These lemon blueberry muffins are moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor and flecks of juicy blueberries. The golden-brown muffins with a crunchy streusel topping, make these the best breakfast or snack idea!
If you have an abundance of blueberries you picked up at the market or you’re just a lover of all things blueberry, you’ve got to try my Lemon Blueberry Bread, Healthy Blueberry Muffins, and Blueberry Bran Muffins.
The awesome flavor combination of lemon and blueberry gives such a lovely sweet and sour balance to these muffins. There is something so refreshing about biting into anything lemon, it’s almost energizing. That, combined with the plump juicy blueberries whose natural sweetness offsets the zesty citrus nicely. Then the hint of cinnamon rounds out all the flavors nicely which gives you the perfect bite every time. I mean, what’s not to love!
This easy recipe gives you everything you want in a muffin which makes this a crowd-pleaser for both adults and kids! It’s perfect as a grab-and-go breakfast, to pack in your lunch, or to prepare as an after school snack. Pack some up for hours spent at after school activities or freeze some for a later date.
Keep this recipe handy for days you’ll be asked to whip up some baked good in less than an hour for a school bake sale your kids have known about for weeks. You’ll have them ready in less than an hour, they’re nut-free and incredibly delicious!
You’ll notice that this recipe uses sour cream, which gives it a nice soft cake-like texture and the added applesauce makes them extra moist. Loaded with blueberries and a buttery crumb topping, enjoying one of them with a hot cup of coffee may just be your new favorite way to start your day!
How to Make Lemon and Blueberry Muffins
Begin by preheating your oven and greasing a muffin tin with spray or lining with muffin paper liners.
In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.
In a separate larger bowl, mix together the sugar, milk, sour cream, applesauce, butter, eggs, and lemon juice. You want to beat this mixture together either by hand or a mixer on low speed until just blended.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just moistened. You want to be careful not to over mix, to avoid dry dense muffins.
Gently fold in the blueberries. Try not to over mix, otherwise, your blueberries may start to bleed into the batter and turn your muffins blue.
Fill each muffin cup about ¾ of the way up and set it aside while you make the easiest streusel topping.
Combine brown sugar and flour in a small bowl, then cut in the cold butter. Mix until all the flour and sugar is moistened and you have noticeable crumbs.
Take this mixture and sprinkle evenly on top of each individual portion of batter waiting in the tin.
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when tested in the center.
Allow cooling before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips and Variations
- These muffins will turn out just as great if you choose to use Bob’s Red Mill one to one gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- If you choose to go with a different type of flour (almond, buckwheat, coconut, etc), keep in mind the texture won’t be the same, but the flavor will still be great. Albeit different!
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are always fresh. This is what will activate the rise and the get you fluffy results.
- Use lemon zest in place of lemon juice if you prefer. Or use both!
- Pick up full-fat sour cream. You can replace it with plain Greek yogurt if that’s what you prefer.
- The batter for these muffins will be thick. That’s ok, so don’t try and thin them out!
- Fresh blueberries are best, especially when in season and you have an abundance you want to use. When in a pinch, or when they’re not in season frozen is totally fine.
- You’ll want your butter at two different temperatures. Make sure the butter you’re using in the batter is at room temperature which makes for easy mixing. The butter you cut in the streusel should be cold, straight out of the fridge.
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature as well, having your ingredients start at the same temperature makes for even baking.
Can I use this recipe with other fruit?
Absolutely! You can swap out the blueberries in this recipe and instead try raspberries, cherries, strawberries, and although it’s not a fruit, chocolate chips!
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Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ applesauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
For Streusel topping
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease a muffin tin with spray oil or line with paper liners. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix together well In a large bowl, add sugar, milk, sour cream, applesauce, butter, eggs, and lemon juice.
- Beat with a mixer on low speed until blended or hand stir until just blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened, careful not to over stir.
- Gently stir in blueberries. (avoid over mixing so batter doesn’t turn blue) Fill muffin cups ¾ full of batter.
- Make the struesel topping:
- in a small bowl, add ½ cup brown and ½ flour and then cut in 4 tablespoons cold butter. Mix well until all flour and sugar is moistened by butter.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly to the top of uncooked batter in muffin tin. Bake 25- 30 until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
- Let cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack
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