Blueberry muffins have always been a joyful, comforting food for me. My mom would make them every year for my first day of school breakfast. A blueberry muffin or two and a glass of milk always had me set for a great year. I was a kid who loved school (so much so I became a teacher!), so I didn’t exactly need prodding to get up and at ’em on the first day. But the smell of blueberry muffins sure did help put a little more pep in my brand new back-to-school shoes step.
Fast forward to high school. Remember those giant Costco muffins from back in the day? Do they still make those? Man did my high school self love those big-as-my-head, sugar bombs. I remembering downing one on my way to many a 5:45 a.m. cheer practice. Breakfast of champions, right?
These days, I still love a blueberry muffin. Now that I understand calories and sugar count and what will fuel me for the day, though, I’m less inclined to make them. Thankfully this recipe helps with that. Nearly all of the oil/butter in traditional muffin recipes has been replaced with yogurt, which also adds a bit of protein. The sugar is drastically reduced, too, because who really wants the sugar high and 10:00 a.m. crash from a muffin that’s essentially a piece of cake? The blueberries have plenty of sweetness on their own and the almond extract adds just a bit more of a sweet taste. Don’t care for almond extract? Feel free to replace it with more vanilla extract. Want a bit of a treat? These muffins are low enough in sugar, so a bit of lemon curd or orange marmalade wouldn’t be the worst thing. You do you. Sure we like healthier choices, but we also like knowing life’s about balance.
Looking for more muffin recipes to try in 2023? Try these gems.
- blackberry muffins with pecan streusel
- Meyer lemon muffins
- Irish soda bread muffins
- crumb cake muffins
Perk up your morning routine with these lightened, bright muffins made with antioxidant-rich blueberries, protein-packed yogurt, and zippy lemon. Mondays are about to get much, much better!
Blueberry Lemon Muffins
an Apple a Day original
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flours, plus more for dusting
1/2 c. plus 1 TBSP granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
zest of one lemon
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (or replace with vanilla)
1 c. plain yogurt (I prefer full fat. Here’s why.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Prepare muffin tin by using 1 TBSP vegetable oil to rub twelve muffin wells. Sprinkle with flour and shake out excess. This step is crucial for preventing the muffins from sticking since they don’t have much fat in them.
- Lightly spoon 2 c. flour into a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder,baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice, 2 TBSP oil, vanilla and almond extracts, yogurt, and egg. Pour into dry mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
- Using a spoon or spring-loaded scoop, fill all twelve wells of the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 TBSP sugar. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. As soon as muffins are cool enough to handle, move to a wire rack to cool completely.
yield: 1 dozen muffins
