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. 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 Treats
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*
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 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 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.
Which do you prefer to use & why- sour cream vs Greek yogurt and frozen vs fresh blueberries? Excited to try this recipe!
Hi Maddie, we typically use plain Greek yogurt in this recipe but sour cream works equally well (depends on what we have in the refrigerator!). Fresh berries are preferred here, as frozen will release more liquid into the batter. However, if you use frozen berries, do not thaw them first.
Hi
Do you think I could substitute the yogurt for cottage cheese?
I made these today, October 1/24. They were light, fluffy, full of flavour and the family enjoyed them! Lots of blueberries in the freezer so I’ll be making them again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed these muffins, Debbie!
These are lovely! I omitted the topping and they still came out great. Thank you for the recipe!
My family gobbled these up! I am making another batch tonight. Thank you for another fantastic recipe. You are our go-to for baking recipes.
Crumb topping completely melted and burned and the muffins didn’t rise at all. What happened?
Hi Kaity, Was the crumb topping mixed into a paste consistency, or was it pretty crumbly after mixing and sprinkling on the muffins before baking? Make sure it’s extra crumbly, and careful not to overmix into a paste. For next time, you can add a little more flour which will help soak up some of the butter. (And prevent it from melting and sinking down into the muffins.) Were your baking powder and baking soda fresh? We recommend replacing them after 3 months, even if not expired, because they can start to lose their effectiveness after that time. Thank you for giving these a try!
I made these muffins and they are delish. As is my way- I added a scoop of protein powder and some chopped mixed nuts. I would do that again as it worked out ok.
Fantastic! I used 1/4 c whole wheat flour with all purpose flour for the rest. Somehow, I made enough batter for 18 muffins! They turned out moist, lemony and worth the effort. Thank you Sally!
these were delicious! i thought my blueberries would sink down like the other comments suggested, but they didn’t. sally has never done me wrong!!
These turned out ugly, but delicious. I’ll definitely dredge the berries next time lol. The berries all ended up on the bottom, so we served them warm in a bowl with a dollop of ice cream on top.
So if you’re going to delete any review that is honest and not positive how can we believe anything about the recipes?
Hello Mykidsmomma. All comments come through as pending and I was not on my website last night responding to or approving comments. Your comment was not deleted; it just wasn’t seen yet.
This was a bomb, not good. Why on earth I ignored my instinct
and instead followed the recipe… but also why no instructions to dredge the berries? I had a bottom that fell off because all the blueberries were in it, and nowhere else. Store bought muffins for the first day back to school. Wish I’d slept in and not woken up early to bake! Dredge your berries everyone!
Hi, did you by chance skip the muffin liners? We had another comment come through like this and that baker did not use liners. I’m wondering if this is the issue, and will have to test it. Tossing blueberries in flour can certainly help. Thanks for reporting back!
I made these today and they were textbook perfect! The blueberries were perfectlt jammy, the muffins were super fluffy and not dry at all and the crumb added to the amazing texture. They weren’t overly sweet either and so fun to make with a sipky smooth batter! Sally’s recipes never let me down 🙂
Loved this recipe . Made two dozen . Only change I made was I put 1/4 almond flour instead of completely all purpose flour, made it more protein and gave to a 5 star ! 1st time I made muffins from scratch and my baker teen loved them and my husband demolished 3 in one sitting
Where are the nutrition label
Hi Mr, 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 made this recipe but without the topping. I made a lemon vanilla icing instead to drizzle on top. These were a hit in my house and I’m trying to control myself from eating more than 1 a day. I will be making these more often now!
Hi Elida. Would you share your recipe for lemon drizzle icing you used on the top instead of the crumble? Sounds delicious!
Tried this recipe and they came out perfect.
Could you sub the yogurt and milk with buttermilk and the butter with oil?
Hi Jazmin, you could use buttermilk to replace both the yogurt and milk. We do not recommend using oil in place of the butter; you need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that it can be properly creamed with the sugar. You’ll lose some flavor without the butter, too.
Thank you so much!
This is my go to baking site. Muffins always turn out great. I used buttermilk in these…soo good. I ended up adding a lemon juice/powder sugar glaze on top. Wondering if I should omit crumb topping when I choose to use glaze ? Tks V
My family and friends loved this recipe. I made one change, I put the batter into a 6″ x 9″ pyrex dish and it turned out great. Just took a little longer to cook.
I just did this recipe with my kids and it is as easy as it is delicious ! A++
The bake time is unclear. At first, it asked for 12 count muffin tin. And mine is a 6 muffin tray. So I increased the bake time, and temperature. 450F for 10mins, then 350F for 25mins. The muffins turns out great. (Although beating the butter and sugar together was almost a disaster, half of the sugar and butter flying out of my large bowl, I looked up a video, should have beat the butter first then add sugar).
Anyway, came back to leave a comment noticed the tips at the bottom for Jumbo Muffin(6 muffin) bake time is same in the recipe (for 12 muffin).
But as I mentioned, I adjusted the bake time and temp as above, it was great.
(I also used fresh blueberries picked this week, so they are quite heavy all sink to the bottom, and after they rest in the tin, when I took them out, the bottom was very soft and almost collapsed, I know they are not undercooked, because I checked them with a toothpick, nothing sticks, I thought it’s an air pocket, they won’t stand straight, so I turned them upside down while they cool down, seems to do the job)
Hi Choco, thanks for the feedback. I don’t recommend increasing the oven temperature for the initial 5 minutes. The bake time for jumbo muffins is longer than the standard size muffins. Apologies that was unclear in the Notes. 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes.
These muffins are delicious! Moist and lemon forward my 2 year old said “GOOD!” I used too many blueberries but they still worked out. The muffin crumb is much creamier.
I LOOOOVE this recipe! I followed it precisely to the tee and it came out great! I have used this recipe several times already, and it’s truly a high five!
I love all of your recipes! This one is delicious, but mine did NOT come out very pretty, nor did they stay in one piece. The tops spread out a lot and got very dark, too. I must’ve either undercooked them too much (I did the 425 then 350 as suggested) or added too many blueberries resulting in a mushy blueberry bottom. I also did not use liners but, instead, sprayed the heck out of the muffin tins. They taste great, but man are they a mess! They are now upside down muffins!
Hi Kerry, were any of the ingredients left out or mis-measured on accident? The batter should be thick and fluffy before baking. As for the bake time, every oven is a bit different, so no worries if you need to extend your bake time just a bit to ensure they are baked through. Thank you for giving these a try!
Kerry, this.p is exactly what I experienced with the tops and the mushy bottoms when all the berries sank. I did a perfect job measuring and the oven was correct.
I loved this! Perfect amount of lemon and sweetness. The tops of my muffins were cracked but I think I just overfilled them.