My lemon blueberry muffins are bursting with juicy blueberries and a hint of fresh lemon. Our recipe is so quick and easy that you can have warm homemade muffins in less than 30 minutes.
Inspired by our popular blueberry muffin recipe, we take these lemon blueberry muffins to the next level with a simple yet flavorful lemon sugar. This secret ingredient infuses the batter with a bright, zesty aroma and the perfect hint of fresh lemon flavor.
Thanks to that lemon sugar, these muffins are incredibly delicious! For more easy muffin recipes, see our vanilla peach muffins and these easy banana muffins.
Key Ingredients
- Lemon: I use both lemon zest and juice in this recipe. Rubbed into the sugar, the zest creates an aromatic lemon sugar that perfumes the batter. The juice is mixed with the milk and egg for a bright, zesty flavor.
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen, add them straight from the freezer to prevent the batter from turning purple.
- Flour: I typically use all-purpose flour, but this recipe is versatile and works with whole wheat, spelt, or even an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill).
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is my choice for light and airy muffins. Feel free to swap in other sugars (like brown sugar or coconut sugar), but be aware that the texture may change slightly.
- Oil: This is one of my secrets for the best blueberry muffins! The oil keeps the muffins moist and tender. While butter works as a substitute, oil yields a more tender result.
- Milk or Non-Dairy Milk: Both work equally well, so use what you have. I’ve had success with homemade oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, and even coconut milk (from a carton, not canned).
- Egg: This adds structure and flavor to the muffins. If you don’t eat eggs, substitute one flax egg.
- Baking Powder: This key ingredient makes the muffins light and airy. Make sure to use recently purchased double-acting baking powder (it lasts about 3 months) and opt for an aluminum-free version if you’re sensitive to the flavor.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Muffins
I love how simple these lemony muffins with blueberries are to make. I’ve made them early in the morning for breakfast (and have not regretted it)!
You do not need an electric mixer for this recipe. These muffins are as simple to make as our fluffy pancakes. You’ll start by making that delicious lemon sugar I mentioned above. It’s easy. You will rub lemon zest into the sugar. Rubbing the zest between your fingers will release oils and lemon aroma, perfuming the sugar. It’s so easy and, honestly, such a great tip for adding citrus zest to baked goods!
Now that your lemon sugar is ready, you can whisk your dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Then combine the two and fold in your blueberries.
Before baking the muffins, I add a sprinkle of sugar and a tiny slice of lemon on top (optional but pretty). The sugar on top turns into a crackly top and makes the slice of lemon like candy.
You have a few choices when baking these muffins. You can make 10 standard-size or lemon blueberry muffins with big bakery-style tops, fill the muffin cups a bit more, or make 8 larger muffins. I’ve also included tips for mini muffins in the recipe below.
Easy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This easy lemon blueberry muffin recipe makes truly incredible muffins! It’s quick to make and yields muffins with a lemony crumb bursting with blueberries.
This recipe makes eight large, big-topped muffins, ten standard muffins, or 20 to 22 mini muffins.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium lemon
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup (80ml) neutral-flavored oil, like safflower, avocado, or vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup (80ml) milk or non-dairy milk, use more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 to 8 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, generous 1 cup
Very thin lemon slices, optional for tops
Directions
- Prepare Oven and Muffin Cups
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line muffin cups with paper liners (8 for big muffins, 10 for standard, or 22 for mini).
2Lightly grease or spray the tops of the muffin tin with oil to prevent the oversized tops from sticking. High-quality nonstick pans may not require this.
- Make Batter
1Use a microplane or citrus zester to remove the zest from the lemon. Add the zest (about 1 tablespoon) to a small bowl with the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar until the lemon perfumes it.
2Whisk the flour, lemon sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3Choose a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup. Add the oil to the jug, and then crack in the egg. Pour in enough milk to reach the 1-cup line on the jug (this should be about 1/3 cup of milk). Add the vanilla extract and whisk until everything is combined.
4Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the batter comes together. Be careful not to overmix! The batter will be thick, see tips below.
5Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Bake Muffins
1Divide the batter between muffin cups. If making big-topped muffins, the batter will come to the tops of the paper liners. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin. You can also add a very thin slice of lemon to the top and add more sugar on top of the lemon slice.
2Bake muffins for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack.
3To store, place them in a plastic bag, seal them, and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Frozen blueberries: Add frozen blueberries while frozen, do not thaw.
- Measuring your flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. For even more accuracy, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams).
- Mini muffins: The baking time will be less — keep an eye on them while they bake and expect them to take 9 to 11 minutes.
- Batter thickness: The batter should be thick and “scoopable” — not runny and not dry or extra thick like dough. If the batter is too runny, add flour, a tablespoon at a time until correct consistency. If the batter is dry or too thick, add milk, a tablespoon at a time until the proper consistency.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Calculations are for one standard muffin (this recipe makes 10).
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Hello. I have a batch of these cooling as we speak. Today is my 3rd time making these muffins in less than a month. I’m not a baker, but my son and I enjoy these SO much, I couldn’t resist.They’re so tender, and have strike the perfect balance between the blueberries and lemon. Delicious! Thx.
I have made these muffins many times and they always turn out great. They are so light and fluffy with a subtle lemony taste.
Today I doubled the recipe and made a dozen extra large ones. Turned out great. Thank you for this very tasty and quick recipe!!
These will now be my go to muffins! The idea of rubbing the zest into the sugar is genius, I also did it for the sugar that I sprinkled on top. I always use frozen WILD blueberries, being smaller, you get lots more in each muffin!
Delicious! Made them several times. Everyone loved them.
Absolutely love these muffins. A definite go to recipe. Has anyone tried this recipe with monk sugar (Eyrthiol) and if so what changes would you recommend if any?
This are by far the best Lemon Blueberry Muffins I’ve ever made. I took them to my staff and they gobbled them up and asked for the recipe. Thanks
So glad you enjoyed them, Sandy!
I was looking for a lemon blueberry muffin recipe that didn’t require getting out my KitchenAid mixer or waiting for butter to come to room temperature. I’m so glad I found this one! Thank you for the super easy recipe that made the most delicious muffins!!! This is now my go to recipe!
Your comment made my day! Baking should be delicious and hassle-free.
Muffins looked great on that picture – although after baking, muffins didn’t rise much
If they didn’t rise as much as you’d hoped, sometimes checking the expiration date on your baking powder can help. Fresh baking powder is key for getting that nice fluffy lift.
This has been my go-to muffin recipe for over a year now! I use the recipe to make mini-muffins for my toddler and just replace the sugar with applesauce. They come out perfect everytime! Today we actually left out the lemon and swapped cherries for the blueberries with an extra dash of vanilla! Thank you for the recipe!
The problem with these muffins is.. every time I make them, they disappear so quickly! Even if I reduce the sugar and use half whole wheat flour. Luckily they are quick to make again…
We have the same problem as you 🙂 So happy you loved the muffins!
This batter is so tasty, I’m tempted to eat it raw. I substituted buttermilk for milk, but otherwise followed the directions. The lemon zest and juice really make these blueberry muffins special. I think this may be my new favorite muffin.
Absolutely delicious. Light and fluffy muffins with a delicate glaze of sugar.
Massaging the lemon zest into the sugar is a game changer – you get so much more flavour from one lemon. Thank you.
These are the only blueberry muffins I make now. Absolutely delicious.Just wondering if you can substitute with a whole wheat flour instead.JLo
I forgot the lemon when shopping for ingredients. I do, however, have lemon juice from concentrate and lemon extract (as well as vanilla)…would you suggest either of those two as substitutes or a combination?
I’d use the lemon from concentrate.
This recipe was passed on to me by a friend. The muffins were so easy to make and turned out well. The lemon with the blueberries was a lovely combination. I will certainly make them again.