A new brunch favorite: Vanilla Lemon Blueberry Muffins
The perfect lemon blueberry muffin recipe
I can’t take all the credit for these muffins, but I would if I could. This recipe was adapted and inspired by a recipe for Lemon-Ginger Muffins in my trusted Vitamix Cookbook: Create. What’s the secret to these delicious muffins, and why am I not following the recipe?
To me, the secret is the lemon zest that is both baked into the muffins and added as a topping. It ensures that the lemony flavor hits you, without being overpowering, in every single bite.
I chose to add vanilla and blueberries to these muffins instead of ginger because blueberries are my daughter’s favorite and it almost guaranteed me that she would at least try a muffin or two. Plus, ginger can be a little more divisive – not everyone loves it as much as I do. These three flavors go so well together and also make the kitchen smell wonderful.
I used my blender to mix the wet ingredients but if you don’t have one then you can also use a hand mixer or whisk. The actual prep time was under 10 minutes including the zesting, measuring, and mixing.
These Vanilla Lemon Blueberry muffins will only be lightly browned when you take them from the oven, so be careful not to overcook them. If you are worried they aren’t cooked, use the trusty toothpick method to test the doneness.
The piece de resistance is the decadent topping you add to these warm just from the oven muffins made from a combo of melted butter and lemon juice, followed by a dip in sugar and lemon zest. So good. These muffins may never make it to a serving dish – you will literally be pulling them from the tin, dipping them, and eating them right away, and that’s perfectly acceptable. These are finger-lickin’ good.
These muffins would be a great addition to your holiday brunch or Mother’s Day menu. I love making mini lemon blueberry muffins so everyone can try one while also enjoying many other items on the brunch spread.
I can also see adjusting this recipe to make Lemon Cranberry or even Orange Cranberry muffins for a little extra seasonal flare. The base recipe is easy to adjust.
What flavor combinations would you like to try?
Vanilla Lemon Blueberry Muffins
The perfect addition to your brunch menu.
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Topping
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and spray your muffin tins.
- In a mid-sized mixing bowl, add flour, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Combine well.
- In blender jar, add 1/2 cup sugar, softened butter, milk, egg and vanilla.
- Select Variable 1 and turn on blender.
- Slowly increase speed to Variable 5 and blend 15-20 seconds.
- Pour wet mixture into mixing bowl with dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add blueberries and stir gently.
- Divide mixture evenly across either 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini muffins. For regular muffins this is approximately 1/4 cup of mixture.
- Place full muffin tin in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick can be removed cleanly. The muffins should be lightly browned around the edges.
- While muffins are cooking prepare your toppings.
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter and add lemon juice. Set aside.
- In small bowl or plate, mix remaining sugar and lemon zest.
- Remove muffins from the oven.
- While still warm, dip muffin tops in the lemon butter mixture and then roll in lemon sugar mixture.
- Enjoy while still warm. (Great cold too!)
Notes
Adapted from Lemon Ginger Muffins via the Vitamix: Create Cookbook
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
Please note, that the nutritional details are an estimate only and may differ depending on the source of your ingredients. Optional ingredients may be included.
Do you love the blueberry & lemon combo? Try our Frozen Blueberry Lemonade.
Please note: I used my Vitamix Pro 750 to mix these muffins. Check out the many reasons I love my Vitamix. You can also read our Disclosure Policy.
Holy cow, these look GOOOOOOD!!!!!!! We are a blueberry-lemon-loving family. These will be happening. <3
They really are so delicious. Lemon butter is my new fave!
Hi can I substitute the egg with something else and if so what?
We haven’t personally tried any egg substitutes with this particular recipe. In theory, one of these substitutes could work (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/egg-substitutes-for-baking/) but I can’t guarantee the outcome. Good Luck.
Can frozen blueberries be used instead of fresh?
Hi Tiffany, Yes you can use frozen blueberries. One thing to keep in mind – frozen berries due tend to streak your batter purple so your muffins may look a bit different. I’d recommend adding at the end and stirring as little as possible to minimize. I’ve also read elsewhere that you can try coating the frozen berries with flour before adding to the mixture but I’ve never tried that personally.