Bakery-Style Blueberry Lemon Muffins

A simple, yet impressive muffin! Ready in just an hour and perfect for your weekend breakfast bake!

I wasn't always a blueberry fan...but I have always loved a good blueberry lemon muffin. Don't worry, I grew up and I love blueberries now. But really, there is nothing better than bakery style muffins.

I almost always have these ingredients at home, so this is always an easy option to bake without needing to go to the store.

However, if you don't have blueberries at home right now, other berries or citrus would be great too. An orange and raspberry or blackberry would be an amazing alternative! Or if you don’t have any of those, you can try my favorite Coffee Cake Muffins.

Ingredient Tips

A few notes on important ingredients for these bakery-style lemon blueberry muffins! From what’s best to use to best substitutions!

- Butter: I always suggest using a good quality when it comes to your dairy because it does make a difference. This always helps the texture and flavor profile.

- Vanilla extract: In general, I just always suggest a good vanilla, preferably not a fake. This affects the flavor profile for the muffins. So try to not use clear vanilla as it can affect the flavor.

- Blueberries: Use fresh blueberries if possible. This helps with the texture of the batter. However, if you only have frozen or canned, you can use those. They just might sink easier or create a denser muffin. Be sure to drain and toss well in flour.

- Lemons: Your lemons should be fresh and clean. I suggest using a regular or Meyer lemon for the best flavor and lemon zest!

- Milk: I used fat-free cow's milk and haven't tried this with milk alternatives. I encourage you to try if you need to, but the texture of the muffins might not be as soft or creamy without it. My favorite milk alternative for baking is oat milk!

- Sugar: For the muffin mix, a normal granulated sugar will work just fine. For the topping of the muffin however, you do want a thick sugar that will coat and create a beautiful crusting. So, if you have access to raw, cane, or sanding sugar those will make the greatest option. But if you don't, granulated sugar will still work as well!

Why Bake with Room Temperature Butter & Eggs?

Here are some of my tips on why room temperature baking really makes a difference!

- Room Temperature Butter: Many of my recipes (and others) call for room temperature butter. This is due to a few things.

• 1. An emulsion is formed when all the wet ingredients are room temperature and mixing. You are whipping in air into the batter, because it will later help in baking when you get that light and fluffy texture.
• 2. Room temp butter is also able to blend smoother and create a cohesive batter. If you don't have it at room temp it can become very dense.

How to get your butter to room temperature quickly: I usually leave mine on a plate on the counter for a couple hours or maybe on the oven if it's being used for something else. If you need it done even quicker, try this tip from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

- Room Temperature Eggs: A lot of baking recipes (mine included) ask for room temperature eggs. This is because a room temp egg is easier to break down than a cold egg. So therefore, it mixes into the batter better. ALSO, room temp eggs get a better volume making for a fluffier baked good.

How to get room temp eggs: I would suggest leaving them on the counter for a couple of hours to get room temp. However, if you forget or run out of time, another option is to place the eggs into a bowl of warm water (not hot) for about 10-15 minutes.

Muffin Batter Tips

- Creaming Sugar and Butter: This is often the first step in many of my baked goods. Like the point above on room temperature butter, the creaming of the sugars and butter makes for a light and fluffy baked good. This step will:

• 1. Break down the granular of sugar so they are evenly distributed and baked.
• 2. You'll get that emulsion going and trapping in air that will create a light and fluffy batter and therefore final baked good.
• 3. I always suggest at least 3-5 minutes of mixing. However, if your kitchen is colder, you may need to go up to 6-8 minutes at least to make sure they cream fully.

- One Egg at a Time: I always suggest adding one egg at a time to make sure you're getting each one mixed in thoroughly and to get a better volume. I also recommend breaking them into a bowl first to make sure you don't mix in any shells!

- Mixing Dry Ingredients Separately: This is so important and basically happens in like 90% of baking. This is to make sure you are thoroughly mixing in the items like baking powders, sodas, etc. You want to make sure that it's evenly distributed because once you mix it into the wet ingredients it can stick in one place.

- Alternating Milk and Dry Ingredients: This is so important in batters. If you add all the liquid at once or before the dry ingredients, you could saturate the butter and actually cause the batter to separate. Or adding all the dry at once could make for a tough batter that the liquid won't mix into thoroughly. So be sure to always alternate, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.

Baking Tips

- Tossing Blueberries in Flour: I suggest doing this whenever you're making a cake, bread, loaf, or muffins with fruits or chocolate chips. This helps them to not sink to the bottom of the pan. However, frozen blueberries or canned might have more liquid so a teaspoon more of flour may be needed.

- Letting the Batter Sit: Letting the batter sit instead of directly adding it into the oven to bake will help the baking powder do a second rise and fluff up the batter just a little bit more. On cakes and muffins, I suggest doing this for 20-30 minutes.

- Greasing the Pan: I prefer a more sustainable route usually when it comes to muffins...I also just like the look of not having a liner. However, whether you use a liner or not, these muffins do require you grease the top of the pans as often the blueberries can melt to the top of the pan as the muffin tops fold over the edges of the cavities.

- Number of Muffins: Now this is a little special trick, but most muffins can be made as 12 regular muffins, or about 9-10 larger muffins that really grow and fluff on top of the muffin cups cavity. If you want to make the larger muffins, just be sure that you're alternating between cavities and using two room temp muffin/cupcake pans. And in the cavities that are empty place about 2-3 teaspoon of water.

- Allow the Muffins to Cool: This part is important because it will help the release of the muffins. It's hard to not dive right in, but this definitely is helpful!

- Sugar on Top: While not 100% necessary, it's a big part of this recipe as it really creates that beautiful and delicious crunchy top.

How to Store Muffins

To store these muffins, simply place in an airtight container in a cool and dry place for up to 1 week. I also always recommend reheating these for a few seconds in the microwave before eating. Baked goods are always better when eaten warm. I hope you love them as much as I do!

FAQs

Other Breakfast Recipes to Try

• Lemon Lavender Scones
• Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese Quiche
• Spring Brunch Recipes
• Coffee Cake Muffins
• Cranberry Mandarin Scones
• One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

Love this recipe?

Did you make this recipe and just love it? Awesome! If you have a quick minute and could leave a star rating and comment below, I would appreciate the support and knowing your feedback! And if you’re over on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your photos!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Share Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 26 minutes minutes

Rest time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 6 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

Author: Amanda Wilens

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Milk

• ▢ ½ cup milk room temperature

Add Ins

• ▢ 2 cups blueberries
• ▢ 2 teaspoon flour
• ▢ 1 lemon zested (about 2-3 tsp)

Topping

• ▢ ⅛ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil or butter

Instructions

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes to cream them fully on a low-medium speed.
• Then add in one egg at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract.
• In a separate medium-large bowl mix the dry ingredients fully.
• Alternate, starting and ending with the dry mixture, adding in the dry mixture and milk into the wet ingredients on a low-medium speed. You'll add in ⅓ of the dry mixture at a time and ½ of the milk at a time.
• In a separate small-medium bowl, toss blueberries in 2 teaspoon of flour. Then mix in lemon zest.
• Gently fold the blueberries and lemon zest into the muffins. Cover with a dishcloth or paper towel and let sit for 20-ish minutes while you heat the oven, prepare pans, and do a little clean up.
• Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare 1-2 muffin/cupcake pans with oil or butter. You want to do the cavities as well as the top of the pan. If you plan on doing 10 large muffins, you will want to prepare 2 dishes and skip every other cavity (filling with water). Or if you plan on doing 12 normal sized muffins, just do one pan. You can also line them with liners. But greasing the top will help the removal of large sized ones later.
• Scoop batter into the muffin pans. There is about 50 tablespoon of batter. If you do the 10 large ones, do about 5 tablespoon per cavity/muffin. If you are doing 12 muffins about 4 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon per cavity/muffin.
• Sprinkle the topping sugar generously across the tops of all the muffins.
• Bake each pan for 24-26 minutes (perhaps an extra minute or two for the larger ones) or until golden brown on top!
• Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool. Then you may need to use a knife under the muffin top between the pan and muffin to release it from the cavity.
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

 

- Why Toss Blueberries in Flour: I suggest doing this whenever you're making a cake, bread, loaf, or muffins with fruits or chocolate chips. This helps them to not sink to the bottom of the pan. However, frozen blueberries or canned might have more liquid so a teaspoon more of flour may be needed.

 

- Letting the Batter Sit: Letting the batter sit instead of directly adding it into the oven to bake will help the baking powder do a second rise and fluff up the batter just a little bit more. On cakes and muffins, I suggest doing this for 20-30 minutes.

 

- Greasing the Pan: I prefer a more sustainable route usually when it comes to muffins - I also just like the look of not having a liner. However, whether you use a liner or not, these muffins do require you grease the top of the muffin pans as often the blueberries can melt to the top of the pan as the muffin tops fold over the edges of the cavities.

 

- Number of Muffins: Now this is a little special trick, but most muffins can be made as 12 regular muffins, or about 9-10 larger muffins that really grow and fluff on top of the cavity. If you want to make the larger muffins, just be sure that you're alternating between cavities and using two room temp muffin/cupcake pans. And in the cavities that are empty place about 2-3 teaspoon of water.

 

- Allow the Muffins to Cool: This part is important because it will help the release of the muffins. It's hard to not dive right in, but this definitely is helpful!

 

- Sugar on Top: While not 100% necessary, it's a big part of this recipe as it really creates that beautiful and delicious crunchy top.

Tried this recipe?Mention @amanda.wilens