This is the best blueberry muffin recipe: sugar-crusted, lemony crumb, loaded with blueberries: what’s not to love? This is a long-time family favorite recipe and always a crowd-pleaser.

An overhead shot of just baked lemon-blueberry muffins.

This lemon-blueberry muffin recipe, the best I’ve ever tasted, comes from my mother via my aunt via The New York Times. I have filed this recipe in my search-no-further-for-that-ultimate-recipe folder. I know you will, too. A few notes:

  1. Ensure your butter is at room temperature. It will make the creaming process go swiftly and smoothly.
  2. Don’t skimp on the sugar dusting before baking. It creates an irresistible crusty topping. Turbinado and demerera sugar are great here, too.
  3. Fresh blueberries are best, but you truly can make this year-round with frozen blueberries — no need to thaw first.

If you love the lemon-blueberry combo, you must try this lemon-blueberry Dutch baby, these lemon-blueberry scones, this Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake, and this lemon-blueberry quick bread.

PPS: All the muffin recipes right here → Muffins

How to Make Blueberry Muffins, Step by Step

Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.

Ingredients to make lemon blueberry muffins on a countertop.

Zest a lemon over 1 stick (8 tablespoons of butter).

A bowl with a stick of butter and lemon zest in it.

Cream it with a cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add an egg and some vanilla, and beat again.

An overhead shot of a handheld mixer creaming butter and sugar.

Toss the blueberries with some of the flour. Combine the dry ingredients, then add them to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until creamy.

An overhead shot of a bowl of blueberry muffin batter and a handheld mixer.

Fold in the blueberries with a spatula.

A bowl of lemon-blueberry muffin batter all mixed together.

Transfer batter to a jumbo 6-cup or standard 12-cup muffin pan.

Blueberry muffin batter in a 12-cup muffin tin.

Bake until the tops are golden.

An overhead shot of a blueberry muffin in a muffin tin.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving …

An overhead shot of a dozen blueberry muffins on a cooling rack.

Serve with …

An overhead shot of a lemon blueberry muffin on a plate.

… with softened butter.

A halved blueberry muffin spread with butter.

Is there anything better??

A halved blueberry muffin with melted butter.

The original recipe calls for baking the muffins in a jumbo muffin tin, but a 12-cup muffin tin may be more practical if you are entertaining a larger crowd. Here are a few images of the jumbo muffins:

The best lemon-blueberry muffins on a cooling rack.
Up close shot of a jumbo lemon-blueberry muffin.

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An overhead shot of a dozen blueberry muffins on a cooling rack.

The Best Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

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Description

This is the best blueberry muffin recipe: sugar-crusted, lemony crumb, loaded with blueberries: what’s not to love? This is a long-time family favorite recipe and always a crowd-pleaser.

Adapted from The New York Times

Notes:

Salt: If using table salt or Morton kosher salt, use 3/4 teaspoon. If you are sensitive to salt, use 1/2 teaspoon. 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113 g ) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (214 g) sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose or cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • ½ cup milk or buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a jumbo muffin tin or a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or coat with non-stick spray.
  2. Cream butter with lemon zest and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
  3. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour; then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Fold in the blueberries. Note: Batter will be thick. This is OK. 
  5. Distribute batter among muffin wells. Sprinkle batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on what size pan you are using — the jumbo muffins may take as long as 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return the pan to the oven for a couple of more minutes. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American