My lemon blueberry muffin recipe makes tender, flavorful muffins packed with juicy blueberries and bright lemon flavor from both zest and juice.
These easy blueberry lemon muffins are an absolute treat. We’ve been making them for years, so I’ve spent years tweaking the recipe to make it perfect for you! The recipe is based on our reader-favorite blueberry muffins, so it’s simple, reliable, and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand.
My favorite part is the crackly sugar top! Before baking, we sprinkle the muffins with sugar and add a thin lemon slice. As they bake, the sugar caramelizes and the lemon becomes sweet and almost candied. For a loaf, see our lemon blueberry bread.
Key Ingredients
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for these muffins. If using frozen, don’t thaw them. Adding them straight from the freezer prevents the batter from turning purple.
- Lemon: These muffins get their fresh lemon flavor from both lemon zest and juice.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works beautifully, but this recipe is flexible. You can use whole wheat, spelt, or even a gluten-free 1:1 blend (like Bob’s Red Mill) with excellent results.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar keeps these muffins light and tender. You can swap in brown or coconut sugar, but the texture will be a bit different. For a lovely crackly top, sprinkle a little extra sugar over each muffin before baking.
- Oil: Oil helps keep the muffins moist and tender in the middle. It’s one of my secrets to the best blueberry muffins. The oil gives a soft, moist texture that lasts for days.
- Milk (or Non-Dairy Milk): Use whatever milk you have on hand. I’ve tested these with homemade oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, and coconut milk (from a carton, not canned), and all work beautifully.
- Egg: Adds structure and richness. If you’re baking without eggs, you can use one flax egg instead.
- Baking Powder: This keeps the muffins light and fluffy. Make sure yours is fresh (it loses its effectiveness after about three months). If you’re sensitive to flavor, look for aluminum-free baking powder (I like Bob’s Red Mill).
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Tip 1: Make the lemon sugar. The secret to the best lemony flavor is rubbing the zest into the sugar before mixing the batter. It releases the oils from the zest, making a huge difference (a trick I also use in our lemon bars and blueberry scones).
Tip 2: Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly. Use a whisk (or sifter) to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. For the best rise and even texture, you want the baking powder evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Tip 3: Mix the batter by hand. I make these muffins the same way I make peach muffins or strawberry muffins. Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then fold them together with a spatula. There’s no need for an electric mixer. A whisk, spoon, or spatula works perfectly.
Tip 4: Sprinkle a little sugar on top. For that incredible, crackly sugar top we love, sprinkle a little sugar on the muffins before they go in the oven. And, since this is a lemon muffin, I love adding a tiny slice of lemon on top, too. If you place the lemon slice down first, then add sugar on top, it caramelizes and candies while the muffins bake in the oven.
More Lemon Blueberry Recipes
Easy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
My family loves these muffins with blueberries and fresh lemon so much! The trick to the best lemon flavor is making our simple lemon sugar! When baking this recipe, you can make 10 standard-size muffins or fill the cups a bit more and make 8 larger muffins with big, beautiful bakery-style tops. (I’ve also included tips for mini muffins in the recipe below!).
When measuring the flour, either weigh it or use the “spoon and level” method shared in our tips section below.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium lemon
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (195g)
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops (150g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil, like safflower, avocado, or vegetable oil (80ml)
1 large egg
⅓ cup milk or non-dairy milk, use more as needed (80ml)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 to 8 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, generous 1 cup
Very thin lemon slices, optional for tops
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line muffin cups with paper liners (8 for big muffins, 10 for standard, or 22 for mini). Lightly 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.
2Make lemon sugar: Use 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.
3Make muffin batter: Whisk the flour, lemon sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
4Choose 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 ⅓ cup of milk). Add the vanilla extract and whisk until everything is combined.
5Add 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.
6Gently fold in the blueberries and about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.
7Bake muffins: Divide 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.
8Bake 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.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Place the room-temperature muffins into an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil or store them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Measuring your flour: Fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Then, level off the top with a knife for accurate measuring. Or, use a scale and measure the flour by weight (in grams) for even more accuracy.
- Frozen blueberries: Add frozen blueberries while frozen, do not thaw.
- 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 the consistency is correct. If the batter is dry or too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it has the proper consistency.
- For mini muffins: This recipe makes 22 to 24 mini muffins. The baking time will be less, so keep an eye on them while they bake and expect them to take 9 to 11 minutes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Calculations are for one standard muffin (this recipe makes 10).
These muffins are seriously incredible! I’ve actually never made blueberry muffins before (I usually make other muffins that I can sneak veggies into for the kiddos) but the store bought blueberry muffins now have a whole slew of harmful ingredients that they mask as “preservatives” so I knew if I wanted a blueberry muffin I’d have to make it myself. I stumbled on this recipe and it had me at lemon. I was a little scared they wouldn’t turn out right since it was my first time making them but boy was I wrong. Not only are these muffins absolutely delicious and moist but they are super easy to make and with limited dishes! Win win! My entire family gobbles them up so I’ll definitely be making these every week. Thank you so much for this easy delicious recipe!
These were over the top amazing! I did add a little lemon emulsion but I made one batch and it was gone within a day. So the next day I made a double batch!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe..,love the addition of lemon!
You are going to love it, especially if you love lemon 🙂
LOVE these muffins!!! The lemon zest sugar really makes a difference.
This recipe led to the best lemon blueberry muffins I’ve made! I needed to use up some cream, so I substituted the oil for cream, but followed the recipe exactly otherwise. It led to a very tender and soft muffin with amazing flavor! 5 stars for the flavor, which is the right balance of sugar and lemon. We love that they have a ton of blueberries!
That’s wonderful, Melissa! Thank you for coming back 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!! Rubbing the zest into the sugar is a game changer! Thank you!!!
They smell so good. The taste amazing. I reduced the sugar a bit
The easiest blueberry muffin recipe I have ever made. Came out perfect!
OMG I’ve tried numerous recipes but these are the softest, fluffiest muffins I have ever eaten. I’m so glad I’ve found your website ☺️
Did this recipe for the first time the other day and my whole family loved it!
Turner out very delicious and very sweet even through İ user coconut sığar and only 1/2cup. Will probably try even less next time. That tiny slice of lemon added nice sour pinch there too. Thank you for the recioe!
Best lemon & blueberry recipe I have found. I always have frozen blueberries, so it’s a great one to have on stand by for a quick muffin. It has lots of flavour and love it has limited ingredients that I usually have in my pantry.
These muffins are delicious. I love lemon and will always look for a recipe with lemon zest. I’m wondering if I can double this recipe as I love to have muffins on hand in the freezer
Successful muffins! Happy that there were default dairy-free options listed. I made with oat milk in a regular muffin pan. The domes didn’t get as much colour as I hoped but the texture is great and the recipe is simple for a good result. Next time I’ll add more lemon zest 🙂
Loved these Delicious Lemony Blueberry muffins. Next time I’ll add the slice of lemon and sugar to the muffin tops. Having the 4 liquid ingredients in a measuring cup is genius! This is a Winner Recipe!! Yummy!
I’ve made these many times and they’re awesome. I sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar before baking. My question is…where is the lemon juice on ingredients and method?!? Thanks!
Hi Tina, We are so happy you love them! The step for adding the lemon juice was missed (a recent mistake when updating the recipe). I’ve fixed it now! You add about 2 tablespoons (or juice from half a lemon) at the same time as the blueberries.
Very good lemon blueberry recipe. I used a ready made ‘gluten-free flour mix’ and even my husband who usually prefers the regular flour loved them! I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup, but found them too sweet. Next time I would use 1/3 cup since as a ‘senior’ I am used to less sweetner in recipes. Since I didn’t have vanilla on hand, I used ‘Vanilla Oat Milk’ and it gave a nice flavour with the lemon juice & zest. Thanks for your recipes!
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 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.
Just made these today. They are delicious! My husband said they will be good with his coffee in the morning. This recipe is a keeper.
Hi I’m a fan of your recipes. Right now I’lm making your recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup. It always come out delicious. Will make blueberry lemon muffins this weekend when my sister comes over. Looking forward to baking them, and will let you know the results. Thanks for being inspiring my easy cooking and baking.
Hi Evelyn, what a lovely comment. We are so glad you enjoy our recipes 🙂
I don’t usually leave comments, but I’m extremely picky about baking recipes and this is definitely the BEST blueberry muffin recipe that I’ve tried. Thank you!
These sound delish! Would these bake well in silicon cupcake cups?
Hi Sally, They should bake just fine.