Lemon Blueberry Muffins
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These refined sugar free lemon blueberry muffins are incredibly moist and fluffy and taste just like summertime! Bursting with fresh blueberries and tangy lemon zest, these muffins are kept light and healthy thanks to using honey as our natural sweetener. Want to go the extra mile? Top or inject them with my zingy refined sugar free lemon curd for the ultimate citrusy flavour!
Table of Contents
- The best healthy lemon blueberry muffins
- Main Ingredients in lemon blueberry muffins
- The secret to making moist muffins
- How to make lemon blueberry muffins
- FAQ’s
- Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- More healthy muffin recipes
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The best healthy lemon blueberry muffins
My favourite time of year is when summer berries start to come into season. As soon as they hit the shops, I can’t get enough of them and I’ll put them into EVERYTHING. Porridge, blondies, french toast bakes, pies, the list goes on.
And honestly, is there anything better than a lemon blueberry muffin made with fresh, farm-picked berries?
Once you try these babies, you will never make another lemon blueberry muffin recipe again. They’re extremely fluffy and moist thanks to the buttermilk and oil and feature those fabulously coveted domed tops.
You can even call them a healthier option because we aren’t using any refined sugar! Just a little honey is used to sweeten them, leaving the sweet summer blueberries to work their magic.
Main Ingredients in lemon blueberry muffins
Only 12 easy-to-find ingredients make up these lemon blueberry muffins. You probably already have every one of them on hand! Let’s break down the 6 main ingredients:
- Plain flour: Flour provides structure for our muffins. I typically use unbleached plain flour (all-purpose), because I believe it creates a lighter, fluffier muffin.
- Honey: To keep these muffins from trespassing in cupcake territory, we’re using a bit of honey to sweeten them naturally.
- Buttermilk: The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give these muffins lift; it also adds extra moisture.
- Rapeseed oil: Helps keep them from going gummy and adds a softness. I prefer cold-pressed rapeseed oil as it’s the healthiest and least processed oil on the market, but any neutral oil will do.
- Lemon zest: If we’re making lemon blueberry muffins, we’re going to need some lemon! The zest of a whole medium lemon is used in this recipe.
- Fresh blueberries: Fresh is best for flavour! In a pinch, you can use frozen for this recipe too.
Other Ingredients
Aside from the above ingredients, we’ll also need a few extra things to make these healthy muffins:
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
The secret to making moist muffins
Making moist muffins isn’t difficult, but you do want to keep in mind these three key factors:
- Liquid ingredients. Make sure you’re using enough liquid ingredients for the amount of flour that is in your recipe, and always have at least one ingredient with a higher fat content. The more fat in the muffin, the more moist they will be. I typically use rapeseed oil or butter in my muffins as my fat content and then add yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, or more eggs for extra moisture.
- Don’t over-mix your batter. You only want to mix until the streaks of flour disappear – the batter doesn’t have to be completely smooth. Mixing too much can over-develop the gluten in the flour and cause really dense, tough muffins.
- Don’t over-bake your muffins. I’m sure this is obvious, but over-baking your muffins will suck all of the moisture out of them and result in dry little hockey pucks. Check your oven temperature using an oven thermometer and then check your muffins at the lowest baking time listed in the recipe method. If a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, take them out. They will continue to cook as they cool.
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How to make lemon blueberry muffins
You can easily get these muffins in the oven in 15 minutes! There are only a few simple steps to follow and you’ll be on your way to muffin heaven. Here’s how to make them:
- Preheat the oven and line a regular sized muffin tin with 6 silicone or paper liners.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together well until emulsified.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Gently fold everything together, then add the blueberries. Keep folding gently just until the berries are dispersed and the flour disappears.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 cups. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tray, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
FAQ’s
Have a question about making lemon blueberry muffins? Let’s get you some answers! If your question isn’t answered here, please leave a comment below.
How can I make muffins lighter and fluffy?
To achieve light and fluffy muffins, it’s best to use baking soda and an acid for optimum lift in addition to baking powder. You also want to make sure you don’t over-mix your batter as this can cause gummy or chewy muffins.
Why did my muffins come out rubbery?
Rubbery or gummy muffins are usually a result of one of two things: either you over-mixed the batter or you didn’t let the muffins cool completely before eating them. Over-mixing can develop the gluten in the flour, which can result in chewy, gummy muffins. Similarly, if you don’t let the muffins cool completely, they can be gummy because they continue to cook and fluff up as they cool.
One other reason your muffins could be rubbery is because you made substitutions to the fat content (butter, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, etc.). Fat tenderises the flour and prevents too much gluten from forming, which makes muffins rubbery or gummy.
Can I freeze these lemon blueberry muffins?
Absolutely! These muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost them at room temperature.
Can I substitute the buttermilk?
The acid in the buttermilk is required to react with the baking soda and give lift to the muffins. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own by measuring out 50ml of regular milk and adding 10ml of lemon juice. Give it a stir and let it sit and curdle for 5 minutes before using.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Don’t over-mix the batter once you add the dry ingredients! Over-mixing results in tough muffins. I like to do only a couple of folds before I add the berries and then continue folding until the flour just disappears. It’s okay if the batter is lumpy.
- Fill the muffin cavities to the top! This will ensure a nice dome on these muffins.
- Let the muffins cool completely before serving. I know, torture! But they will continue to cook as they cool and become extra fluffy. If you eat them right out of the oven, the texture will be more gummy.
More healthy muffin recipes
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
Ginger Pear Muffins
White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins
Sugar Free Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Healthy Carrot Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
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If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Lemon Blueberry Muffins recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!
Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Refined Sugar Free)
These refined sugar free lemon blueberry muffins are incredibly moist and fluffy and taste just like summertime! Bursting with fresh blueberries and tangy lemon zest, these muffins are kept light and healthy thanks to using honey as our natural sweetener.
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 100 g unpasteurised honey
- 60 ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 60 ml rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 100 g fresh blueberries
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF) and line a regular sized muffin tin with 6 silicone or paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Add the egg, honey, buttermilk, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla to a medium bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together well until emulsified.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Gently fold everything together 3-4 times, then add the blueberries. Keep folding gently just until the berries are dispersed and the flour disappears. Do not over mix the batter; it’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 cups. The batter should just reach the top of each cavity. Top with a few additional blueberries if desired.
- Bake the muffins for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
- These muffins will keep sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- These muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.
- TIP: For the ultimate lemony flavour, top or inject these muffins with my Refined Sugar Free Lemon Curd!
These are phenomenal! I doubled the recipe to make 12, used whole spelt flour and maple syrup (instead of honey) because that’s what I had on hand. Also only had frozen blueberries and despite turning my batter a bit purple, they worked great. I know that’s a lot of making do/ substations but the proportions really shined! Lovely texture and taste
I’m so glad to hear you loved these muffins, Cait! Thanks for the lovely feedback.