My Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Lemon & Blueberry Muffins

These Vegan Lemon and Blueberry Muffins are one of my favourite vegan bakes. They’re so light and fluffy and only takes a total of 10 minutes prep, and 25 minutes to bake. They’re super easy and so fun to make! I love them all year round. So, let’s learn how to make Lemon & Blueberry Muffins even Mary Berry would be proud of!

I love recipes like these because they take me back to being a little girl; I used to spend hours in the kitchen baking cakes and cupcakes all the time. So the fact that I can ‘veganise’ everything I used to love baking makes me so happy! The combination of the juicy, gooey blueberries with the slight hint of lemon is absolutely divine, and makes an incredibly moist lemon blueberry muffin.

Trust me, you won’t be able to stop after just one! I recommend enjoying one mid-morning with a lovely cup of tea.

For more easy baking fun, why not try my Easy Vegan Banana Bread?

If you make these Vegan Lemon & Blueberry Muffins, please make sure to comment below or tag me in your recreations over on Instagram at @georginaburgess_ – I absolutely love to see them!

How Do You Keep Blueberries from Bursting in Muffins?

Blueberries have a tendency to burst when baked in muffins because of the high moisture content in the berries.

Here are a few tips to prevent blueberries from bursting in these lemon and blueberry muffins:

Toss the blueberries in flour: Coat the blueberries in a tablespoon or two of flour before adding them to the muffin batter. The flour helps to absorb some of the moisture in the berries, preventing them from bursting.

Use fresh blueberries: Fresh blueberries have a firmer skin and are less likely to burst than frozen berries. If you must use frozen blueberries, thaw them before adding them to the batter and drain any excess liquid.

Fold blueberries gently: When adding blueberries to the muffin batter, gently fold them in with a spatula, being careful not to crush the berries.

Use a lower temperature: Try baking the muffins at a slightly lower temperature, around 190°C, and for a longer time. This slower baking method helps to prevent the blueberries from bursting.

Add blueberries halfway through baking: Another option is to add the blueberries to the muffin batter halfway through baking. This way, the muffin batter has a chance to set before the berries are added, reducing the likelihood of bursting.

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

What Can I Add to Lemon and Blueberry Muffins to Keep Them Moist?

My Vegan Lemon & Blueberry Muffin recipe below should be more than moist enough! But if you’re looking for even more moisture, there are a few vegan ingredients that you can add to your muffin batter to help:

Applesauce – Replace some or all of the oil or butter in your recipe with unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce is a great vegan substitute for fat and helps to keep the muffins moist.

Non-Dairy Milk – Adding non-dairy milk, such as almond or soy milk, to your muffin batter can also help keep them moist.

Vegan Yogurt – Another great ingredient for keeping muffins moist is vegan yogurt. You can use any flavour of vegan yogurt in your muffin batter to add moisture and a tangy flavour.

Lemon Juice – Adding a small amount of lemon juice to your muffin batter can help keep them moist and also add a bright, tangy flavour that complements the blueberries.

By incorporating some of these vegan ingredients into your lemon and blueberry muffins recipe, you can ensure that your muffins stay moist and delicious.

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

My Vegan Lemon & Blueberry Muffins

Georgina Burgess
These Vegan Lemon & Blueberry Muffins are one of my favourite vegan bakes. They're so light and fluffy and only takes a total of 10 minutes prep, and 25 minutes to bake. They're super easy and so fun to make! I love them all year round.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 2/3 Cup Caster Sugar
  • 1 Pinch Salt
  • Zest of 2 Lemons
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup Dairy-Free Milk
  • 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar optional – to make vegan buttermilk
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Juice of Half a Lemon
  • 1.25 Cups Fresh Blueberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 185c
  • Line a muffin tray with 12 cases
  • Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and stir
  • Mix in the caster sugar, sea salt and lemon zest
  • In another bowl add the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar (if using) – whisk together and leave for 5 minutes to let it curdle (this creates 'vegan buttermilk')
  • Then, whisk in the olive oil, milk, vanilla extract, vinegar and lemon juice
  • Add the wet mixture to the dry bowl and mix thoroughly
  • If the mixture is too thick for cake batter, add a splash more milk
  • Stir in the blueberries
  • Spoon the batter into each cake case until they're all equally filled and bake for 25-28 minutes until golden brown
Keyword vegan dessert, vegan snacks

Should You Let Muffin Batter Rest?

Yes, letting muffin batter rest for a short period before baking can be beneficial (but it does depend a little on the specific recipe!). Resting the batter allows the gluten in the flour to relax, resulting in a more tender and moist muffin. The resting time also allows the wet ingredients to fully hydrate the dry ingredients, resulting in a better texture and flavour.

Lemon and Blueberry Muffins

How do you Make Muffins Light and Fluffy?

If you’re a fan of lemon and blueberry muffins, you know that there’s nothing quite like biting into one when they’re incredibly light and fluffy. Vegan muffins can be just as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts, and with the right techniques, you can achieve that perfect texture.

Here are some of my top tips on how to make vegan lemon and blueberry muffins light and fluffy:

Don’t over-mix the batter: Over-mixing the batter can lead to dense and tough muffins. Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until they are combined, and then stop.

Use the right flour: All-purpose flour is the best flour to use for muffins. Avoid using cake flour or bread flour, which have different protein levels and can result in a different texture.

Use a leavening agent: Baking powder and baking soda are commonly used as leavening agents in muffins. Make sure they are fresh and not expired, as old leavening agents can lead to flat muffins.

Add some acid: Acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar can react with the leavening agent and help the muffins rise.

Add some air: Use a whisk or a fork to mix the wet ingredients before adding them to the dry ingredients. This will help to incorporate air into the batter and make the muffins lighter.

Do not overfill the muffin tin: Fill the muffin cups only about two-thirds full. If you overfill them, the muffins will rise too much and then collapse, resulting in a dense texture.

Why Are My Homemade Muffins Dry?

There are several reasons why homemade muffins may turn out dry (but if you follow my lemon and blueberry muffins recipe closely, they shouldn’t be). Here are a few common causes and some tips to prevent them from happening:

Over-mixing the batter: Over-mixing the batter can cause the muffins to become dry and tough. When the batter is over-mixed, the gluten in the flour develops too much, causing the muffins to be dense and dry. To prevent this, mix the batter until just combined, and be careful not to over-mix.

Over-baking: Baking the muffins for too long or at too high a temperature can cause them to dry out. Follow the recipe’s baking instructions and use an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temperature is accurate.

Using too much flour: Using too much flour can make the muffins dry and dense. Be sure to measure the flour accurately and use the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy.

Not enough moisture: If the recipe does not include enough liquid, the muffins may turn out dry. Ensure that all the wet ingredients are incorporated properly, and do not reduce the liquid in the recipe.

Overusing leavening agents: Using too much baking powder or baking soda can cause the muffins to be dry and crumbly. Follow the recipe’s instructions and use the correct amount of leavening agents.

Storing the muffins incorrectly: Storing the muffins in the refrigerator or in an airtight container can cause them to dry out. Store muffins at room temperature in a paper bag or loosely covered with a tea towel to prevent moisture from being trapped.

What is the Most Important Rule to Follow When Baking Muffins?

I always think of cooking as an art, but baking as a science. That being said, one of the most important rules to follow when baking muffins is to measure all the ingredients accurately. Baking is a definitely science, and small variations in ingredient quantities can have a significant impact on the final product. Using too much or too little of any ingredient can affect the texture, flavour, and overall quality of the muffins.

To measure the ingredients accurately for these lemon and blueberry muffins, use measuring cups and spoons, and level them off with a straight edge, like a knife or spatula! Avoid packing ingredients into measuring cups or spoons, as this can cause them to be too dense or too light. It’s also essential to follow the recipe closely and not make any substitutions or changes unless you’re experienced with baking and understand how the substitutions or changes will affect the final product.

Why Not Try These?

24 Comments

  1. These were the best blueberry lemon muffins I’ve ever had. They were a hit with my whole family!!

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      That’s the loveliest feedback! Thank you so much for letting me know! So glad your family enjoyed them xx

    2. These are probably the best muffins I’ve ever made, so soft and delicious ?
      Thank you for the recipe!

  2. I made these this summer and everyone loved them. My granddaughter requested I make them for her brunch bridal shower next month. Both her and her fiancé are vegan and just love them.

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      This made me so happy! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I hope they’re enjoyed at the bridal shower! 🙂 x

      1. I made these twice! The first time I split the batter between muffin tins and a loaf pan and my family loved them! The second time I made it using a larger loaf pan. Sadly when I pulled it out of the oven after 45 minutes or so, it sank in the middle and was undercooked. What did I do wrong? Both times I substituted the caster sugar for regular sugar and used frozen blueberries tossed in flour instead of fresh. Thanks for the recipe!

  3. How would the baking time change if I made this in a pan as a cake and with whole milk instead? Thank you

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      Hey! So sorry for the late response – I haven’t tried this myself but I would guess at around 30-35 minutes – but it depends on the size of the cake tin. Just keep checking it and using a skewer to ensure the batter doesn’t come out wet. Let me know how it goes/how long it takes x

  4. I made these the other morning for my family and they were a hit! They are so moist and you can really taste the lemon. Thanks for the recipe!!

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      Aww thank you so much for letting me know! So glad your family enjoyed! I’m craving them now. Stay safe xx

  5. Really nice muffins. Thanks so much for posting this. Best vegan muffins I have ever made!!

  6. These were amazing!! My non-vegan family loved these and were shocked to learn they were eating vegan muffins. I highly recommend this recipe!

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      Aww thank you so much for this feedback! It means so much. I’m glad your family loved them! x

  7. I made these and they were so good! I want to make them again but I’m out of olive oil, I generally don’t keep any other oils, do you you think I could use applesauce or something else maybe?

  8. Best muffins ever! I’ve made these almost a dozen times already. Sometimes I add strawberry too! This past week I added a vegan crumble on top (3tbs kite hill vegan butter, 1/3 c flour, 2 tbs sugar, plus a smidge extra lemon zest) it was game changer! I’ve shared this recipe with several friends as well. Thank you!

  9. Could I substitute for frozen blueberries? Thank you!

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      Hi! You can, but unfortunately it freezes the batter when you add them in and makes it quite hard to distribute into the cake cases. So I would recommend using fresh x

  10. Hi just wondering if you need to add vinegar as it says in the instructions but not it’s not in the ingredients list. Thank you! ☺️

    1. ginaburgess96 says:

      Hey! So sorry I must have edited the recipe and left it out. It’s totally optional! I’ve updated the recipe xx

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