This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure page.
Table of contents
Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins
It's no secret that I'm a huge proponent for small-batch baking recipes. They're perfect for those of us who live alone and lack self-control because there are fewer leftovers waiting for me to devour them all (lol); this was the inspiration behind my second cookbook, Simple Small-Batch Baking.
This moist small batch lemon blueberry muffin recipe yields 6 to 8 soft, tender muffins with a lovely lemon flavor. And you'll love the burst of flavor the blueberries add! I like to sprinkle some granulated sugar on top of the batter before baking but you could totally leave it off and finish them with a drizzle of sweet lemon glaze; the glaze from my small batch lemon poppy seed muffins would make the perfect amount.
Why You'll Love These Muffins
- Simplicity. This is an easy one-bowl recipe. And while you *can* use a mixer, it can be made with a whisk by hand!
- Flavor. They're perfectly bright and lemony. Not to mention the blueberries bursting in every bite!
- Texture. These muffins are insanely moist (thanks to the sour cream and oil).
- Yield. This scaled-down recipe makes just 6 to 8 muffins, but the recipe can easily be doubled!
Ingredients and Substitutions
For these lemon poppy seed muffins, you need some pretty basic pantry ingredients:
- Lemons– You'll need *at least* 1 lemon as this recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of lemon zest (and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice). If you want to ensure the bright lemon flavor shines through, feel free to use up to 3 additional tablespoons of lemon zest or add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Sugar– A little over 1/2 cup to sweeten our muffins ever so slightly.
- Egg– Just one large egg is needed!
- Canola Oil– I tested this recipe using butter; however, I found that oil allows the lemon flavor to shine through better and also keeps these muffins nice and moist. You can use any type of neutral oil really!
- Sour Cream– This keeps the muffins moist and tender. You can replace it with an equal amount of Greek yogurt.
- All-Purpose Flour– Just 1¼ cups is needed!
- Fine Sea Salt– The salt helps balance the sugar.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder– Our leavening agents to help these muffins rise.
- Blueberries– These are lemon blueberry muffins after all... You can use either fresh or frozen here! If using frozen blueberries, do not let them thaw first; add them to the batter while still frozen.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Serving & Storage
Serving: These lemon blueberry muffins need about 15-20 minutes to cool down, otherwise, you'll burn your tongue. You can serve them warm or at room temperature.
Storage: Leftover muffins should be stored in an airtight container and can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze baked & cooled muffins for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying. Warm up in the microwave if desired!
Tips for Making the Best Muffins
Here are a few tips for making the best muffins possible:
- Don’t overmix your batter. Overmixing causes the muffins to get tough and rubbery, which nobody wants. Mix until everything is *just* combined (a few flour streaks is okay, honestly).
- Use a spring-loaded scoop to fill the muffin tins. You'll need to fill each one with 4½-5 tablespoons of batter. Anything less will result in squat muffins.
- Bake muffins in a greased muffin tin or with paper liners to ensure your muffins come out of the pan in one piece.
- Don’t overbake your muffins. Bake them just until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Recipe Troubleshooting & FAQ
How do I get MORE lemon flavor in these Lemon Blueberry Muffins?
If you have additional lemons lying around, you can add up to 3 additional tablespoons of lemon zest. You can also add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon extract and whisk it in with the rest of the wet ingredients to enhance the lemon flavor even more.
Can I double this recipe?
Yup, you can double the recipe and bake it in a standard 12-cup muffin pan; the bake time will be about the same! You can adjust the 'servings' slider from 6 to 12 to get the proper metric measurements.
How can you tell when the muffins are done baking?
A toothpick is your best friend when testing muffins for doneness. You’ll want to remove these lemon blueberry muffins from the oven when your toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Make sure to let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Watch How to Make These Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins:
Remember to tag me @mikebakesnyc on Instagram and leave a rating + review below if you make these Moist Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins! Happy baking!
Moist Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest approx. 1 large lemon
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (≈ 50g)
- 120 g sour cream
- 60 g canola oil
- 30 g lemon juice
- 155 g all-purpose flour divided
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 155 g blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Spray a 6-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with cupcake liners, then set it aside.
- Add the granulated sugar to a large bowl and, using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it’s well combined, fragrant, and the sugar has a yellow hue to it.
- Add the egg and whisk until the mixture has thickened and is light in color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream, oil, and lemon juice until well combined and no lumps from the sour cream remain, about 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup (125 grams) of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir until the flour is *mostly* incorporated. Toss the blueberries in the remaining ¼ cup (30 grams) of flour and then dump all of it into the batter. Fold everything together gently until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to the top; you’ll use 4½ tablespoons of batter per cup. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, if desired.
- Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nicole
Can these be made as mini muffins? And if so, does anything need to be adjusted on temperature or time? I'm making mini muffins for a morning event and these sound incredible!
Mike Johnson
I've not tried these as mini muffins but it *could* work! They would definitely need a shorter baking time (maybe around 10 minutes); I just worry that the blueberries could take up more of the muffin cavity than the batter. If you try it, let me know how they turn out!
Nicole
Thanks! I looked it up and it seems that starting at 10 mins is the key and then slowly going up in time until they are done. I saw a note that said you can chop the blueberries up for mini muffins to help so I might try that. I'll let you know how they turned out!
Nicole
Ok I did it. I made two batches and it made 48 mini muffins. The blueberries were not an issue and each mini muffin had anywhere from 2-4 blueberries. I did go through my blueberries and chose the smallest ones, but there ended up being a lot of average sized ones and it was not a problem. For my oven (and admittedly my oven is very old) the sweet spot seemed to be about 13 mins baking (turning half way). They didn't get as brown on the tops as I would have liked, but I don't think I could have baked them longer otherwise they might have been drier. The bottoms and sides were a nice brown. Thanks for the recipe! Everyone loved them!
Mike Johnson
So glad to hear it all worked out, Nicole! Thanks for reporting back 😀
Fina
Hi Mike
How much lemon extract would you use?
Mike Johnson
I'm not sure since I haven't tested it myself! It’s significantly more intense than lemon zest, so you won’t want to overdo it. I would start with maybe a teaspoon and go from there.
Fina
How can these be made without lemon zest. Do not like lemon zest
Mike Johnson
You can leave the zest out, however, the lemon flavor will be very faint. Most of the flavor in a lemon comes from the very outside of the peel, or the zest. If you look closely you’ll see little ‘pores’ all over the skin of a lemon. Each one of those contains a bit of incredibly aromatic, intense lemon oil, which is responsible for most of the flavor of the fruit. You can try adding lemon extract instead as well!
Lyndy Forrester
These muffins are great- perfect amount of lemon. My husband loved them and asked me to save the recipe.
Mike Johnson
Your husband has great taste haha! 😋 Glad you enjoyed them!
Christi
These are amazing! I have made them 2 different times!
Mike Johnson
Glad you enjoyed them, Christi!
Karen H
Oh my gosh, these are so good!
The crumb is just perfection - moist, light, and fluffy, no gumminess or chewiness - and the zing of the lemon (which I went a little heavy on; I do love lemon) is the best counterpoint to the tart blueberries. These are a really delicious, classic muffin, and were a home run with my fam.
I made these in about 35 minutes, start to finish, plus around another 25-30 to cool completely.
Mike Johnson
So glad you and your family enjoyed them! 😊