These blueberry lemon streusel muffins are a great way to start your day on a sunny note. Bursting with sweet juicy blueberries, a zing of lemon flavor from lemon zest, and a topping of sugary praline-inspired streusel crumbs, they're a sweet treat the whole family will love!
I've always loved classic blueberry muffins, and these are my favorite. They also happen to be a favorite of my son's, and since they aren't too sweet, they're the perfect option for breakfast. Duke's mayonnaise tenderizes the crumb of the muffin and makes them super moist.
This delicious recipe is from my cookbook, The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook. If you're looking for other great breakfast options, be sure to check out my Bananas Foster Bread and Sun Dried Tomato Quiche recipes too.
I bet you'll also love this other blueberry-flavored breakfast: Blueberry Crumb Cake. Or, if you're looking for a low-carb muffin recipe, you'll love these keto chocolate muffins.
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.
- Fresh blueberries
- All-purpose flour
- Chopped pecans
- Light brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Melted salted butter
- Baking powder
- Whole milk
- Vegetable oil
- Duke's mayonnaise
- Lemon zest
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got all our ingredients, it's time to get baking!
First, line a muffin pan with paper liners and make the streusel topping.
Next, toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Then, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture, and fold in the blueberries.
Finally, spoon batter between the muffin cups and sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the muffins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Hint: For a mess-free, even division of the batter, I like to use an ice cream scoop.
Substitutions
Need additional ideas to change up this lemon blueberry muffin recipe? I've got you covered:
- Frozen blueberries - If you don't have fresh blueberries on hand, feel free to use frozen blueberries. Just be sure to stir them in while they're still frozen.
- Other berries - Use blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into smaller pieces if needed.
- Gluten-free - Use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose to make these gluten-free.
- Butter - Feel free to add unsalted butter if that's what you have. Just add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt to the batter to balance out the sweetness.
Variations
Check out these easy variations:
- Frosted - Whisk together fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar, and a little vanilla extract until the mixture is drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the muffins.
- Nut free - Omit the pecans to make these nut-free muffins.
Equipment
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
- 12-well muffin tin
- zester
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowl set
- whisk
- wire cooling rack
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Tasty tip
Don't rely on the timer to know when these blueberry lemon streusel muffins are done. Use a wooden toothpick and insert it in the center of the muffin. If it comes out clean, then they're ready to come out.
Frequently asked questions
This is a great question. Yes, you should coat the blueberries in flour before adding them to the batter. The flour helps soak up the juices from the blueberries and helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
Blueberries and lemon are a match made in heaven. Since blueberries are really sweet, the tartness of the lemon helps balance out the flavors.
You can certainly use frozen blueberries in these blueberry lemon streusel muffins, but I prefer to use fresh blueberries when they're in season. If you do use frozen berries, be sure to stir them into the batter while they're still frozen.
Tough blueberry muffins are the result of over mixing the batter. Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until everything is moistened to avoid over mixing.
If you thaw frozen blueberries before adding them to the muffin batter, it'll make the muffins mushy.
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🍽Get the recipe
Blueberry Lemon Muffins with Streusel Topping
Equipment
- 12-well muffin tin
- zester
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowl set
- whisk
- wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the streusel topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
For the blueberry lemon streusel muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon Duke's mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place paper liners in a 12-well muffin tin. Coat the liners with cooking spray. Make the streusel topping: Combine flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to press the mixture into large clumps, if desired.
- Make the muffins: Toss 1 tablespoon of the flour with the blueberries and set aside. Stir together the remaining flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
- Whisk together the milk, oil, granulated sugar, mayonnaise, lemon zest, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir until the batter is smooth. Add the blueberries and gently fold to combine.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin liners and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake the muffins at 400°F for 20 to 23 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the tin to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Keep these few food safety things in mind when making this recipe
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs
- Wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Janice says
These muffins are fantastic! They came out so tall and fluffy. Definitely a new favorite.
Randy says
I made these yesterday, and finished them for breakfast. AAA!
Taryn says
I already made these muffins twice this week. They're insanely good!
Liz says
This is such a delicious combination of flavors! These muffins were terrific and I made enough to freeze half for later. YUM!
Alice says
These muffins turned out delicious. The texture is moist and soft. Thanks for the recipe, I'll make them again asap!
Anjali says
These muffins turned out so well! They were fluffy, perfectly sweet, and the streusel topping added great texture and flavor. We loved them!
AshleyFreeman says
Oh yay! I'm so glad you liked them!
Ann says
These are such a sweat treat, especially with blueberries being in season. Thanks!
AshleyFreeman says
Yes! A great way to use up blueberries from the U-Pick too!
Vicky says
Those blueberry lemon streusel muffins were out of this world! I made a batch and have been enjoying them with my morning coffee. Love the lemon and blueberry flavor!
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! They are perfect for making ahead!
suja md says
I loved this, Wonderful recipe
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks so much!
Shashi says
Oh wow - I could do some serious damage to a batch of these! They sound and look irresistable!
AshleyFreeman says
You and me both 🙂