Lemon Blueberry Squash Muffins Recipe
These Blueberry and Lemon Muffins are bright, tender, and packed with fresh lemon flavor and juicy blueberries, with a secret ingredient that keeps them perfectly moist. Shredded yellow squash disappears into the batter and no one will ever guess it's there!
Servings: 12
Calories: 1muffin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter-not hot)
- 1 cup shredded yellow squash (also called summer squash) (about 1 small squash)
- 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- 1 lemon
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (If frozen, do not thaw)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Start with lightly beating the eggs in a large bowl with a spoon or fork. Add the oil and stir.
- Shred enough yellow squash to make 1 cup. Use paper towels to pat the squash dry or squeeze out any liquid with your hands over the sink. Add to the bowl and stir.
- Add 1 cup of the sugar to the bowl. Using a zester or microplane hand grater, remove the zest (or yellow only portion of the peel/rind). Avoid the white part (pith) because it has a bitter flavor. Add the lemon zest (about 1 tablespoon) and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the bowl and stir.
- Measure the flour into a dry measuring cup by spooning it in gently with a spoon. Never scoop a measuring cup into the flour bin. It will pack in more flour than you need or want. Pour the flour over the squash mixture. Do not stir.
- If using all-purpose flour, sprinkle the baking powder and salt evenly over the flour. Gently stir the baking powder and salt into just the dry ingredients on top-not the squash mixture, yet.
- Add the blueberries, tossing them around gently in the flour mixture only. This will help them not sink to the bottom of the muffin when baking.
- NOW, you can stir together the entire mixture. Be careful not to over-stir the batter. Stir just until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined. You aren't beating it like a pancake batter.
- Spoon ½ cup of the muffin batter into muffin pans lined with paper cupcake liners. If you don't have paper liners, coat the pans with cooking spray, oil, or butter.
- I like to use an ice cream scoop to disperse the batter. It's quick, consistently measures the same amount each time, and no drips land on the pan... usually.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly (about ½ teaspoon each) over each muffin.
- Bake at 350° for 20minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the tops spring back when touched. The muffins will be ever so slightly browned around edges.Let the muffins cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before turning them out to cool completely...if you can wait that long to eat them!
Notes
Storage
- To Store: Keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature forup to 3 days, or refrigerate forup to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Allow muffins to cool completely, then place in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Make Ahead: These yellow squash muffins are a great make-ahead option. Bake a batch on the weekend and grab one each morning throughout the week.
- Muffin batter: The batter can be mixed and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Give it a gentle stir before scooping into the pan.
Pro Tips
- Don't skip patting the squash dry. Yellow squash holds a lot of moisture, and if you skip this step, that extra liquid can make your muffins dense. A quick squeeze over the sink or a blot with paper towels makes all the difference.
- Don't overmix the batter. This is the golden rule of muffin baking. Stir just until the dry and wet ingredients are combined. A few lumps are totally fine. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and leads to tough, chewy muffins instead of soft, tender ones.
- Toss the blueberries in flour first. Before stirring the batter together, toss the blueberries in the flour mixture sitting on top of the wet ingredients. This light coating of flour helps them stay suspended in the batter during baking instead of sinking to the bottom!
