Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Hello friends! There’s nothing quite like a warm Lemon Blueberry Muffin to brighten your day. Bursting with juicy blueberries and a tangy hint of lemon, these muffins are light, full of moisture, and irresistibly delicious. Topped with a zesty lemon glaze, they’re the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, or a mid-day pick-me-up. Whether you’re baking for yourself or sharing with loved ones, these muffins are sure to be a hit! This is one of my favorite muffin recipes!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins Recipe

In this post, I’ll walk you through creating these delightful muffins step-by-step, ensuring a perfectly tender crumb and a golden, bakery-style finish every time.

Full ingredients and step by step instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Preparing the Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Begin by preheating your oven to 425ºF and lining a muffin tin with cupcake/muffin paper liners. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour to coat them lightly. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. Set the blueberries aside while preparing the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub them together, releasing the fragrant oils from the zest for an extra burst of lemon flavor. To this bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together until evenly incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain greek yogurt, eggs, vegetable oil, whole milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a spatula. Stop mixing when the batter is about 80% combined—it’s okay if there are still a few streaks of flour at this stage.

Gently fold in the prepared blueberries, being careful not to overmix the batter. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the batter rest for 30 minutes. This resting period is optional but helps the muffins achieve a taller rise during baking. When done, spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.

Baking the Muffins

Bake the muffins at 425ºF for 7 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

Making the Lemon Glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice until smooth. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Once the muffins have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top using a spoon or piping bag. Garnish with additional lemon zest or fresh blueberries for a beautiful finishing touch.

Storage Tips

Room Temperature: Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Refrigeration: For longer storage, refrigerate in a sealed container. Bring to room temperature or briefly warm in a toaster oven before serving.

Freezing: Freeze muffins in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.
To thaw, let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge overnight.
For a quick thaw, wrap a muffin in a paper towel and microwave in 15-second intervals. Alternatively, reheat wrapped muffins in foil in a 350ºF oven for 10–15 minutes. You might want to skip re-heating the muffins once they are glazed. Instead let them to thaw at room temperature.

Pro Tips & Notes

• Using Frozen Blueberries: No need to thaw—just toss them in a little flour and add them to the batter. Break up clumps of frozen berries for even distribution.
• Vegetable Oil Substitutes: Swap the oil with melted butter for a firmer crumb or use olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil for a slightly different flavor.
• Lemon Zest: Rubbing the zest with sugar enhances the lemon flavor in your muffins.
• Optional Batter Rest: Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking for a taller muffin rise.
• Baking Temperature: Bake at 425ºF for 7 minutes, then reduce to 350ºF and bake for 12–15 minutes. This helps the muffins have a nice dome.
• Baking time: Ensure muffins are golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Time can vary depending on your oven.
• Flour: Coat blueberries with flour to prevent them from sinking in the batter.
• Don’t over mix: Avoid over mixing the batter to prevent the muffins from being dry or tough.

How to prevent dry muffins

To prevent dry muffins, follow these tips:

1. Measure Ingredients Accurately: Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements, especially for flour. Too much flour can make muffins dry.
2. Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Over mixing can develop too much gluten, leading to dense and dry muffins.
3. Don’t Overbake: Keep a close eye on baking time. Overbaking will dry out the muffins. Check for doneness with a toothpick—if it comes out with a few moist crumbs, they’re done.
4. Add Enough Moisture: Ingredients like Greek yogurt, sour cream, oil, or butter help keep muffins moist. Avoid substituting these with lower-fat options unless specified.
5. Use Fresh Ingredients: Ensure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh for proper rise, as dense muffins can feel drier.
6. Don’t Skip the Resting Time: Allowing the batter to rest (if the recipe allows) helps hydrate the flour, leading to softer muffins.
7. Store Properly: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate for longer storage to avoid drying out.
8. Avoid High Heat for Too Long: While an initial high oven temperature can help muffins rise, prolonged baking at high heat can dry them out. Reduce the temperature as directed in the recipe.

Variations On This Recipe

• Blackberry Lime Muffins: Swap out the blueberries for fresh or frozen blackberries and replace the lemon zest and juice with lime for a zesty twist. The bold flavor of blackberries pairs wonderfully with lime.
• Mixed Berry Muffins: Use a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for a colorful and flavorful medley. Toss the berries with flour as instructed to prevent them from sinking.
• Orange Cranberry Muffins: Replace the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and juice, and substitute fresh or dried cranberries for the blueberries. Perfect for the holiday season!
• Strawberry Lemon Muffins: Use diced fresh strawberries in place of the blueberries for a sweet and fruity variation. Keep the lemon zest and juice for a classic pairing.

Why You’ll Love These Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are a delightful blend of sweet and tangy, with bursts of juicy blueberries in every bite. The combination of yogurt and oil keeps them moist and tender, while the optional resting period gives them a beautifully domed top. Topped with a citrusy glaze, they’re as delicious as they are stunning—a true treat for any occasion!

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these ones:

• Banana Nut Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
• Orange Cranberry Bread

Happy baking, friends! Let me know how your muffins turn out and tag me in your photos on Instagram.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Camila Hurst

These Lemon Blueberry Muffins are bursting with juicy blueberries and tangy lemon flavor, topped with a zesty glaze. Perfectly moist and fluffy, they’re an irresistible treat for any time of day!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Cool Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 18 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 291 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
• 1½ tbsp lemon zest
• 2¼ cup all-purpose flour 287 grams
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup greek yogurt 180 grams
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil 78 ml
• ¼ cup whole milk 60 ml
• ¼ cup lemon juice 60 ml
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar 125 grams, or more for consistency
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• lemon zest

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.
• In a small bowl mix together the flour and the blueberries. Set aside.
• In a new large bowl add the sugar and the lemon zest. Using your hands, rub them together to help release the natural oils of the zest, which will make the cupcakes even more flavorful.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Whisk to combine.
• In another bowl mix the greek yogurt, eggs, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture.
• Mix with a spatula until 80% incorporated. There should still be some bits of dry ingredients that aren’t incorporated with the batter.
• Add the blueberries in and gently fold to combine.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and let the batter rest for 30 minutes. This step is optional but helps the muffins obtain a taller rise.
• Spoon the muffin batter into the muffin pan lined with cupcake papers until full and almost to the top.

Baking the Muffins

• Bake in the pre-heated 425ºF oven for 7 minutes.
• Lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes until golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the muffin should come out clean.
• Let the muffins cool down before serving.

Lemon Glaze

• Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. If the consistency is too runny, add more sifted powdered sugar and whisk.
• Drizzle over the muffins with a piping bag or a spoon.
• Top with more lemon zest or fresh blueberries.

Notes

Storage: Store at room temperature in a container with a lid for 1 day. Place it in the fridge if storing for longer, and let it come to room temperature or place briefly in a toaster oven before serving once the muffins have been refrigerated.

To freeze the muffins simply place them in a freezer bag or in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

To thaw, let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour, or in the fridge overnight.

You can also wrap the muffin in paper towel and microwave for 15 second intervals to thaw.

The other option is to wrap each muffin in foil, and bake them in a 350ºF oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until completely thawed in the center.

You might want to skip re-heating the muffins once they are glazed. Instead let them to thaw at room temperature.

Blueberries: if using frozen blueberries, do not thaw, just add them as is to the batter. It’s a good idea to break them up a bit if they are clumped up together.

Vegetable Oil: the oil can be substituted for melted butter, but that will alter the final consistency, resulting in a firmer crumb. You can use olive oil or avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 291kcal

Keyword blueberry muffins, lemon blueberry muffins, muffins

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