I started making more small-batch muffins because sometimes I want something sweet and homemade around the house without committing to an entire dozen muffins sitting on the counter for the next four days. And honestly? Six muffins feels reasonable. It’s a nice little middle ground.

These small-batch blueberry lemon muffins may be small-batch, but they’re big on flavor. They’re soft, fluffy, lemony, and packed with juicy blueberries. The tops are crispy, the centers stay soft, and the whole thing somehow looks way more impressive than the amount of effort involved.

These are the kind of muffins that disappear slowly throughout the day. One with coffee, one while walking through the kitchen after switching the laundry, one standing at the counter saying “I’m just going to have one more bite” before accidentally finishing the whole muffin (why am I like this?). Honestly, they’re just really good.

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Why You’ll Love These Blueberry Lemon Muffins

These muffins come together quickly, use simple ingredients, and make just enough muffins to feel worthwhile without suddenly turning your kitchen into a muffin storage facility.

They’re soft and fluffy with juicy blueberries throughout, and the lemon keeps everything tasting fresh and light instead of overly sweet or heavy. The sugar on top gives them that bakery-style finish that makes homemade muffins feel significantly more exciting than something you made in your slippers, coffee in hand while listening to country radio.

Also, they make the kitchen smell really good while they bake, which feels important to mention.

Ingredient Notes

• Fresh or frozen blueberries both work here. I almost always use fresh because this is my go-to recipe for using up almost bad blueberries, haha. If you’re using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw them first or they’ll turn the batter purple immediately. Not necessarily a tragedy, but definitely a different vibe.
• The Greek yogurt helps keep these muffins soft and moist without needing a ton of butter or oil. Sour cream works perfectly too, so use whatever you have.
• The lemon zest is the single most important ingredient (besides the blueberries, of course). Pack the teaspoon full. The zest is where most of the lemon flavor comes from for these muffins. I also recommend using a fresh lemon juice over bottled imitation juice if you can.
• The sprinkle of turbinado sugar (or regular sugar) on top is optional technically. However, I highly recommend it. The crunchy top is *chef’s kiss*.
• I kept the vanilla extract in the recipe even though this is a lemon muffin, because lemon and vanilla together is genuinely better than lemon alone. Vanilla rounds everything out and keeps the muffin from tasting sharp.

Muffin Pan

This sturdy 6-cup muffin pan is perfect for small-batch muffins and all the “I don’t need 12 of these” baking moments.

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Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 6 muffin cups or lightly spray with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter and sugar until smooth.
4. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and Greek yogurt and whisk until combined and creamy.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently just until partially combined.
6. Fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula, finishing the mixing as you go. Don’t overmix.
7. Use a 4 tablespoon cookie scoop to divide the batter between 6 muffin cups.
8. Sprinkle the tops lightly with sugar (don’t skip this).
9. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 375°F and bake for 13–15 more minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
10. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Don’t overmix the batter. Lumpy is correct. Smooth means you went too far.
• If you’re using frozen blueberries, fold them in straight from the freezer and work quickly. The colder they stay going into the oven, the better.
• The 425°F start is what gives you those nice domed bakery-style tops. Don’t skip that step or reduce it, 5 minutes at high heat, then drop it down. That’s the move.
• The sugar on top is technically optional and I will never actually tell you to skip it.
• If you want to make these feel a little more special (for a brunch situation, or just because), a simple lemon glaze is really good here. Just stir 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with 1–2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice until smooth and drizzle it over the tops once they’ve mostly cooled. It makes them look beautiful and adds a little extra lemon punch.
• If your Greek yogurt is especially thick, the batter may seem thicker than expected. That’s normal and they’ll be fine.
• Keep an eye on them toward the end of baking. They’re done when the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Overbaked muffins are sad muffins.

Storage Recommendations

Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. They stay soft and tender thanks to the Greek yogurt, though I’ll be honest, they’re at their absolute best the first day, when the tops still have a little crispness and the blueberries are warm and jammy inside.

These muffins also freeze well. Let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Twenty seconds in the microwave and they’re basically right back.

Small-Batch Blueberry Lemon Muffins

By: Kristine Underwood

Soft, fluffy small-batch lemon blueberry muffins made with Greek yogurt, fresh lemon zest, and juicy blueberries. This easy recipe makes just 6 muffins with golden, bakery-style tops and a tender, bright crumb.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Sweets & Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6 muffins

Calories 238 kcal

Equipment

• 6 cup muffin pan
• 4 tablespoon cookie scoop

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour (all-purpose, spooned and leveled)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 TBS milk (any kind)
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (may substitute sour cream)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (packed)
• 3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• Extra sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 6 muffin cups or lightly spray with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
  1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter abd sugar until smooth and glossy.
  1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup sugar
• Add the egg, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and whisk until combined and creamy.
  1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 TBS milk, 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently just until partially combined.
• Fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula, finishing the mixing as you go. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
  3/4 cup blueberries
• Use a 4 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the batter into 6 muffin cups. You may have some batter leftover for a smaller muffin, but doint overfill the 6 cups.
• Sprinkle the tops lightly with sugar, if desired.
  Extra sugar for sprinkling on top
• Bake for muffins for 5 minutes at 425˚, then reduce to 375˚ and bake for 13-15 mintues. rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
• Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store muffins in an airtight container for 3–5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

• Don’t over-mix the batter. Muffin batter should look slightly lumpy when you stop mixing.
• Don’t overfill the muffin cups, 4 tablespoons is the perfect amount. 
• If your Greek yogurt is very thick, the batter may seem a little thicker than expected. That’s okay.
• The sugar on top gives these a lightly crisp bakery-style top that I highly recommend.
• Bake at 425˚ for the first 5 minutes, then reduce to 375˚ degrees for the remainder of the baking time.
• Keep an eye on them towards the end of baking, so they don’t get too done. They lose their fluffy texture when they’re over-baked.
• These muffins freeze really well. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 muffinCalories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 184mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 290IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg