Huckleberry Muffins

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Huckleberry Muffins made with wild huckleberries! These delicious muffins can be made with fresh or frozen huckleberries.

Wild huckleberries

Huckleberries are a wild berry that grow in the Inland Northwest. These delicious berries are picked by hand in very remote locations.

Muffins are probably one of the most consistent items I bake. I love baking them for breakfast or snacks and I will often use fresh or frozen fruit in my muffins. Huckleberry muffins are saved for special occasions because huckleberries are a tasty treat!

Huckleberries can be bought from local pickers at the side of the road but these berries sell for about $15 a pound or about $80 a gallon. When I was a kid I always thought I was going to make a ton of money by selling huckleberries. It never happened though. I just never picked enough to make it worthwhile.

While some pickers can get 4-5 gallons a day, I count it a good day when I get a full gallon. If my family comes home with several gallons, it's a really great day! Even though I thought I could make it rich by selling the berries when I was younger, I never sold any! I've never bought any berries either.

Instead, we try to make several trips up into the mountains and pick what we can. We freeze the berries to last all year long. These huckleberry muffins get made a few times a year along with huckleberry crisp, huckleberry pancakes and huckleberry pie.

Huckleberries resemble blueberries, but only in looks. Hucks range in colors from purple, to dark blue to red. They also range in size usually being much smaller than a blueberry. The taste of a huckleberry is pure deliciousness! The only way to describe it is a tart and sweet juicy berry. Really, the only way to know is to taste one!

Key ingredients

Flour, sugar, eggs and huckleberries together with a few other ingredients.

This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.

Huckleberries - You can use either fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen, add the berries while still frozen. Do not thaw them first. Increase baking time by 5-8 minutes.
Flour - Use regular all-purpose flour.
Sour Cream - Adds a bit of tang and moisture to the muffins. Plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream.
Oil - Use a light-tasting oil, like canola or vegetable oil.
Sugar - Granulated sugar is used to help sweeten the muffins.

Step-by-step directions

In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl
In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, oil and vanilla
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
Stir just until combined
Fold in huckleberries

Muffin batter filled with fresh huckleberries.

Place in muffin tins
Bake

I do not use paper liners when I make muffins. I prefer to spray my muffin tin and just add the batter. Paper liners may also be used.

Tips for making muffins

Don't overmix the batter. Use a spoon or a spatula to combine your wet ingredients with your dry ingredients. Stop mixing as soon as your ingredients are combined. A few flour steaks are okay. You are going to be mixing a bit more when you fold in the berries.
Fold in the berries with a gentle folding motion. You don't want any squished berries here!
Always preheat your oven!
Use a good quality muffin tin. If your tins are thin and you tend to get burned bottoms on your muffins, place muffin tin on a baking sheet and bake on top of the baking sheet. This will provide an additional layer and will help the bottom of your muffins from becoming burned.
Use an ice cream scoop to get evenly sized muffins.
Allow muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing them from the muffin tin.
Continue cooling muffins on a baking rack.
Store cooled muffins in a container for 2-3 days.

Frequently asked questions

How many huckleberries do I need to make huckleberry muffins?

I made these muffins with 1 ½ cups of huckleberries. If you are rationing your huckleberries, you could reduce that amount and just use one cup of berries. This is a great way to still get a yummy huckleberry muffin without using all your berries!

More delicious muffins

Muffins with huckleberries on a baking rack.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my muffin recipes!

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