melted butter and roll those warm muffins in sugar. You’ll never go back to basic muffins again!
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