Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These lemon blueberry muffins are bursting with fresh blueberries and zesty lemon flavor. They’re also incredibly moist and topped with a crunchy crumble topping with extra lemon zest. With how easy these are to make, you can have a fresh batch of warm muffins in no time!

What makes this lemon blueberry muffin recipe so good

Muffins are always so easy to make, but are tricky to get just right. It’s a balance between really puffy and tall muffins and still managing a really moist texture. These muffins tick both boxes! They puff up in the oven while maintaining a super moist texture that stays that way for days.

These muffins definitely don’t lack in flavor either. Both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are added to the batter alongside a heaping amount of fresh blueberries. Each bite gives you a burst of lemon and blueberry with a moist texture and crunchy crumble topping.

Speaking of the topping, this one goes perfectly with these muffins. It’s crunchy but not too sweet, which pairs perfectly with the flavorful and soft base. Top them off with a little extra lemon zest if you really love that lemon!

Last but not least, these muffins are super moist and STAY moist. Since the batter is made with oil and not butter, it creates a super soft and moist texture to keep this muffins tasting fresh for days.

a bowl of lemon zest, flour, sugar, and cinnamon

a bowl of dry ingredients and blueberries

How to make lemon blueberry muffins

First and foremost, pick through those blueberries! If using fresh blueberries, pick out any stems or moldy berries…there’s always a couple bad ones in the bunch. Then give them a good rinse before starting.

Once the blueberries are prepped, start by combining the dry ingredients.

A unique step in this recipe is to rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Add the two ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps release even more of that lemon flavor. If you’ve ever rubbed dry herbs when cooking, it’s the same principle. You’re releasing the natural oils to expose even more flavor.

Once combined, whisk in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. The cinnamon just adds a touch of warmth to the muffins but doesn’t actually provide much flavor. So don’t worry, they won’t taste like coffee cake!

At this point, you’ll mix in the washed blueberries into the dry ingredients. This coats them in the flour to prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

In a separate smaller bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. This includes, oil, canned coconut milk, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla. Canned coconut milk is used here because of its richness. It has a high fat content to create a really moist muffin. I’ve listed some alternatives in the recipe card if you can’t get your hands on it.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to fold the two together. It’s really important not to over mix because we want a tender muffin, not a tough muffin.

Muffin crumble topping

Add the crumble topping before popping these muffins in the oven. Combine a flour, sugar, and melted butter to create a wet sand consistency. Crumble a hefty amount onto each muffin and bake!

lemon blueberry muffin batter in cupcake liners

lemon blueberry muffin batter in cupcake liners with a crumb topping

How to bake muffins for a domed muffin top

After testing these muffins 6 times before landing on this recipe, I went through so many different baking times and temperatures. This method turned out to be the absolute best:

First bake the muffins at a really high temperature (450F) for just 10 minutes. It won’t burn the muffins, but it will allow the outside to puff up and set. This helps prevent the muffins from spreading as the inside bakes, creating a domed top that grows up and not out.
Drop the oven temperature to 375F for the rest of the time. This allows the center to bake through without burning the outside.

This technique gives you a super crunchy crumb topping with a really tender center. These muffins now have a dome top with bursted blueberries all throughout. They’re absolute perfection!

lemon blueberry muffins in a vintage muffin tin

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yep! There are just a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure to thaw the blueberries before adding them to the batter. Otherwise, the muffins will have to bake for much longer if frozen berries are used.

Second, the berries may or may not bleed into the batter, turning your muffins blue. It’s not a huge deal and not all frozen berries do this, but it’s something to consider if going the frozen route.

Substitutions for coconut milk

Coconut milk is one of my holy grail baking ingredients. It adds tons of richness and it can be used in so many different ways. I used coconut milk in this recipe for its high fat content and to create a completely dairy free muffin.

If you don’t have full fat coconut milk on hand or prefer to use something else, sour cream, plain yogurt, or whole milk are all great options.

Swaps for Dairy Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Like I said, these muffins on their own are completely dairy free! The only problem we run into is with the crumble. I tested a few different crumbles, subbing the butter for coconut oil or just using a completely dry crumble. Unfortunately nothing works as well as butter!

But the good news is that there are tons of plant based butters out there that work just like regular butter. Sub it into the crumble mixture and your blueberry muffins are now completely dairy free.

How long do blueberry muffins keep?

Store the muffins in an air tight container in the fridge. Since they’re full of blueberries, leaving them out at room temperature leaves them susceptible to mold.

The muffins will keep in the fridge for up to a week. You can eat them chilled or pop them in the microwave for a few second before eating.

a lemon blueberry muffin with a bite taken out

For more muffin recipes, check out my:

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
BEST Blueberry Muffins
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (GF, DF, RSF)
Pumpkin Muffins (GF, DF)
Chocolate Chip Muffins

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these Lemon Blueberry Muffins. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!