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.
One reader, Cathy, commented: “I made these today. They were moist, had a nice crumb, and an excellent balance of flavor. I will definitely make these again. Thanks for an awesome recipe! ★★★★★“
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, lemony blueberry galette, 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, lemon poppy seed 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. If you need a refresher on this step, here is my tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar. 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 Recipes
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 Greek 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, tossed in 1 Tbsp flour*
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 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) 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 | Whisk | 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
All her recipes usually come out great. These did not. They didn’t ruse (new bp and bs…..), and they didn’t set! I have no idea. Just…not good
These are SO good!!!
Hi Sally, if I wanted to glaze these, would you use lemon glaze or vanilla glaze?
Either would be great, Janaki! Lemon would add an extra pop of flavor.
I was stress baking due to work, and although the preparation was a lot, and my finger got a wee bit grated using my brand new microplane (I understand the craze now! no not grating one finger, the getting the lemon peel!), the result is uh-may-zing. Mine looks quite terrible since I forgot to defrost my 1 year old frozen blueberries, as well as I didn’t bother using an extra muffin tray. I just jammed everything into the 12-muffin pan even if they were already over the brim. STILL SOOOOOO DELICIOUS! The bright lemony, sweet, moist muffin I will always cherish and make over and over again.
Thank you for sharing your recipes, Sally. Keep on baking!
Another wonderful recipe. I doubled the recipe and got 29 muffins. Taste and texture are lovely!
Can’t recall if I’ve left a review but I’ve made it twice and this is my ideal texture for a muffin. Fluffy and moist! There is a nice lemon flavor too! I added a little bit of cinnamon to the topping. It’s so good!
Made these today but I was really disappointed. The blueberries sank to the bottom and made the muffins so wet and soggy they wouldn’t hold together and broke apart. Just looking back at the recipe now, I can see that there is not enough flour to give structure and absorb the moisture coming from the blueberries. Checked online for other blueberry muffin recipes and it seems like the blueberry to flour ratio in this recipe is way off.
Just made these muffins and they are so perfect! Lemony, blueberry, and I even forgot to dust my blueberries with flour before mixing them in. They still turned out amazing! Added a few pinches of cinnamon mixed into the topping and its delicious.
Excellent – better than what you can buy in some bakeries. The crumb topping is a must-add. I used fresh berries and the muffins turned out perfectly. Highly recommend!
Absolutely delicious!!! So soft with a delicious lemon flavour! I just mixed everything by hand instead of using electric beaters and they turned out great. Will definitely make these again!!
Can I bake these with a 6 count muffin pan, in an air fryer?? I am limited to cooking units, but I am dying to give these a try!!
Hi Lara, you’ll have to bake them in batches (since this recipe makes 12 muffins). We don’t have an air fryer to test, but let us know if you give it a try!
Blueberry muffins have always been a favorite of mine, but I never dreamed that I could actually make bakery style muffins. But, oh my goodness! I was blown away with the texture of these and the addition of the lemon zest and juice. I did double the topping as you said was an option. I seriously doubt that I will be going to a bakery or coffee shop again just to have a good muffin. Thanks for making this old lady feel like an a pastry chef.
I substituted 3/4 cup of flour with almond flour and added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.
It was “Meh”. I am an experienced, weekly baker, and I followed the recipe exactly. Even using frozen blueberries, tossed in flour, they still sunk to the bottom. Taste of these muffins were not great, and I used fresh lemons!! The muffins did not rise properly and the crumb topping absorbed in the batter. Fresh baking soda and powder! So that’s not the issue. Oven temp is accurate, yogurt was fresh, just very bland
The lemon blueberry muffins are the best! Great recipe!
Can I use fresh blueberries instead of frozen?
Hi Marcy, you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries here. Happy baking!
These muffins are delicious! With a moist and tender crumb from the yogurt, a lovely crunch from the crumb topping, and bursts of blueberry goodness, there is no better way to start your day or have a treat with a cup of tea. Love!
We love this recipe. I’ve made them about 30 times KETO style! I make Victoria Holt’s KETO 2.0 flour with egg white protein powder, bamboo fiber, almond flour, psyllium husks and xantham gum. I use this recipe for blueberry, lemon blueberry and almond muffins. In all versions I omit the fresh lemon juice (not potent enough), use 1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half and 1 tbsp of extract. I also add 1/4 cup poppy seeds and hemp seeds to all versions. They are so good!
Love these muffins
Please include nutritional info for any recipe! TIA
Hi Coni, 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
I’ve made these several times now, and they are the BEST!
Just made this. It’s so light and fluffy and so good. I put less sugar because I don’t want it to be too sweet and it didn’t affect the texture of the muffin. Very delish. Thanks Sally!
Hi Sally, I made your lemon and blueberry muffins today! Absolutely amazing So fluffy and light. And extremely tasty. Thanks for the lovely receipe.
I just have a quick question? Since we are using lemon juice, should I use a glass mixing bowl? My stand mixer is older and has a stainless steel bowl.
Hi Raelene, we haven’t had an issue using a metal bowl to mix the ingredients, but using a glass bowl certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Out of this world amazing!
Hi can I use dryed lemon peel for this recipe, and thank for the raspberry crinkle cookie recipient Delicious!
Hi Ron, We haven’t tested it but you should be able to use dried lemon peel as a substitute for lemon zest. Keep in mind that dried peel is much more concentrated in flavor so you’ll want to use less than the amount of zest the recipe calls for.
Hi Sally and crew,
If I double it, do I need to make any adjustments to your recipe?
Thanks.
Hi Tina, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.
I don’t know what I did but they are crumbling apart, didn’t rise and are just mush.
Hi Rose! We would check to see if your baking powder and soda are fresh, they can lose strength after just a few months.
I’m not a baker! This was the first time I baked anything from scratch. This recipe was ridiculously easy to follow. The muffins were delicious. Someone commented about the blueberries sinking but that was not my experience. I used fresh berries and the batter was, as instructed, THICK. I would highly recommend.
So glad you enjoyed these, Stacy!
I put a review on this recipe with only 2 stars and it was never published, and my question never answered… does this mean you block low reviews to ensure your recipes have high reviews only ?
The blueberries all sank to the bottom of the muffin. I don’t have this problem with the other recipes I use.
Hi Valeria, I’m looking and I don’t see another review left by you! I wonder if it went to Spam and was bulk deleted. My apologies. No, we do not remove low reviews as that’s not helpful for my site or my readers. Did you use frozen blueberries? Was your muffin batter thick? It usually keeps the blueberries suspended in the muffin. If you ever try the recipe again, you can coat the blueberries in a little flour before adding to the batter.
I made this for my friends at work, whom are completely in love with the blueberry muffin from Starbucks. they absolutely LOVED this recipe and said that starbies are now waaaaay behind!
this is truly amazing! it’s really worthy!