Easy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- PREP 10min
- COOK 20min
- TOTAL 30min
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.
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).