These Vegan blueberry lemon muffins are soft, fluffy and loaded with flavor. Bursting with sweet blueberries in every bite and topped with a tangy lemon icing. Made from scratch with pantry ingredients in just around 30 minutes!
These easy to make vegan lemon blueberry muffins have a wonderful combination of sweet blueberries and fresh, zesty lemon.
They are perfect for snacking, to pack in the school lunch boxes or to freeze for later. Just like these Vegan blackberry muffins or these Banana blueberry oatmeal muffins. See my tips about storing and freezing these muffins later on.
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Ingredients
These vegan blueberry muffins are super easy to make in one bowl, and ready in about 30 minutes.
For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Almond milk, or other plant-based milk of choice to keep these muffins vegan.
- Lemon zest and juice, both the zest and juice gives these lemon muffins a wonderful fresh, zesty taste.
- Vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste, for a hint of vanilla that goes so well with the other flavours.
- Neutral tasting oil of choice, like avocado oil. Melted coconut oil also works well.
- Sugar, caster sugar, preferably organic.
- All purpose flour, make sure to measure correctly. Fluff the flour with a spoon then spoon into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
- Almond flour, a little almond flour ads a hint of almond flavor to these muffins and helps keep them moist and delicious.
- Ground flaxseed, for the texture and helps hold the vegan muftis together.
- Baking powder and baking soda, a mix of the two gives these raspberry muffins a light and tender texture.
- Salt, normal table salt works well.
- Blueberries, fresh or frozen. Toss them with 1 tablespoon flour before folding in the batter. They will release a lot of liquid when baked and the extra flour helps absorb this.
Icing (optional)
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
These blueberry almond muffins are really easy to make, just follow the step-by-step photos below.
For the full written instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom.
In a mixing bowl, add the almond milk, ground flaxseed, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest and stir well. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Stir in the coconut oil and sugar.
Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and pinch of salt. Stir until just combined.
In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the flour until well coated.
Gently fold in the blueberries to the batter.
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
Top with a few of blueberries if desired.
Bake in the oven for about 18-22 min or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin. Let the muffins cool down for about 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan.
Hint: For the optimal icing, stir together the powder sugar and lemon juice. If the icing is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If it is too loose, ad a little more powdered sugar. Drizzle over the vegan berry muffins and leave to set for 30 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Nuts – For some added crunch, fold in ½ cup chopped nuts of choice. A good option is almonds. These almond flour blueberry lemon muffins can also be topped with some slivered almonds.
- Berries – Instead of blueberries, substitute with other berries like blackberries, raspberries or chopped strawberries. Also se these vegan Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins.
- Chocolate – Add some chocolate chips or some chopped chocolate.
- Lemon – instead of lemon, lime or orange works as well for a different flavor profile. Or check out these Vegan Orange and Pistachio cake muffins.
- Oil – Instead of avocado oil, and neutral tasing oil will work, like Sunflower oil or grape seed oil. Melted coconut oil also works well and ads a little hint of coconut flavor to the vegan blueberry muffins recipe.
How to store vegan muffins?
For the best way of storing and keeping these lemon berry muffins fresh for longer, follow these easy steps:
- Ensure the muffins are completely cooled down to room temperature before putting them away.
- Place them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel, or lay them flat in one layer on a paper towel inside a large ziplock bag. The paper towel helps absorb any excess moisture, preventing the muffins from becoming soggy.
- Store muffins with icing in one single layer, since the icing till stick to the bottom of the other muffins, if layered.
- Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
These muffins freeze exceptionally well, perfect for a quick breakfasts or snacks on the go.
To freeze, use an airtight container. Individually wrapping them in plastic wrap prevents sticking together when frozen. They will keep frozen for about 2 months. Defrost them in room temperature, the icing will melt after being frozen but still taste delicious!
What makes vegan muffins fluffy and moist instead of dense?
Here are some key tips to for the best vegan blueberry muffins that are perfectly moist and fluffy:
- Measure the flour correctly: Begin by fluffing up the flour with a spoon, then spoon it into the measuring cup. Avoid scooping the flour directly with the measuring cup, as this can lead to too much flour and as a result, dense muffins. Gently fill the measuring cup with spoonfuls of flour, without packing the flour down, levelling it off with a knife.
- Use fresh ingredients: Check the date on the baking powder and baking soda. They work best when fresh.
- Milk and lemon: Let the almond milk, ground flaxseed, lemon juice and zest sit for 10 minutes. This is a very important step, the flaxseed will thicken and help hold the muffins together since there are no eggs in vegan muffins. The milk and lemon juice will also curdle a little to create a butter milk effect.
- Don’t over-mix your batter: For the best textured blueberry muffins that are both fluffy and tender, it’s crucial not to over-mix the muffin batter. Over-mixing can lead to rubbery and dense muffins. Stir the batter only until it just comes together, then gently fold in the raspberries and white chocolate for the best results.
FAQ
I have not tried it myself but a few readers have used a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend designed for baking. Make sure the blend contains xanthan gum or another binder to help the muffins hold their structure and please leave me a comment below if you try it out!
Yes, frozen blueberries are a great option when fresh berries are not in season and still give juicy, bakery-style muffins. They are also a great budget friendly option to make these vegan blueberry lemon muffins. No need to defrost the blueberries, add them straight from the freezer to prevent the batter from turning purple.
If your muffins are not rising properly in the oven it is most likely because the baking powder or baking soda you are using is old or expired. The batter can also be over mixed which will result in a denser texture. For light and fluffy vegan muffins, use fresh leavening agents and mix the batter just until combined. The lemon juice also helps create a fluffy texture, so don’t leave it out!
Baking muffins immediately when the batter is mixed also helps create better lift and texture.
These Vegan blueberry lemon muffins have a great moist and fluffy texture for a few reasons.
Mix the batter is mixed just until combined, no over mixing!
Using oil instead of vegan butter also helps create a lighter, softer texture.
Baking just until a toothpick just comes out clean also helps keep vegan muffins tender and moist.
Still have questions? Leave a comment below and I’ll help you get the perfect vegan blueberry lemon muffins every time.
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These Vegan blueberry lemon muffins are soft, fluffy and loaded with flavor. Bursting with sweet blueberries in every bite and topped with a tangy lemon icing. Made from scratch with pantry ingredients in just around 30 minutes!
- 1 cup almond milk, or plant based milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup neutral oil, like avocado oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (50g) almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping cup (160g) blueberries, tossed with 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
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Start by preheating the oven to 180C (350F) and line muffin pan with paper liners. Lightly brush them with oil.
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Stir together almond milk, ground flaxseed, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest in a mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until it starts to curdle a little like butter milk. Stir in the oil and sugar.
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In a small bowl, stir together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the milk mixture in the mixing bowl and gently stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries that have been tossed in 1 tablespoon of flour.
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Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Top with a few of blueberries and bake in the oven for about 18-22 min depending on your oven. Check that a stick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
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Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan. Remember that vegan muffins can be a little delicate before they are cooled.
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Stir togehter the optional icing while the muffins are cooling. Drizzle over the muffins and let the icing set before storing the muffins in an airtight container.
Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used in this recipe. Do not defrost the blueberries before adding to the batter if using frozen.
Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Freeze for up to 4 months.
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