These light and fluffy lemon blueberry muffins taste just as good—or better!—than any bakery version. Greek yogurt keeps them extra moist, creamed butter creates a wonderfully soft and fluffy texture, and blueberries and lemon add a burst of flavor. Sprinkle each muffin with a lemony-brown sugar crumb topping for a sweet finishing touch.
It’s no secret that I have a soft spot in my heart (err… stomach?) for the delightful flavor duo of lemon + blueberry. Desserts like lemon blueberry cheesecake bars and lemon blueberry tart are always a refreshing change from rich chocolate. But these light and fruity flavors also make for a wonderful breakfast treat or anytime snack, especially when topped with a zesty-sweet crumble that takes these humble muffins to new heights. They’re also a lovely choice for your Easter brunch recipes and add such a beautiful pop of color to your table!
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Bursting with juicy blueberries and fresh lemon flavor
- Soft, tender, and cakey, like a muffin version of this popular lemon blueberry cake
- Easy to prepare
- Can use fresh or frozen blueberries—so convenient
- Topped with a delicious crumb, like your favorite bakery muffin
Ingredients You Need
Today’s lemon blueberry muffin recipe is a variation of my basic muffin recipe. I slightly reduced the butter because I found the muffins too fragile with the lemon juice and so many blueberries. (You’ll use the rest of the stick of butter in the topping!)
This batter can be used to create endless muffin varieties and you’ll see it again in my classic blueberry muffins, peach muffins, cranberry orange muffins, apple cinnamon muffins, and more.
Here are all of the ingredients you need for the muffin batter, and why each is important:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of these muffins.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both leaveners help the muffins rise. See my trick below for super-tall bakery-style muffin tops.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Salt and pure vanilla extract add flavor. Try using homemade vanilla extract.
- Butter: We use creamed butter for a lighter, fluffier texture. My orange lemon poppy seed muffins are made with melted butter for a denser, heartier texture.
- Sugar: In my muffin recipe, I swap between brown sugar and granulated sugar. I like to use granulated sugar in today’s muffins so the lemon flavor really shines, but like to use brown sugar in my blueberry muffins for a little extra flavor.
- Eggs: 2 eggs bind everything together.
- Yogurt: Greek yogurt adds moisture. Use your favorite yogurt—I prefer nonfat or low-fat plain Greek yogurt but regular (not Greek) would be just fine, and any fat content. Sour cream is a great substitute if you don’t have yogurt.
- Milk: You can use dairy or nondairy milk.
- Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest: We’re using both, for lots of zingy lemon flavor. Make sure to zest the lemon before slicing and juicing it—much easier to do it in this order!
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen berries. If using frozen, do not thaw before using.
You could also add poppy seeds, like I do in these blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins.
You’ll need a couple mixing bowls and an electric mixer (either a stand mixer or handheld), because we’re creaming the butter and sugar together. From there, it’s as easy as combining dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet in another, and then mixing them together and folding in the blueberries.
Expect a thick and fluffy batter:
Easy Crumb Topping
Today’s crumb topping doesn’t have cinnamon, unlike many streusel recipes. It’s just brown sugary, lemony, and sweet. I love cinnamon in the crumb topping on these blueberry muffins, but here the cinnamon would take away from the zesty lemon in these muffins. And we want that lemon flavor to really shine through!
The crumb topping comes together quickly and easily in the small bowl—just use a fork to combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and lemon zest.
It doesn’t make a large amount, just enough for a little crumble on top of each muffin. You can double it if you want extra crumb.
Baker’s Tip: Gently press the crumbles down into the muffins’ surface before baking, or they will topple off as the muffins rise in the oven.
How to Create the Perfect Tall Muffin Tops
For big bakery-style muffin tops, there are 3 directions to follow closely:
- Make sure your muffin batter is THICK. (This one is!)
- Fill your muffin cups all the way to the top.
- Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at an initial high temperature, then reduce the temperature for the remaining bake time. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin tops. Once the temperature is reduced, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes, including zucchini muffins and banana muffins too!
Not only does this trick create beautifully sky-high muffin tops, it also makes the muffins extra fluffy inside because the tops don’t stay flat.
More Lemon Blueberry Treats
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These light and fluffy lemon blueberry muffins taste just as good—or better!—than any bakery version. Greek yogurt keeps them extra moist, creamed butter creates a wonderfully soft and fluffy texture, and blueberries and lemon add a burst of flavor. The lemony-brown sugar crumb topping adds a sweet finishing touch, but feel free to skip it if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature*
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) milk*
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 and 1/2 cups (210g) fresh or frozen blueberries*
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make the muffins: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the lemon zest and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla, and beat for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed until the mixture is combined and mostly creamy. (It’s ok if it appears somewhat curdled.) Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients, milk, and lemon juice into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain. Gently fold in the blueberries. Avoid over-mixing. Batter is thick and fluffy.
- Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them all the way to the top.
- Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, use a fork to mix all of the crumb topping ingredients together.
- Spoon topping evenly on top of each filled muffin cup, gently pressing it down onto the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18–19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23–24 minutes, give or take.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy warm, or at room temperature.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying. Warm up in the microwave if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-Count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Yogurt: You can use nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt, Greek or regular. You can also use sour cream.
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw.
- For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
Keywords: lemon blueberry muffins
I made these with gluten-free flour and also added a handful of gluten free oats to crumb topping. So delicious!!
★★★★★
This recipe was fabulous! My whole family was raving about them. I plan to make them again soon. I did increase the butter by 2 tbsp. I swear they came out tasting store bought. So good!
★★★★★
These are the absolute best muffins. I did add 2 Tbsp more butter.
These are fabulous. My oven is fan so quite quick/hot so they were done in 5mins at 200 +16 mins at 165. Beautiful light moist texture and the topping gave a nice crunch. Hard to see how they will keep for a week!!!
★★★★★
Good afternoon! I was wondering if I can make a loaf of bread with this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Sarah, that should work just fine! You can use the baking time and directions from blueberry muffin bread as a guide. Do let us know how it turns out for you. Hope you enjoy these flavors together!
Another amazing recipe! Made Sunday more complete.
★★★★★
I made this today. The flavour was wonderful. I used Greek yogurt. I followed the baking instructions and muffins rose. However they stuck to the liner. Why is that?
★★★★
Hi Sunitha, Usually using high-quality liners will fix this issue, otherwise, you can try spraying the liners with a little nonstick spray before filling next time.
I would love to use your recipes but they do not have nutritional information. Being diabetic I need carbohydrates and calories per muffin.
Hi Mary, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Thanks so much for sending the link for nutritional information. I am looking forward to trying the muffins.
Made these muffins and they are delicious! Carbohydrates 30 grams each.
And 197 calories each
Would these muffins work with cake flour? I’m interested in a muffin that has cake-like texture. Thank you for your recipes!
Hi Michelle, since creamed butter and sugar make the base of this recipe, the muffins are already quite cakey. I fear cake flour will just be too light, and if you try it, you may want to increase the amount. Blueberries are heavy, and there’s a lot of moisture in this recipe!
Tried both, with cake flour and without cake flour. Both came out exceptional with different textures. Cake flour was lighter almost chewier. Used 1/4 cup more flour in the cake flour and it held up well. Will be my go-to and planning to make either, depending on the consistency I’m in the mood for. Thx!
Sally, LOVE your recipes and use them all the time! Can this recipe be made into a loaf pan sized cake? Thank you!
Hi Deborah, that should work just fine! You can use the baking time and directions from blueberry muffin bread as a guide. Let us know how it turns out for you.
I’ve made these almost every single week for the past month, they are that good!! I had a batch or two turn out badly because I didn’t follow the instructions to use room temperature butter but now that I’ve learned my lesson they come out perfectly every single time. My husband likes more lemon flavor so I add in double the zest. I skip the crumb topping because I am lazy and the muffins on their own are still fantastic. I use frozen wild blueberries and it couldn’t be easier for a novice baker like me. Thank you!!
★★★★★
These turned out beautifully. I used 2% vanilla Greek yogurt. I got exactly 12 perfectly sized muffins from the recipe. Cook time was right on the mark. I’m definitely making these again but next time I think I’d add a bit more lemon zest… just my preference. Also… I appreciated the ingredient list converted to grams for some items. That makes it so much easier to measure butter and flour. Thanks for all your amazing recipes. You’re always my first “go-to” when I’m looking for a new recipe. 🙂
★★★★★
This muffin recipe is excellent. Very nice rise, flavour is very good . The lemon crumb on top just enhances an already lovely, light and moist muffin.
★★★★★
I can’t see any directions or ingredients that I skipped but my blueberries sunk to the bottom and the muffins spread across the muffin pan instead of rising. I don’t think the batter was as thick as the picture. Any suggestions?
Hi M! Yes, it definitely sounds like your batter was too thin. Did you make any changes to the recipe? Even a small one? Make sure to start with proper room temperature butter.
These muffins were amazing and a big hit with neighbors and friends. So Delectable! While we’re big fans of blueberries the standout ingredient was the lemon zest.
The family preferred to have the top crispier and more brown so I adjusted the time at the higher temp to 8 minutes. It came out great!
★★★★★
This is the perfect recipe! Easy and delicious! My muffins look like they were gourmet from a fancy restaurant! I am saving this one for sure!
★★★★★
As a 73 yo novice baker I do appreciate your recipes – easy to follow and they turn out good! These muffins are easy to make and sooooo delicious – thank you
★★★★★
Hi Sally, can you use concentrated lemon juice for this?
Yes, it’ll give wonderful flavor. Feel free to reduce the amount down and replacing with milk since it has a stronger flavor.
These were the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever made, the flavourful lemon compliments the blueberries so well. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
These are the most fantastic muffins.
They get a nice rounded top with a bit of crunch and the inside is fluffy and so flavourful!! My daughter asks for them all the time! This is 100% a keeper and in rotation at my house – along with your other recipes! Thank you!
★★★★★
Can I substitute almond flour or gluten free flour?
Hi Kelly, we don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties than all purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap). You could try a 1:1 gluten free flour, although you can expect slightly different results (we haven’t tested it ourselves).
Made this yesterday and it turned out amazing I would post a pic on Insta but I used an old muffin tin that has seen better days lol
I made this recipe using a strawberry and blueberry compote, and instead of lemon I used a tbsp of Honey, came out great!
This recipe was spectacular. The muffins were moist, crunchy, and delicious. Definitely added this to my list of favorite recipes.
★★★★★
My daughter and I just made these muffins exactly as written, but since we didn’t have any frozen blueberries, we substituted frozen raspberries. Yum! We will be making these again!
★★★★★
Love this Lemon Blueberry Muffin Recipe, no need to keep looking for another! I followed the recipe exactly as written, using Greek yogurt for the yogurt selection. My first attempt and turned out perfectly. I followed hint, and baked first 5 minutes at 425, turned down to 350 to complete. My oven did not require the entire suggested baking time but I am used to checking my items in intervals so I do not overcook. I baked about 10 mini muffins for the grand babies and had enough batter for 9 large muffins, batter filled to the rim. Of course, I ate a mini as soon as they came out of the oven! Note: I was getting a little concerned with batter when beating the yogurt and eggs, thinking it was never going to thicken or curdle. It took longer than a minute as noted in recipe and never curdled but ended up thicker than I started with. I was panicking for a few minutes thinking I had let the yogurt sit out too long at room temperature. Next time, I won’t let it sit as long before using to be on safe side. Batter ended up nice and thick but was concerned for a few minutes. Also, for those that like a stronger lemon flavor, I suggest adding more lemon zest. As others have stated, the lemon is very mild in this recipe. Perfect for me. Like all recipes, matter of preference. I don’t suggest more lemon juice due to ruining consistency of batter. Give these a try! Awesome!
★★★★★
I made these this morning using frozen blueberries and they were wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly. I’m generally a competent cook but I don’t bake often. The instructions were easy to follow and they were not difficult to make.
Definitely will be making these again. Thank you!
★★★★★
Delicious muffins with amazing texture! I swapped white whole wheat flour instead of regular flour to give it more of a nutritious boost, and it still tasted great. Whole family loved and tasted like a fancy bakery!
★★★★★
I have a lot of leftover lemon juice (don’t ask why!). Can you recommend some recipes that call for lemon juice, but not lemon zest? The more lemon juice the better. I have about three dozen lemon juice ice cubes in the freezer, looking for a home!
Hi Kugeldog, our delicious lemon curd uses 1/3 cup of lemon juice. These lemon bars with shortbread crust uses 1 cup of lemon juice. Enjoy!
Fabulous recipe and not hard to make. Mine came our most, fruity and crunchy on top. The lemon flavor adds an extra twist. This will be my go to blueberry muffin recipe from now on.
★★★★★