Lemon Blueberry Muffin Tops with Streusel (Printable version)
Soft muffin tops bursting with bright lemon and juicy blueberries, topped with a buttery streusel crunch.
# What You'll Need:
→ Muffin Tops
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
06 - Zest of 1 large lemon
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1/4 cup whole milk
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, or frozen
→ Streusel Topping
14 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar
16 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - Pinch of salt
18 - 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
# How to Prepare:
01 - Set oven temperature to 375°F. Line two standard baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a fork or fingertips to rub mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate until needed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lemon zest until evenly distributed.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix, as this will affect texture.
06 - Gently fold blueberries into batter, taking care to minimize stirring to prevent bruising and color bleeding.
07 - Using a large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measure, drop batter mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing approximately 2 inches apart, placing about 6 mounds per sheet.
08 - Distribute streusel topping generously over each muffin mound.
09 - Place in preheated oven and bake for 13 to 16 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
10 - Allow muffins to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack until completely cooled.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The combination of tart lemon and sweet blueberries creates this perfect balance that makes your taste buds do a little happy dance with each bite.
- These are basically the best part of a muffin without the bottom nobody really wants, plus that buttery streusel gives you the most satisfying crunch against the soft cake.
02 -
- Never thaw frozen blueberries before adding them to the batter, as they become mushy and will turn your beautiful batter purple.
- Refrigerating the streusel while you prepare the batter keeps the butter cold, resulting in those perfect little crumbles that make each bite interesting.
03 -
- For bakery-style height, refrigerate the prepared batter for 30 minutes before scooping and baking, which gives the leavening agents a head start and results in higher, fluffier tops.
- Reserve a few blueberries to press gently into the tops of the batter just before adding streusel for that beautiful bakery-style appearance where berries peek through.