Moist and fluffy Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins bursting with lemon and blueberry flavors for a healthy breakfast or snack. They come together in one bowl in 10 minutes and nobody will know they are healthy!
Like lemon muffins, healthy blueberry muffins and healthy blueberry banana muffins, these are one of my favorite summer portable snacks!
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Healthy lemon blueberry muffins are as bright and sunshiny as they sound, and are a spinoff of my healthy blueberry bread.
Coming up with healthy muffin recipes isn’t just a way to avoid all the preservatives, added sugars, and artificial flavors you’d find in commercial store-bought products.
I do this so I know I can have a quick and easy breakfast to give my kids when they’re home during summer. Something that won’t spike their blood sugar, they are on rotation with healthy blueberry pancakes.
These lemon blueberry muffins provide loads of nutrients, but my kids just love them for that delicious bright lemon flavor and juicy blueberries. It is one of the best flavor combinations out there that is only matched by the moist, tender crumb inside!
What Makes These Muffins Healthy?
Even with all of these benefits, you’d never know they were this healthy!
- No refined sugar: Only sweetened with real fruit and maple syrup.
- Wholesome ingredients: Aiming for complex carbs, probiotics, and healthy fats.
- Protein: Thanks to the eggs, whole wheat flour, and yogurt.
- Balances blood sugar: Maple sugar raises blood sugar slower than refined sugar. Cinnamon also helps to lower it.
Ingredients You Will Need
Here’s everything you need to get started:
- Large eggs
- Plain regular yogurt or Greek yogurt
- Avocado, or any mild oil
- Fresh lemon juice and zest
- Pure vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Salt
- Spelt flour or whole wheat flour – for muffins with all-purpose flour, check out these lemon blueberry muffins.
- Blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Cooking spray
How to Make Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
These muffins are super easy, come together in one bowl in 10 minutes and ready to enjoy in 20 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, yogurt, maple syrup, oil, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
You can use bottled lemon juice but flavor won’t be as great but still good.
Whisk well to combine and be careful to make sure all of the baking powder and baking soda are well incorporated.
Add the flour and gently stir. Do not overmix the batter!
Toss in the flour coated blueberries with the batter and gently fold those in.
We toss them in flour first so that way they don’t sink to the bottom and are kept evenly dispersed throughout the muffins as they bake.
Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups and add a few extra blueberries to the top of each one, if you wish.
Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 425 degrees F oven and then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. The initial high heat helps the muffin tops to rise to create a nice outer shell. Lowering the temperature allows the inside of the muffin to catch up while remaining nice and fluffy.
Continue baking for another 10 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when it’s inserted into the middle of the muffin.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin before transferring them out of the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Tips for Best Results
- Do not overmix the batter. Allow the batter to rest between stirs, trapping the air.
- Use a trigger release scoop. When dividing the batter, this is super helpful in getting equal portions. This helps to ensure each muffin gets evenly baked.
- Other flours: You may also use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. If you have white flour, make these blueberry lemon muffins. Unfortunately, gluten free flours will not work with this recipe. You can try my almond flour blueberry muffins and add lemon juice and zest.
- Do not thaw frozen blueberries. If you’re not using fresh berries, add them in straight from frozen.
- Zesting the lemon: Microplane is the best for zesting the lemon. In a pinch, box grater will work. Just make sure to zest only yellow part as white pith can add bitter taste to the muffins.
FAQs
Yes, you can use equal amount of applesauce or mashed banana. Dairy-free yogurt will work well too.
Yes. You can use other berries like fresh or frozen raspberries or blackberries. Chopped strawberries would work well too.
#1 reason for dense muffins is over-mixing the batter. Make sure there are still some white flour pockets and batter lumps are left when you are done.
Sure! You just want to keep an eye on them and lower the baking time. Check on them at the 12 minute mark.
How to Store
These healthy lemon blueberry muffins will keep nice and moist on the counter for up to 4 days when covered. If you want to extend their life a little longer, transfer them to the fridge for another couple of days.
So, 1 week would be total storage time.
I sometimes will make a double batch and freeze them in late summer. This way I can enjoy them in the cooler months too!
If you’re up to freezing some too make sure they’re completely cool. Transfer them to a freezer friendly bag or airtight container and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
Storage Tip
Don’t miss my guide how to store muffins and how to freeze muffins to keep your leftover muffins fresh longer.
More Muffin Recipes to Try
- Healthy banana muffins
- Healthy strawberry muffins
- Healthy lemon poppy seed muffins
- Lemon zucchini muffins
- Almond muffins with berries
- Raspberry muffins recipe
- Blackberry muffins
Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup regular or Greek yogurt 2%+ fat
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1/3 cup any mild tasting oil I used avocado oil
- 1 large lemon zest of
- 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/3 cups spelt or whole wheat flour + 1 tbsp for coating berries
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen (unthawed)
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line muffin tin with unbleached muffin liners and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, yogurt, maple syrup, oil, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine, making sure baking powder and soda have dissolved. Add flour and stir gently to mix. Do not over mix.
- In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tbsp flour, add to the batter and give a few stirs.
- Using large ice cream scoop, fill 12 openings with batter. You can also add a few blueberries on top. Bake for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and bake for another 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let muffins cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool more or enjoy.
Notes
- Store: Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 3 – 4 days or in a fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze: Bake and cool muffins completely. Arrange in a single layer in resealable plastic bag or any container with a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Other flours: You may also use whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour. Unfortunately, gluten free flours will not work with this recipe. You can try my almond flour blueberry muffins and add lemon juice and zest.
- Bottled lemon juice will work but fresh is best.
- Zesting the lemon: Microplane is the best for zesting the lemon. In a pinch, box grater will work. Just make sure to zest only yellow part as white pith can add bitter taste to the muffins.
- Do not overmix batter: Stir a few times, let batter sit and stir again. A few dry flour patches are fine.
I only have fat free Greek yogurt, will that work?
Yes. Depends how much fat. Just might be a bit more dry but should be ok. 0% not sure will taste good.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of honey or maple syrup?
In baking it’s best to follow the recipe as written and using granulated sugar may throw off the ratios of liquid to dry ingredients. If you try let us know how it goes.
Delicious with fresh blueberries from a local farm, the lemon adds the perfect light taste.
So glad you enjoyed them, and yes perfect for blueberry season!