These vegan lemon blueberry muffins are everything you'll ever want from a vegan muffin- fluffy, moist, tender, and packed with juicy blueberries and lemon flavor in every bite!
Nothing quite compares to the feeling of biting into a warm, freshly-baked muffin with a crispy top and a fluffy interior - it's a small joy that's hard to beat!
After more than 8 tests (I quit counting after that), I can finally say that I've cracked the code to making the BEST vegan blueberry lemon muffins. And I'm here to share it with you today.
Not only is this recipe incredibly delicious, but it's also made with simple ingredients and great for beginners at vegan baking!
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Ingredients You Need
- White flour: These vegan lemon blueberry muffins turn out best with white all-purpose flour. It produces muffins that are fluffy, light, and moist.
- Soy milk: I'm using soy milk because it's high in protein, and when it's mixed with lemon juice it curdles and turned into a buttermilk-like mixture.
- Soy yogurt: It makes the muffins moist and fluffy.
- Fresh blueberries: For best results, use blueberries that are in season.
- Neutral oil: I use canola oil, but any neutral vegetable oil will work here. Olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil are also fine.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise and get fluffy.
- Lemon juice and zest: Make sure to use fresh lemons and not bottled lemon juice. It makes a big difference!
- Vanilla extract: A touch of pure vanilla extract gives a lovely flavor and aroma.
- Granulated sugar.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Common Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: I haven't tested these vegan lemon blueberry muffins with other types of flour (like almond flour, oat flour, or whole wheat flour), so I can't guarantee results. However, I can guess that using whole wheat flour works. You'll need to use ¼ cup less since whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than white flour.
- Soy milk: The only non-dairy milk that you can use as a substitution is pea milk since it's high in protein, similar to soy milk. Don't use other types of plant-based milk such as oat milk or almond milk. They don't have the same protein content and won't react when mixed with lemon juice.
- Soy yogurt: You can use any type of thick non-dairy yogurt such as coconut yogurt or vegan Greek-style yogurt.
- Fresh blueberries: You can use frozen blueberries instead, but keep in mind that they release some liquid as they bake, so it's best to decrease the soy milk by 2 tbsp.
- Granulated sugar: You can use coconut sugar instead, but it will change the color and the moisture of the muffins, so expect different results. I haven't tested this recipe with maple syrup, so I don't know how it's going to turn out.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Preheat oven to 390ºF (200ºC).
To a medium bowl, add soy milk and stir in the lemon juice. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle. This will be our vegan buttermilk.
Then, in a small bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Massage them together to allow the lemon zest to release its flavor and aroma.
In another medium mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together- all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Next, in a large bowl mix the wet ingredients- the curdled soy milk, oil, soy yogurt, vanilla extract, as well as the lemon sugar from before.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet, and using a rubber spatula, stir until everything is just mixed but still clumpy.
Add the blueberries, and mix again, just a few times to fold them into the batter. Don't overmix, having clumps is perfectly fine!
Hint: To prevent your blueberries from sinking to the bottom, toss them with flour.
Divide the batter evenly in a muffin tin layered with muffin liners, filling each hole all the way up. Top with more fresh blueberries if desired.
Bake these vegan lemon blueberry muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top appears lightly golden.
Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Hint: Don't let the muffins sit in the muffin tin for too long, or they'll steam and get soggy from the heat.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the amount of baking powder аs needed. If you're using baking powder from the US, follow the recipe as written, adding 2 ½ tsp. If you're using baking powder from Europe (specifically German baking powder), add half of what is written in the recipe- 1 ½ tsp. If you want to learn more about what's the difference between the two, I'm going into more detail later in the post.
- Don't overmix the batter. If you mix too much, the muffins will turn out tough and dense. Stop mixing the moment you see that everything is combined. Having lumps is perfectly fine!
- The batter should be thick and scoopable. Vegan muffin batter doesn't have eggs, so it needs to be thick to rise. Don't add more liquid unless absolutely necessary!
- Zest your lemons before juicing them! This is the easiest way to get the most zest out of your lemons, Also, make sure to use a fine grater for best results.
- For best results, use a digital scale. It's important to be as accurate as possible when baking. If you're using cups to measure the flour, it's easy to end up adding more than needed, which will result in dry and tough bagels.
- If you don't have a scale, use the spoon and leveling method. This is the best way of measuring flour correctly with a measuring cup.
- Don't open the oven door! Seriously, just don't. This way the heat escapes and the temperatures in the oven lower, making these vegan lemon blueberry muffins rise less and have a denser texture.
FAQ
You can try substituting the white flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour. However, I haven't tested this version, so I can't guarantee results.
You can try substituting the neutral oil with unsweetened applesauce. However, I haven't tested this version, so I can't guarantee results.
If you end up trying this method, let me know in the comments below!
Yes, frozen blueberries can work in a pinch if you don't have fresh blueberries! No need to that them, just add them directly to the batter.
Note that they release some liquid as they bake, so it's best to decrease the soy milk by 2 tbsp.
Yes, these muffins freeze perfectly! Let them cool to room temperature first and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I like to wrap each muffin in foil, then store them all together in a freezer-safe container.
Serving Suggestions
These vegan lemon blueberry muffins taste AMAZING on their own, but if you want to add an extra kick, make my lemon icing from my lemon turmeric cake recipe.
If you want to add some cheesecake vibes, top them with my homemade vanilla frosting.
Baking Powder in Europe vs The US
Did you know that there is a big difference between baking powder in Europe vs in the US? I certainly didn't.
As it turns out, baking powder in Europe is far more powerful than the one sold in the US, that's why you need to add way less!
If you want a full explanation of what exactly are the differences, check out this article that goes into detail. But to make it simple, for my Europeans, use only 1 ¼ teaspoon for the whole recipe, not 2 ¼ teaspoon as written on the recipe card!
Storage
Once cooled, you can store your vegan lemon blueberry muffins in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Similar Recipes
If try these vegan lemon blueberry muffins, please leave a star rating and a comment down below! ⭐ This helps other readers know more about the recipe, and I appreciate the feedback.
📖 Recipe
The Best Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (185 ml) soy milk
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest ~ from 2 lemons
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries plus more for adding on top
- 1 tablespoon white all-purpose flour *
- 2 cups (250 g) white all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder * important, see notes
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil I use canola oil, any will work
- ½ cup (125 ml) plain soy yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390ºF (200ºC). Either line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease it generously with a non-stick spray.
- To a medium bowl, add soy milk and stir in the lemon juice. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to curdle. This will be our buttermilk substitute.¾ cup (185 ml) soy milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Then, in a small bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Massage them together to allow the lemon zest to release its flavor and aroma.¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Next, in another small bowl, add the fresh blueberries and toss them with the flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.1 ½ cups fresh blueberries, 1 tablespoon white all-purpose flour *
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients together- all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.2 cups (250 g) white all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder *
- In a large mixing bowl mix the wet ingredients- the buttermilk, oil, soy yogurt, vanilla extract, as well as the lemon sugar from before. Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil, ½ cup (125 ml) plain soy yogurt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet, and using a rubber spatula, stir until everything is just mixed but still clumpy. Add the floured blueberries, and mix again, just a few times to fold them into the batter. Don't overmix, having clumps is perfectly fine!
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Don't let the muffins sit in the muffin tin for too long, or they'll steam and get soggy from the heat. Serve!
Notes
- Fridge: Once cooled, you can store your vegan lemon blueberry muffins in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let them cool to room temperature first and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to wrap each muffin in foil, then store them all together in a freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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