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These Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Muffins are the ultimate summer muffin recipe!
We just returned from a quick end-of-summer family road trip, and our backyard garden is now FILLED with baseball bat-sized zucchini! We love cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients – and these Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Muffins are loaded with wonderful summertime flavors.
If you are getting tired of us sharing so many delicious zucchini recipes – I apologize in advance! These Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Muffins are just one of several zucchini recipes we’ll be sharing over the coming days.
But really – any time of year – shredded zucchini is a great addition to baked goods because it makes them super moist (not to mention – it’s a great way to get any picky eater to eat at least a little bit of their veggies).
Zucchini also has a very neutral flavor so unless you leave on the green zucchini skin (which we usually do) and see the green flecks in your batter, most of the time, you would never guess it has been added.
Today’s recipe is an adaptation of these wonderful blueberry muffins – in addition to adding shredded zucchini to the batter, we also added lemon zest and extract to change things up a bit. Plus – I think lemon and blueberry are a wonderful summertime flavor pairing.
Enjoy!
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Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
These Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Muffins are the ultimate summer muffin recipe!
Ingredients
Non-stick pan spray and butter to prepare muffin tins
6 tablespoons butter, softened
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening, softened
2 cups granulated sugar plus more to sprinkle on tops
Zest of one lemon
3 whole large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Juice from one lemon, about 1/4 cup
2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
3 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded on large holes of box grater
4 tablespoons bread flour, divided
2 cups bread flour
2 cups white pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with two racks in center of oven leaving enough room for muffins to rise.
Prepare two 12-cup standard muffin tins by greasing the tops with butter and spraying the inside with pan spray. Add muffin cup liners to each.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening for one minute. Add sugar and zest and cream for one minute.
With machine on medium speed, add one egg at a time to mix. Scrape sides and cream for two and a half minutes to add air into the batter. Add lemon extract, vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat to combine.
Place thawed drained blueberries in a small bowl and add two tablespoons of the bread flour and mix to combine. Set aside.
After shredding the zucchini, place in a cheese cloth and wring out as much water as possible. Place zucchini in a small bowl and add two tablespoons of the bread flour and toss to combine. Set aside.
In a separate bowl combine both flours, salt and baking powder and combine with a whisk.
With the mixer running on low, slowly add flour alternating with milk and oil until all flour, oil and milk are mixed in. Scrape and mix just long enough to combine. Do not mix further or muffins will be tough.
Remove bowl from mixer and with a wooden spoon or spatula, gently fold in blueberries and zucchini.
Using an ice-cream scoop, divide the batter between the 24 cups, filling right to the brim.
Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the tops of each.
Bake for five minutes at 400 degrees F then reduce to 375 degrees F and continue to bake for 25-30 minutes. Ours took 28 minutes after the initial five minutes at the higher temperature.
Use a tooth pick poked into the center to test for doneness. The muffins are done when the toothpick comes out clean and the tops are lightly browned.
Let cool for five minutes, then remove each muffin to cooling racks.
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Made these for the first time today. The muffins were yummy, but not the best I’ve ever had. Good flavor and consistency, but not as sweet as I had hoped. Also, I’m wondering if the zucchini should have been left alone, and not squeezed dry because the moisture may have been a nice addition.
Thanks for your feedback Amanda
Can all purpose flour be used in place of the bread and pastry flours? And what is the difference between AP & pastry flour? Also can fresh lemon juice with zest be used instead of the lemon extract? To me, the extract leaves a bitter aftertaste and I don’t care for it.
Thank you.
Hi Nona – The texture won’t be the same, but yes, you could use all-purpose flour instead of the mix of the two listed in our recipe. I don’t think the lemon flavor will be as noticeable with the juice vs the extract, but sure, feel free to use that instead if you prefer.
Hi Martha-you sound like me now—-go out in the garden and YIKES where did THAT zucchini come from…and how did I miss picking it before it got to be THAT size? Doesn’t take long does it?
This is the PERFECT recipe for me-I have blueberries frozen from picking them this summer and, well, say no more about the zucchini. Now that the humidity thankfully departed, I can get back to baking! Copying to make soon.
Thanks so much! 🙂
We hope you love the muffins Carol! We found two more huge zucchini today hiding under some leaves…yikes!
Must be something in the air…I found one….and saw 5 more small ones starting…will they ever end???? Holy smokes, it must be a good year for them around here. That’s OK…I’ll be on the lookout here for even more zucchini ideas-we never get sick of them!