These Cardamom-Spiced Blueberry Jam Muffins are out of this world good. If you've never swirled jam into muffin batter, what are you waiting for? You must do it. It's about the easiest way to add fruity flavor all year long, especially in the dead of winter when it seems like there's no such thing as fresh, in-season fruit.
This recipe was born out of my desire to create a cardamom-scented muffin. It is such an intriguing, unique spice and I had a jar sitting in my pantry begging to be used. Did you know cardamom is the world's 3rd most expensive spice? Vanilla and saffron come in 1st and 2nd. Interesting little food nerd fact.
Anyway, blueberries were an obvious choice; Cardamom somehow makes blueberries taste more like blueberries while also adding an exotic, citrusy note. But a little goes a long way, so don't be heavy-handed. I found ⅛ teaspoon to be just right in the muffin batter and echoed in the jam and glaze. I wasn't sure how my kids would feel about the spice, but judging by the way they wolfed these down, still warm from the oven, I'm thinking they approve. My son very astutely observed that "they taste a little orangey" - that's the cardamom working its citrusy magic! Give these Cardamom-Spiced Blueberry Jam Muffins a try! (and feel free to use any jam you like!)
Glazing these cardamom-spiced blueberry jam muffins
The glaze is totally optional. If you follow along here or on Instagram, you'll know I've been mildly obsessed with using freeze-dried fruit in my recipes. Well, here's another example of my obsession. I pulverized some freeze-dried blueberries and made the most gorgeous, naturally purple glaze. You could also use some blueberry jam in your glaze if you don't have the freeze-dried berries. Or just forget the glaze because these little cakelets need no adornment.
A few muffin tips and recipe notes:
These tips apply to these Cardamom-Spiced Blueberry Jam Muffins and to ALL muffins.
- As with all recipes, read the whole thing before you begin any prep work. Get your ingredients together and make sure you understand the recipe.
- Don't over-mix your batter. The lumpiest, ugliest muffin batter makes the lightest, moistest (yeah, I said it) muffins.
- Grease the heck out of your tins, or use muffin liners. And even if you use liners, it doesn't hurt to still grease the tin a little so the batter doesn't stick around the edges. Baking spray such as Baker's Joy is perfect for this.
- If you let your batter sit for about 20 minutes before you bake your muffins, they will get higher, straight-out-of-the-local-bakery domes.
- I prefer standard sized muffins - I just think they are the perfect snacking size. But, you can turn any muffin batter into either mini muffins or giant muffins. Of course you will adjust the time up or down depending.
More Muffinspiration:
Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Chocolate Olive Oil Muffins with Chocolate Streusel
Buttery Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Cinnamon Sugar Cream Cheese Muffins
Cardamom-Spiced Blueberry Jam Muffins
These Cardamom-Spiced Blueberry Jam Muffins are familiar and just a little but exotic, fragrant, and moist. So easy to whip up and don't skip that incredible, all-natural purple glaze!
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
dry:
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
wet:
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup flavorless oil such as grapeseed (feel free to use ½ stick of melted butter instead)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
blueberry jam filling:
- ½ cup blueberry jam - I prefer Bonne Maman
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
blueberry glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup finely crushed freeze-dried blueberries or 2 tablespoons blueberry jam
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To prepare blueberry jam filling:
- Mix jam, cardamom, and vanilla together and set aside
To prepare muffins:
- Prepare muffin tins by spraying with baking spray or lining with paper muffin liners.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, set aside
- Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl or large, spouted measuring cup
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently until just combined. I use a large fork for this and then scrape around the sides and bottom with a soft, rubber spatula to finish. Remember, lumpy, ugly batter is a good thing here.
- Fill muffin cups half way with batter.
- Add one teaspoon of jam to each muffin cup.
- Fill muffin cups with remaining batter.
- Top each with one more teaspoon of jam, and using a chopstick or skewer, swirl jam from top to bottom and side to side.
- You can bake them right away, or let them sit at room temp for 20 minutes before baking to get an even higher rise (pro-tip - I always use this time to scurry around and clean up the mess I've made)
- Place in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until puffed, golden, and set. (this is a good time to make your glaze)
- Remove muffins from oven and let cool slightly before transferring to parchment lined surface where you will glaze them once cooled. (cookie sheet, cutting board, large platter).
To prepare glaze:
- Place all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and add just enough milk to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Add more confectioner's sugar if it's too thin, or more milk if too thick. You want it thin enough to pour, but thick enough so it doesn't all just run off the muffins.
To glaze muffins:
- Once muffins are cooled to room temp, spread or pour glaze any way you like. I like to drizzle it over the top, but you could also dip each muffin top.
Notes
If you are totally opposed to cardamom, use cinnamon or nutmeg or just leave the spice out - these will still be delicious.
likewise, feel free to use your favorite jam - I just love the blueberry/cardamom combo
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: muffins, breakfast
- Method: baking
Nicole says
I made these tonight and the flavor was delicious but the batter was extremely thick and very hard to work with. I double checked the recipe and I didn’t forget anything so not sure if they’re supposed to be this way? They came out sorta dense and not very muffin textured.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Nicole. I'm glad you liked the flavor. The batter definitely should not have been extremely thick, but a muffin batter is more thick than a cake or cupcake batter. I need to update the recipe with gram measurements as it is very easy to over-measure flour when using cups. That's the only thing I can think of that would have caused such a thick batter. Thanks for the feedback. - Anita
Jo Copas says
I made this recipe because I made some blueberry jam that turned out too sweet and needed a way to use it. I was very pleased with the results! The muffins taste terrific and are moist. The way you posted the instructions is amazing, so easy to follw. I will definately make these again. ( I tried to give these a high rating but I couldn't click on the star (a 5 by the way)
Emily says
Hi! Instead of blueberry jam can I use fresh blueberries for the filling? Or will this mess up the consistency?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Emily! You can definitely use fresh blueberries and it will be delicious! You won't have the jammy layers, but you'll have a very good blueberry muffin. 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Julia says
Hi! These sound delicious! Do you think I can make them gluten free and just switch the flour? Or do you think that will change the texture too much?
Thank you!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi! I think if you used a cup-for-cup flour blend like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur they would probably be ok. But I haven't tried it so don't throw muffins at me if they don't turn out. lol. But seriously, I think they'd be really good. 🙂 Let me know! xoxo - Anita
Brittany says
Isn't 1 stick of butter equal to 1/2 cup of oil? Should I swap the oil for 1/2 stick of butter?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Yes! Thanks for catching my error. Fixing it now. 🙂
Ally says
Hi! These look amazing! Would I be able to make them/any tips in making them without the jam center (as sac religious as that would be!). Thanks 🙂
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi! Thank you! Sure, you can leave the jam out if you'd like. Would you still put some jam on top? Or you could just serve them with jam. It is a nice, blank slate muffin recipe and would be very good without the jam. Let me know if you have any more questions! - Anita
Ally says
Ah thanks so much! What a quick reply. Would you bake them the same amount of time? Thanks!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
You are so welcome! I would start with 15 minutes and give them a check. Without the extra moisture from the jam I think they would be done in the lesser amount of time. Let me know how it goes! Thanks so much for stopping by! - Anita
chef mimi says
What a fabulous idea! It's been years since I've made muffins. I used to make a lot of quick breads when my kids lived at home, but now, not so much. But my grand daughter would love to help out making these - especially the glaze!
Anita Parris Soule | Cook on a Whim says
Thank you Mimi! This makes me so happy. I hope you and your granddaughter will make them! Let me know if you do. â¤ï¸