These soft and moist lemon blueberry muffins with sour cream are bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon flavor. They’re drizzled with a delicious lemon glaze.
Table of Contents
Perfect for Sunday Brunch
As soon as fresh berries are in season, I get the itch to bake all types of treats. Blueberry muffins or this recipe for blueberry coffee cake are usually one of the first recipes I make, but this time I decided to add some fresh lemon juice and zest to brighten up the baked good even more. The two flavors are perfect together!
These lemon blueberry muffins with sour cream are absolutely divine. They have the best light and refreshing flavor and are perfect for Spring and Summer. There’s just something about blueberries and lemon that adds the best fresh flavor to muffins or bread.
The sour cream that’s included makes them so soft and moist. Plus the glaze on top adds the perfect sweet touch. Not to mention how pretty it makes them look, too. You must try them! They are totally worth it.
Why This Recipe Works
These lemon blueberry muffins are the perfect addition to any breakfast or snack. It is full of color, and delicious flavor, and is perfect for making ahead! The perfect combination!
- Bright flavors. From the zingy lemon juice and zest to the fresh, juicy blueberries, this lemon blueberry muffin recipe delivers bright flavors that will excite your palate.
- Moist and tender. The sour cream and vegetable oil help make these muffins perfectly soft and moist.
- Great for freezing. Double the batch and freeze half for a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Key Ingredients
Fill your muffin pan with pantry favorite ingredients that are simple to make and come together perfectly. These are bakery-style muffins made right at home. You will love the flavor combination and the freshness of the ingredients!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Lemons: The lemons really are the star of the show. Make sure to pick nice and juicy ones to bring out the lemon flavor from the juice and zest. You don’t want to use the jarred stuff.
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen, however, if you are using frozen do not thaw them. Add straight from the freezer or they’ll create too much juice.
- Sour Cream: The sour cream is what helps these muffins become so soft and tender. You could also swap for Greek yogurt if preferred.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Muffins
A simple recipe that comes together in less than 30 minutes! It is the perfect way to use fresh or frozen blueberries. Make these beautiful blueberry lemon zest muffins for your morning today!
- Whisk: Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients into the large bowl and stir until desired consistency.
- Combine: Whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar, juice, vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. Combine with dry ingredients and fold in blueberries with a spatula.
- Bake: Fill a muffin tin with paper liners 2/3 the way full and add a few blueberries on top. Bake until the tops bounce back.
- Glaze: You can enjoy the muffins plain or mix up the lemon glaze and drizzle over top.
- Cool. Let cool on a wire rack to help cool the muffins evenly.
Lemon Glaze
Although the glaze is optional, I highly recommend it! It takes the muffins up a notch and adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the bright citrus flavor.
To make the glaze mix together 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon lemon juice in a small bowl. You could also replace the lemon juice with milk to make a classic powdered sugar glaze if preferred.
Variations
Try these delicious sweet and savory toppings to make your muffins stand out above the rest! Sprinkle over top of the muffins before or after baking them for an extra flavor combination everyone loves!
- Crumb topping. Before baking, sprinkle a crumble topping over the batter for a richer flavor. This is similar to a streusel topping.
- Sweetness. You may also sprinkle granulated sugar on the tops before baking to create a sweeter, crispier top.
- The glaze on top. For a more subtle glaze, use a mixture of powdered sugar and milk instead of lemon juice.
Expert Tips
Follow these simple tips to make the best blueberry lemon muffins. Fresh blueberries, not frozen berries, and the hidden ingredient of sour cream take these muffins to the next level!
- Use fresh blueberries. Trust me, this makes all the difference. They taste amazing and are bursting with fresh flavor.
- Sour cream. This is the secret to super moist muffins! The extra fat content makes them so soft and gives them a rich flavor.
- Lemon zester. Use a zester to easily and quickly zest your lemon. Learn how to zest a lemon with these simple tips.
- Don’t overfill. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 of the way full. If you fill any further, the muffins will overflow.
- Decorate. Before baking, add a few extra fresh blueberries to each muffin cup. This will make your muffins look extra pretty.
- Let cool. Make sure the muffins have cooled completely before drizzling with the glaze. You don’t want it to melt!
Recipe FAQs
This will prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins. It’s not a necessity, but is an easy extra step you can take to ensure you have the best lemon blueberry muffins!
Simply mix the fresh blueberries with about 1 Tablespoon flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
Both work fine, although I prefer to use vegetable oil when making these muffins because it tends to create a more moist and tender texture than butter. Melt butter ahead of time to help give that moist texture to the batter.
I use sour cream as the secret ingredient for many recipes such as banana bread, my strawberry sour cream cake, and chocolate cupcakes. The acidity in the sour cream will make your baked goods super moist, with a soft and tender texture.
5 star review
“Light, moist, just the right sweetness. We are totally pleased with this recipe.”
-Dee Ann
Storing + Freezing Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Making ahead and storing these homemade lemon blueberry muffins is a simple gesture to having them on hand. These muffins will come in handy on those busy mornings or for an afternoon school snack!
- To store: After the muffins have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container or bag. They will stay fresh at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: These frozen blueberry muffins are best frozen without the glaze. Place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds until warm.
Love blueberry recipes? Try this blueberry jam, blueberry pancakes, or blueberry sauce recipe!
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Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice , about 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
- 1 cup blueberries
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1/2-1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Fill cupcake pan with liners, or use cooking spray to grease them.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, sour cream, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in the blueberries.
- Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 the way full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove muffins from pan and let cool completely.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over muffins.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Bread, Breakfast, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Muffins, Muffins, Snacks
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Light, moist, just the right sweetness. We are totally pleased with this recipe.
Wow ! Just came out of oven. Sweet,tart & full of lemon goodness. I literally licked the wrapper clean. Can’t wait to try with the glaze after they cool. This one’s a keeper. And…. I’m going to try out your orange cranberry cheese ball for a Easter app Thank you for the recipe