Lemon Blueberry Muffins
These lemon blueberry muffins hit the sweet spot between fluffy and dense, with just enough lemon to wake up your taste buds without overwhelming the berries.
The trick is balancing the moisture – too much lemon juice makes them soggy, but the zest gives you all the flavor you need. They’re perfect for busy mornings since you can make a batch on Sunday and grab them through the week.
The muffins stay fresh for 3-4 days in an airtight container, though they rarely last that long in my house. Unlike fussy pastries, these are pretty forgiving even if your measurements aren’t perfect.
What you need for Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs\
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (for topping)
How to make Lemon Blueberry Muffins
These bright, tender muffins are one of my weekend favorites. Here’s how to make them turn out perfectly every time:
1. Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. These muffins like to stick, so I really recommend using liners rather than just greasing the pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Give it a good 30 seconds of whisking to make sure the baking powder is evenly distributed – this helps your muffins rise evenly.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re a bit frothy, about 30 seconds. Pour in the milk, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Keep whisking until everything’s well combined and looks like a uniform pale yellow mixture.
4. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together with gentle strokes, scraping from the bottom of the bowl. Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any more dry flour – the batter will look lumpy, and that’s exactly what you want. Overmixing will make your muffins tough.
5. If you’re using frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until this moment. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with just 3-4 strokes. This keeps them from bleeding too much color into the batter.
6. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, divide the batter among your muffin cups. They should be about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar – this gives them a lovely crackly top.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and slightly domed. Here’s how to know they’re done: the tops should spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean except for maybe a few moist crumbs.
8. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes – they’re still setting up inside. Then transfer them to a wire rack. The bottoms should be golden brown but not dark.
They’re best slightly warm, when the berries are still juicy and the tops are crispy from the sugar. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and warm them for about 10 seconds in the microwave before eating.
🔍 Recipe Notes & Tips
- Toss fresh blueberries in 1 tbsp flour first – stops them sinking
- Room temp eggs and milk blend easier
- Don’t thaw frozen berries – use straight from freezer
- Over-mixing = tough muffins. Stop when flour just disappears
- No zester? Use fine grater or vegetable peeler
- Muffin cups should be 3/4 full – not more or they’ll overflow
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- • Perfect with: Hot coffee, tea, cold milk, Fresh-squeezed orange juice or Lemon-mint iced tea
- • Spread with: Salted butter while warm, Cream cheese or Lemon curd for extra zing
🎯 Make it Work for
- Brunch: Make mini muffins (reduce bake time to 12-15 mins)
- Bake sale: Add lemon glaze for fancier look
- Breakfast: Add 1/4 cup oats to topping for extra fiber
- Special diet: Works with gluten-free flour blend (1:1 ratio)
📦 Storage & Leftovers
- Counter: 2-3 days in airtight container
- Fridge: Up to 1 week
- Freezer: 3 months wrapped well
- Reheat: 10 seconds in microwave
- To refresh: 5 mins in 300°F oven
- Tip: Split and toast under broiler for crispy tops
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. These muffins like to stick, so I really recommend using liners rather than just greasing the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt properly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they’re a bit frothy, about 30 seconds. Pour in the milk, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Keep whisking until everything’s well combined and looks like a uniform pale yellow mixture.
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together with gentle strokes, scraping from the bottom of the bowl. Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any more dry flour – the batter will look lumpy, and that’s exactly what you want. Overmixing will make your muffins tough.
- If you’re using frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until this moment. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter with just 3-4 strokes. This keeps them from bleeding too much color into the batter.
- Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, divide the batter among your muffin cups. They should be about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar – this gives them a lovely crackly top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and slightly domed. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean except for maybe a few moist crumbs.
- Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes – they’re still setting up inside. Then transfer them to a wire rack.
