Muffins, Blueberry

This is the lighter muffin recipe that doesn’t sacrifice flavor for the lower-fat math. Egg whites and liquid egg substitute replace whole eggs, fat-free spread stands in for butter, and a quarter cup of canola oil keeps the crumb tender enough to read as a real muffin instead of a diet substitute.

The two cups of fresh blueberries is what carries the recipe. They burst during baking, releasing juice that flavors the muffin from the inside out, and lemon zest plus a couple of teaspoons of fresh juice brighten everything in the way that turns blueberry muffins from sweet-only to genuinely interesting.

Don’t overmix once the berries go in. Mash even a few of them as you stir and the batter turns purple, which is fine but ruins the look of the finished muffins.

Pro Tips

• Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour before folding into the batter, this keeps them suspended instead of sinking.
• Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer if fresh aren’t available, never thaw first or they’ll bleed.
• Fill the cups three-quarters full, fuller and they overflow, less and you don’t get the domed top muffins should have.
• Test for doneness with a toothpick at 22 minutes, lighter formulas can dry out fast past 25.

Variations

• Sub raspberries or chopped peaches for the blueberries when blueberries aren’t in season.
• Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for crackle and sparkle.
• Add a streusel topping (¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, 2 tablespoons butter) for a fancier finish.