Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Name: Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 44 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda; ¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 2 large lemons (zest before juicing); 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable); 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1½ cups (225 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), tossed with 1 tablespoon of the flour; 2 tablespoons (25 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar; 1 teaspoon (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated, rubbed into the coarse sugar with your fingers

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tall, domed bakery-style muffins with a tender, moist yogurt crumb, bright lemon flavor, and juicy blueberries, finished with a crackly lemon-sugar top.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 24 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 9 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 teaspoons (9 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
¾ teaspoon (4 g) fine salt
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 2 large lemons (zest before juicing)
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1½ cups (225 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw), tossed with 1 tablespoon of the flour
For the topping
2 tablespoons (25 g) coarse sugar or turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated, rubbed into the coarse sugar with your fingers

Equipment (9)

12-cup standard muffin pan (½-cup / 120 ml cups)
12 paper liners or nonstick spray
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Microplane or fine grater
Ice cream scoop or ¼-cup measure (about 3 tablespoons per muffin... use a large scoop)
Wire cooling rack
Toothpick or cake tester

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and yogurt out 30 minutes ahead so they are at room temperature and mix smoothly.
Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 425°F (220°C); the oven stays hot for the initial burst, then drops.
Use fresh or frozen blueberries. If frozen, do not thaw them, or the batter will turn purple-gray.
Grease the pan or use paper liners, and also grease the flat top surface of the pan, since the muffin tops spread over it.

1
Preheat and prep panOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease each cup and the top surface of the pan.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven thermometer or preheat signal shows 425°F (220°C)
Tip: Fully preheating matters; a cool oven gives flat muffins.
2
Make lemon sugar
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon zest.
- Rub them together with your fingertips for 1 minute until the sugar looks damp and smells strongly of lemon.
- In a small bowl, mix the coarse sugar with 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside for topping.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sugar is pale yellow, clumpy, and fragrant
Tip: Rubbing releases the lemon oils for much stronger flavor.
3
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon... reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour for the berries.
- Whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds until evenly combined.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No streaks or lumps of leavener remain
4
Mix wet ingredients
- To the lemon sugar, add the eggs and whisk for 1 minute until slightly thickened and pale.
- Whisk in the yogurt, milk, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth and fully blended.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture is smooth with no visible streaks of yogurt or oil
Tip: Cold ingredients can make the oil clump; use room-temperature dairy and eggs.
5
Toss berries
- Toss the blueberries with the reserved 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl until lightly coated.
- This helps keep them from sinking.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Berries look lightly dusted
Tip: Keep frozen berries frozen until this moment.
6
Combine batter
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet.
- Fold with a rubber spatula just until about 90 percent combined, with a few dry streaks left.
- Add the blueberries and fold 3 or 4 more times until just incorporated.
- The batter will be thick and lumpy.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No large pockets of dry flour; batter is thick and lumpy
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough and tunneled.
7
Rest batter
- Let the batter sit uncovered for 10 minutes.
- The flour hydrates and the batter thickens, which helps produce high domes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Batter is noticeably thicker and holds a mound on the spatula
8
Fill and top
- Scoop the batter into the 12 cups, filling them to the very top (about ⅓ cup / 80 ml each).
- Sprinkle the lemon-zest sugar evenly over the tops.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cups are mounded and evenly filled
Tip: Use an ice cream scoop for even muffins.
9
Bake hot, then lowerOven 425°F / 220°C
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes to set the domes.
- Without opening the door, reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake 17 to 19 minutes more, rotating the pan once at the 12-minute mark of the total bake if your oven is uneven.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Tops are golden, spring back when pressed, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (a blueberry smear is fine)
Tip: Reduce the heat by turning the dial; don't open the door during the first 5 minutes.
10
Cool
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Cool at least 10 more minutes before eating so the crumb sets.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Muffins lift out easily and are warm, not steaming
Tip: Leaving them in the pan longer traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Do not overmix; lumps are fine and give tender muffins.
Zest the lemons before juicing them; it is nearly impossible the other way around.
The high-heat start followed by a lower temperature creates tall bakery-style domes.
Check doneness at the minimum time; overbaking dries out the crumb.

Make ahead

Mix the dry ingredients and the lemon sugar the night before. Combine and bake the next morning. Baked muffins also freeze well.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container lined with a paper towel up to 2 days. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped up to 3 months. Reheat thawed or refrigerated muffins at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 8 minutes, or microwave 20 to 30 seconds.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → sour cream or buttermilk. Sour cream works 1:1; buttermilk gives a slightly thinner batter, so reduce the milk to 2 tablespoons.
neutral oil (canola or vegetable) → melted unsalted butter. Use 1/2 cup (113 g) cooled; flavor is richer but the crumb is slightly less moist.
blueberries → raspberries or chopped strawberries. Use the same weight; raspberries are more delicate, so fold gently.
coarse sugar or turbinado sugar → granulated sugar. The topping will be less crunchy but still sweet and lemony.