Paul Hollywood’s Blueberry Muffins Are Hands-On, Fridge-Friendly and ‘GBBO’ Approved

It’s not every day you get to bake like a Great British Baking Show judge. But with Paul Hollywood’s blueberry muffins, anyone can feel like a star baker. Shared in his Easy Bakes YouTube series back in 2021, these muffins have that golden, fluffy bakery look—but come together with pantry staples and zero fancy equipment. All you need is a bowl, your hands and a little patience (but not too much). The result? Muffins so light and buttery you might want to bake a batch every weekend. Even better, the base dough can be made the night before, so you can roll out of bed and have warm muffins ready with your morning coffee.

A no-fuss muffin recipe from a British icon

In his relaxed kitchen setup, the celebrity baker and “king of bread” walks viewers through his “brilliant” blueberry muffins step by step. “Once you’ve actually made the dough, you can put it in the fridge and use it the following morning for fresh muffins,” he says. And that’s just one of the reasons they’ve become a go-to for fans of simple bakes.

Instead of pulling out a stand mixer or relying on complicated folding techniques, Hollywood gets right in there with his hands. “You throw all the butter in, and then you get your hands in there and incorporate all of the ingredients together,” he explains. “It’s quite relaxing.”

The process is as straightforward as it gets: mix, knead, bake. And like any good muffin recipe, it leaves a little room for creativity. “You can add anything—orange, mandarins, apples, anything you wish. Blueberries work beautifully because when you bite into them they just pop in the mouth and taste amazing,” he says.

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Baking tips from Paul Hollywood himself

These blueberry muffins are forgiving, but Hollywood has a few tips to make sure they turn out just right:

• Use your hands. “You can use a mixer,” Hollywood admits, “but I quite enjoy the process.” Especially with kids in the kitchen, it can be a fun and tactile bake.
• Feel for the dough texture. Hollywood compares it to breadcrumbs when mixing in the butter. It should hold together when squeezed, but crumble apart again easily.
• Know when they’re done. “You’re looking for that golden brown. When you touch it, it’s slightly crispy and it bounces back,” he says. If your finger leaves a dent, it needs more time.

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Paul Hollywood’s blueberry muffins recipe

Buttery, tender and studded with juicy berries, these muffins are perfect with a cup of coffee, a dollop of cream or straight from the muffin liner. If you’re looking to impress your brunch guests without breaking a sweat, these might just be your new signature bake. We adapted Hollywood’s official recipe into US standard measurements.

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1¼ cups caster sugar
• 1½ cups unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ to 1 cup whole milk
• 1½ cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

• Total time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F with a fan). Line a muffin tin with muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add diced butter, then rub it into the dry ingredients with your hands until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. This may take about five minutes.
3. Add vanilla extract and eggs. Mix thoroughly using your hands. Then, gradually add milk (a little more than ¾ cup, but less than 1 cup) and continue mixing until the dough turns into a soft, cohesive mixture.
4. Spoon the dough evenly into the muffin cups. Press blueberries into every corner of the muffin batter, including the tops, distributing them evenly across all 12.
5. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and slightly springy to the touch. Let cool slightly before serving.

Storage notes: Store leftover blueberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They’ll last for a week in the fridge and longer in the freezer.