Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Printable Version)

Zesty lemon muffins with fresh blueberries and a crisp, buttery streusel topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Muffin Batter

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - Zest of 2 lemons
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
09 - 3/4 cup buttermilk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (unthawed if frozen)

→ Streusel Topping

13 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - Pinch of salt

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
03 - In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon juice until combined.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Gently fold blueberries into the batter.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
07 - Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter with a fork or fingers until mixture forms coarse crumbs.
08 - Sprinkle streusel evenly over muffin batter.
09 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The streusel cracks like a tiny crème brûlée crust when you bite, giving way to berries that burst with surprising heat.
  • They make your kitchen smell like a sunny morning even when it's raining hard enough to flood the street.
02 -
  • Overmixing after adding flour develops gluten that turns these into dense little doorstops instead of tender muffins.
  • Frozen blueberries will bleed purple streaks if you let them thaw even slightly before folding in.
03 -
  • Zest your lemons directly over the sugar and rub them together with your fingers. The sugar grains extract every drop of oil from the peel.
  • Save a handful of blueberries to press into the tops of filled muffins before adding streusel. This guarantees visible berries in every photograph.

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