I test-baked three of the top-selling name-brand blueberry muffin mixes. In my opinion, a clear “best blueberry muffin mix” emerges as a winner.
The three boxed muffin brands that I tested are the following varieties:
- Duncan Hines Simple Mornings Blueberry Streusel
- Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry Muffin and Quick Bread Mix
- Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Supreme Muffin Mix
To maintain consistency and be fair in giving my opinion, I did these three things in each round of baking:
- Used the same pans for each “bake.”
- Applied the same brand of non-stick baking spray (you could also make them with cupcake liners, but I find them to be wasteful).
- Followed each manufacturer’s instruction to the last letter, measuring carefully (no eyeballing these guys).
- Completely allowed each batch to cool almost completely before I tasted–and totally cool before I stored them.
I was looking for three things: overall taste; texture; how well the muffins would store and reheat.
These findings represent my personal opinion. I did not receive compensation from any of these manufacturers nor do I work for any of them. So let’s jump ahead and look at each packaged baking mix. Also, I am not including Amazon links to any of these products today.
Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry Muffin and Quick Bread Mix
First, I baked a batch of traditional Betty Crocker mix. This mix comes with a cute, tiny little can of berries instead of dehydrated fruit. They were smallish in size but they were firm, plump, and tasty.
To make this, you preheat the oven, rinse and drain the canned berries, mix with eggs, oil, and water. Then you divide them into twelve muffin cups (I sprayed with non-stick spray but you can also line them with paper cupcake liners).
I tasted them after they cooled. They were moist, slightly sweet, and had a dense texture. I found them slightly spongy in texture. This blueberry muffin crumbled a lot as I ate it. I was able to keep these fresh for a few days, heating them up one at a time. However, they became slightly dry during reheating.
I do plan to purchase this kit again and try to make this as a breakfast bread–maybe that will improve it for me? I’m willing to give anything a try at least once.
Bottom line: If you are going to serve these fresh to a crowd, they are good. If you plan to consume them over several days, they don’t stay moist enough…at least not to suit my taste.
Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Supreme Muffin Mix
Like the Betty Crocker mix, the Krusteaz kit included a small can of little blueberries. They were similarly on the smaller side. However, they also have a sweet, pleasing flavor and firm texture.
Also like the BC product, you heat the oven; add oil, eggs, and water. It makes twelve muffins.
These were incredibly moist and the texture was lighter and fluffer when compared to the BC muffins. The flavor was also a little bit sweeter and they were easier to eat (less crumbly!). These stored in a tightly sealed bag for a few days. A few seconds of warming brought them right back to life every day.
Bottom line: These were delightful–best fresh. Regardless, they still held their flavor with reheating and I enjoyed them every time.
Duncan Hines Simple Mornings Blueberry Streusel
Like the previous two mixes, this blueberry muffin mix includes a small can of real blueberries. They were, again, small, sweet, and plump. I suspect that these are the berries that quality control checks deem to small to sell as fresh produce, so they sequester them away into these little cans for muffins. That is my opinion, and pure speculation, but it makes sense. Right?
And again, you mix oil, eggs, and water, drop the batter evenly into twelve muffin trays. However, this product also has a streusel packet to mix and pat into the top of the wet batter just before you bake. The streusel is sweet without being cloying.
The blueberry muffins tasted so good when they were fresh. The sugar in the streusel gave it a nice little bit of crispy texture that I found heavenly. On the other hand, the streusel got “soggy” after a couple of days. I found mold forming on the third day.
Bottom line: The DH steusel muffins tasted delicious. They reheated fine. But mold forming by day three was a turn-off for me. We only have two people in our household, and I only eat one per serving, so this did not work well for me. If you eat them faster or have a family that uses them on the first day, you will love these.
The Clear Winner, in My Humble Opinion: Krusteaz Wild Blueberry Supreme Muffin Mix
While I enjoyed the Duncan Hines streusel mix, the fact that it did not hold up well knocked it off of my list. Those who follow regularly know I’m a waste-not want-not kind of person, I’m always looking for ways to preserve foods. Again, if your household would use them faster than I do, you will probably enjoy this mix. It certainly tasted scrumptious.
On the other hand, the BC had a very comforting, traditional blueberry muffin flavor, but it dried out quickly despite sealing them in a bag. In fact, I took them outside and put them out for the squirrels to enjoy. I looked out and saw the cardinals pecking at the berries, they really enjoyed the luxury lol.
So after comparing these in a side-by-side comparison, the Krusteaz Wild Blueberry, with its classic taste, moist texture, and ease of reheating won the day for me.
Have you tried these products? What do you think? Share with us on Facebook. Better yet, mosey over to MeWe, where we have even livelier conversations and debates!
