Pioneer Woman Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These lemon blueberry muffins are made with sour cream, melted butter, fresh lemon, and blueberries, finished with a lemon glaze. They bake up moist and tender in one bowl, no mixer. They take about 1 hour and make 12 muffins.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands before anything else. That presses out the oils in the zest, which is where most of the lemon flavor lives, so it runs through the whole muffin instead of sitting in flecks.

Sour cream is what keeps these tender and moist, and melted butter means you skip the mixer. Hold back a third of the berries to press into the tops, and add the glaze only once the muffins are fully cool, or it melts and soaks in.

Pioneer Woman Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Author: Hamdi Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:American Courses:Blueberry Desserts

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time: 20 minutesTotal time:1 hour Servings:12 servingsCalories:260 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

These lemon blueberry muffins bake up moist and tender from sour cream and melted butter, packed with fresh berries and finished with a sweet lemon glaze. One bowl, no mixer.

Ingredients

For the Muffins:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1/8 teaspoon yellow gel food coloring (optional)
  
• 2 cups self-rising flour
  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
  

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from the zested lemons above)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with large paper liners. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl and rub the zest into the sugar with clean hands to release the oils. Whisk in the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and food coloring until smooth. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined, then fold in 2/3 cup of the blueberries.
   
2. Divide the batter evenly among the liners. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup blueberries and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Move to a wire rack and let cool completely.
   
3. For the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.

FAQs

Why rub the lemon zest into the sugar?

Rubbing the zest into the sugar with your hands presses out its oils, which carry most of the lemon flavor. That spreads the citrus through every muffin instead of leaving it in specks. Do it before you add the wet ingredients.

Why melted butter instead of softened?

Melted butter stirs straight into the batter, so you don’t need a mixer or wait for butter to soften. It keeps this a one-bowl recipe. Sour cream does the work of keeping the crumb moist and tender.

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes. Thaw them and pat them very dry first so they don’t bleed into the batter. Frozen berries may tint the muffins slightly purple, but they still taste fine. Toss them in like fresh ones.

Can I make them ahead?

Yes. They keep in an airtight container at room temperature for two days, or in the fridge for four. Freeze them unglazed for up to two months, thaw at room temperature, and add the glaze before serving.

What if I only have all-purpose flour?

Self-rising flour has the leavening and salt already in it. To swap, sift 2 cups all-purpose flour with 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. The texture won’t be quite as tender, but it works. For a lemon-blueberry loaf instead of muffins, see my Lemon Blueberry Bread.