Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ruth M. Moran

These soft and fluffy lemon blueberry muffins are a bakery-style favorite made lighter with Greek yogurt and fresh lemon.

Bursting with juicy blueberries and topped with a sweet lemony crumb, they’re moist, flavorful, and perfect for breakfast, snacks, or meal prep.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 muffins

Equipment

1 × 12-count muffin pan
12 × cupcake liners or nonstick spray
3 × mixing bowls (small, medium, large)
1 × Whisk
1 × handheld or stand mixer
1 × citrus zester
1 × Citrus Juicer
1 × fork (for crumb topping)

Ingredients

Muffins

1 ¾ cups 219 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons 85 g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup 150 g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 large eggs room temperature
½ cup 120 g plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons 45 ml milk (any type)
3 tablespoons 45 ml fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups 210 g fresh or frozen blueberries, tossed in 1 tbsp flour

Crumb Topping

⅓ cup 41 g all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons 25 g packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons 28 g unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Prepare the Oven and Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 425°F (218°C).
This initial high heat helps the muffins rise tall and develop a beautiful bakery-style dome.
While the oven is warming up, take out a standard 12-cup muffin pan and either line it with paper liners for easy removal or lightly grease each cup with nonstick spray or butter to prevent sticking. Set aside.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Whisking not only combines the ingredients evenly but also adds a touch of air, ensuring the muffins bake up light and fluffy.
Place this bowl aside—you’ll need it shortly.
Cream Butter, Sugar, and Lemon Zest: In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and granulated sugar.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on high speed for about 2–3 minutes until the mixture looks pale, fluffy, and creamy.
This step is crucial—it incorporates air into the batter, which helps give the muffins their soft structure.
Add the Wet Ingredients: To the creamed mixture, add the eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract.
Beat the mixture on medium speed until combined, then increase to high speed for about a minute to fully incorporate.
The mixture may look slightly curdled at this point—don’t worry, that’s completely normal and will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added.
Combine Dry Ingredients with Milk and Lemon Juice: With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the bowl of dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and lemon juice.
Mix just until everything is blended and no visible flour pockets remain.
Avoid overmixing, as it can make the muffins tough instead of tender.
The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and smooth.
Fold in the Blueberries: In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
This simple trick prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.
Gently fold the coated blueberries into the batter using a rubber spatula, making sure they’re evenly distributed but without over-stirring.
Fill the Muffin Cups: Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
Fill each cup all the way to the top—this ensures tall, bakery-style muffins.
The batter will be thick, so gently level off the tops if needed.
Prepare the Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter for the crumb topping.
Use a fork to stir until the mixture resembles coarse, sandy crumbs.
Sprinkle the topping generously over each muffin, gently pressing it into the batter so it sticks during baking.
Bake in Two Stages: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes.
This initial burst of heat encourages the muffins to rise quickly and form domed tops.
Without removing the muffins, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for 18–19 minutes.
The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and Serve: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to rest in the pan for 5 minutes.
This short cooling time helps them set and makes them easier to handle.
After that, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely, or enjoy one while still warm and fragrant.

Notes

Use room-temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, yogurt) for the best texture and even mixing.
Tossing blueberries in flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
For a healthier twist, replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
Don’t overmix the batter; a few lumps are fine—overmixing leads to dense muffins.
Frozen blueberries work well but should be used straight from the freezer—do not thaw.
Bake the muffins at high heat first, then lower the temperature for a bakery-style rise.
The crumb topping is optional but adds a sweet, crunchy contrast to the soft muffin.
To make them dairy-free, use plant-based yogurt and non-dairy milk.
Muffins taste best the same day but keep wonderfully for meal prep.
For jumbo muffins, increase the baking time slightly, and for mini muffins, reduce it.