These mini blueberry muffins made with sour cream and lemon zest are moist, flavorful, and completely irresistible.
Blueberry muffins are a breakfast staple, and these lemony blueberry muffins are an instant hit! The perfectly moist, subtly citrusy mini muffins are packed with fresh blueberries. They're an ideal weekend breakfast treat and also excellent for on-the-go snacking, and they're loved by adults and kids alike!
And for even more blueberry muffin goodness, be sure to check out my recipes for Small Batch Blueberry Muffins with Streusel and Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins!
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Fresh Blueberries - Blueberries are the star of the show, and fresh berries have the best flavor and texture for baking muffins. If you're able to get your hands on wild blueberries, which are much smaller and more flavorful than store-bought berries, they will taste amazing in these muffins.
Lemon Zest - Lemon zest adds a hint of bright, citrusy flavor that complements the blueberries perfectly. You can omit it, but it definitely enhances the flavor of these muffins.
Vegetable Oil - Vegetable oil works with butter to create flavorful muffins with a moist yet delicate crumb. Another neutral oil - like canola oil - can be substituted.
Sour Cream - Sour cream helps to ensure these muffins will be moist. I prefer to bake with full fat sour cream, and you can substitute plain Greek yogurt if you prefer.
White & Brown Sugars - A mix of granulated white and light brown sugars adds a touch of molasses flavor and an extra hint of moisture to the muffin batter.
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A mini muffin pan, for baking the muffins.
- Mini muffin liners, for ensuring the muffins don't stick to the pan.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: In another medium bowl, whisk to combine melted butter, vegetable oil, both sugars, and lemon zest. Add egg and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add sour cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk one more time until the mixture is well blended.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended. Add the blueberries and fold them into the batter.
Step 5: Place paper liners in a mini muffin pan and divide the muffin batter evenly among the liners so that each is ¾ full.
Step 6: Bake the muffins at 425°F (218°C) for 4 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C), keeping the muffins in the oven and without opening the oven door. Continue to bake the muffins until the tops are golden and spring back when gently poked, about 10-12 minutes more.
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Allison's Top Tips
A cookie scoop makes cleanly portioning muffin batter into the pan easy. A small, 1 Tablespoon scoop is perfect for mini muffins.
As the recipe instructions state, I recommend first baking the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) before turning the oven down to 350°F (177°C) and continuing to bake the muffins. Beginning with high heat helps to create beautifully domed muffin tops, and turning the temperature down after 5 minutes ensures that the tops of the muffins don't burn before the centers finish baking.
Recipe FAQs
Choose a recipe that includes oil and either sour cream or yogurt, since muffins made with just butter and milk tend to be more dry. This recipe includes both oil and sour cream, which help to combat dry muffins.
If you're struggling with dry muffins, the most likely issues are that the batter was over mixed and/or the muffins were baked too long. It's very important not to over mix the batter once the flour is added, so fold the ingredients together gently just until combined. Be careful not to over bake your muffins and remove them from the oven as soon as they become golden and the domed tops spring back when lightly poked.
Lemon zest! A hint of lemon helps to brighten up the muffin's flavor and complements the blueberries perfectly.
Oil helps to create batter that's perfectly moist with even texture and nice rise, making it a popular choice for muffins and cakes. But, butter tastes delicious. Both provide benefits, which is why this recipe includes both.
Fresh blueberries will give your muffins the best flavor and texture and are the better choice for muffins. Frozen blueberries can be used, but they are less flavorful than fresh berries and are also more likely to sink to the bottom of the muffins when baking.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Muffins are best on the day they are baked, though leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Muffins can also be frozen, stored in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
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Recipe
Mini Blueberry Muffins
Special Equipment
- Mini muffin pan
- Mini muffin liners
- Small (1 Tablespoon) cookie scoop (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 ⅛ cups (141 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 gram) salt
- 2 Tablespoons (27 grams) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (6 grams) lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) sour cream
- 3 ounces (91.5 grams) milk
- ¾ cup (111 grams) fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Set the melted butter aside to cool slightly while you move on to the next step.
- In another medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To the melted butter add vegetable oil, both sugars, and lemon zest. Whisk to combine.
- Add egg and whisk to combine.
- Add sour cream, milk, and vanilla and whisk one more time until the mixture is well blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until blended. Do not over mix the batter.
- Add the blueberries to the muffin batter and fold the berries into the batter just until well distributed.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan so that each liner is ¾ full.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F (218°C) for 4 minutes, then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C), keeping the muffins in the oven and without opening the oven door. Continue to bake the muffins until the tops are golden and spring back when gently poked, about 10-12 minutes more.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the still-warm muffins from the pan and transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.
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