Mixed berry breakfast muffins

Pick your own berries and turn them into these dairy-free muffins.

For those times when you need a quick and easy breakfast, these sweet and fruity muffins tick every box. There’s a misconception that muffins are super calorific but I’m here to tell you that it all depends on what you put in them.

Here, I’ve throttled back on the added sugar and used a glut of hand-picked blackberries, raspberries, tayberries and redcurrants to infuse some natural sweetness and tartness into each bite.

The natural yoghurt is my secret ingredient for the batter and helps to keep the muffins wonderfully moist while also upping the protein count for the gym goers among us. Pop one in your lunchbox for a healthy post-workout snack.

How To Make Mixed Berry Breakfast Muffins

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Mixed berry breakfast muffins
• What’s the secret to fluffy and perfectly risen muffins
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Can’t get fresh berries? Use frozen mixed berries straight from the freezer. Thawed berries get mushy and bleed purple streaks into the batter.
• Toss the berries with flour: You don’t need a lot, but a light dusting will reduce the bleeding and stop the berries from falling to the bottom of the batter as they bake.

How Long Do Mixed Berry Muffins Keep For?

You can store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Any leftovers can then be wrapped individually in clingfilm and frozen for up to 3 months.

Mixed berry breakfast muffins

Serves: 12 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins 25 mins

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Ingredients

100g butter
2 large free-range eggs
300ml natural yoghurt (0% fat)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
50g ground almonds
1 lemon, zested
100g golden caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
200g mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, tayberries and redcurrants)

To serve
Icing sugar, for dusting  

Instructions

Step 1
Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners/cases and preheat the oven to 160C.

Step 2
Melt the butter in a saucepan and leave to cool slightly. Crack the eggs into a bowl and pour in the yoghurt and vanilla extract. Lightly whisk until combined and set aside.

Step 3
In a separate bowl, mix together the plain flour, ground almonds, lemon zest, golden caster sugar, baking powder and a large pinch of salt. Fold in the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix.

Step 4
Lightly sprinkle the mixed berries with flour before stirring them into the batter mix. Fill each muffin case two-thirds of the way full with the mixture, making sure each one has an even spread of mixed berries.

Step 5
Bake the muffins in the oven for 25-27 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step 6
Cool the mixed berry breakfast muffins in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.  

What’s The Secret To Fluffy And Perfectly Risen Muffins?

1. Use room temperature ingredients
To get the best rise and texture, use room temperature eggs, milk and butter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize up, leading to uneven mixing and a denser texture.

2. Don’t overmix the batter
Overmixing risks making the muffins rubbery and dense because it activates the gluten in the flour too much. Keep the wet and dry ingredients in a separate bowl and carefully bring them together until just combined.

The batter will likely still be lumpy, not smooth, so don’t worry if there are a few streaks of flour or lumps of batter visible.

3. Don’t overfill the muffin cases
Aim to fill each case about two thirds of the way full. Overfilling can cause them to rise unevenly, leading to a muffin top that’s too big or uneven.

4. Don’t open the oven door too soon
Resist the urge to check on your muffins too early! Like with Yorkshire puddings, opening the oven door before they have fully risen can cause them to collapse.

The muffins are done when a cake tester or skewer, inserted into the centre, comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs still attached. They should be lightly golden on top and have a springy texture when gently pressed.

5. Cool properly
Once baked, allow your muffins to cool in the muffin tin for around 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps to set the insides and ensures the bottoms don’t get soggy from the steam.

Frequently Asked Questions

I Have A Nut allergy. Can I Substitute The Ground Almonds?

Ground almonds are often used in cakes and other bakes to add moisture and sweetness. If you’re looking for a nut-free option, oat flour is a good alternative. It’s not as rich as ground almonds, but it has a similar texture and a slightly sweet taste. You can make your own by blitzing rolled oats in a food processor.