Methodology

Blueberry Index exists to answer one question with rigor: where can you get the best blueberry muffin in New York City?

Scoring criteria

Every muffin is evaluated on six criteria, each scored from 0 to 10:

• Berry distribution — Are blueberries evenly distributed, or clustered in disappointing pockets?
• Berry quality — Fresh, plump, and flavorful versus mushy or absent.
• Crumb & texture — Moist without being gummy; structured without being dry.
• Flavor balance — Sweetness, butter, and vanilla in harmony with the fruit.
• Size & value — Portion relative to price and satisfaction.
• Overall impression — Would we go out of our way for this muffin again?

The final score is the weighted average of all six criteria, rounded to one decimal place.

Independence

We do not accept payment for placement, priority review, or score adjustment. Bakeries cannot pay to appear on the index. If we receive a comped muffin, we disclose it in the review.

Revisits

Scores are not permanent. We revisit bakeries when menus change, ownership turns over, or enough time has passed that freshness matters. The "Last updated" date on the homepage reflects the most recent review publish date.

Coverage

We aim to cover all five boroughs proportionally to where great bakeries actually exist. No borough is penalized for geography — only the muffin in front of us is scored.