Tasty Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies 

If you came here looking for a shortcut to eating a blueberry muffin without making actual muffins, you've found it. These lemon blueberry muffin cookies have everything you love about a bakery-style muffin top - the crumb topping, the jammy blueberries, the bright lemon flavor - baked into a thick, chewy cookie you can eat with one hand.

What inspired these? Honestly, the idea that muffins take too long and cookies don't get enough credit. These lemon blueberry muffin cookies came together after I kept staring at a pint of fresh blueberries and a sad stick of butter and thought, we can do better. The brown butter happened by accident the first time and by choice every time after that. You'll understand when you taste it.

If you're already a fan of what we do around here, you might also love my  my Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls and my Blueberry Muffin Cheesecake - all solid life choices.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• The brown butter. It adds a nutty, toasty depth that makes the lemon and blueberry flavors pop in a way that regular melted butter simply cannot.
• That crumb topping isn't optional. The streusel adds texture, a little crunch, and makes these taste like a proper bakery dessert.
• Fresh blueberries and blueberry jam work together. You get whole bursts of fruit AND a jammy swirl throughout the cookie dough. It's a lot going on in the best possible way.
• They stay thick. Thanks to the cornstarch, brown sugar, and a quick chill in the refrigerator, these cookie dough balls hold their shape and bake up tall.

Ingredient Overview - Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Here's a quick look at the key ingredients and why each one earns its spot in this recipe.

• Blueberry jam - Creates that marbled, jammy swirl throughout the dough. Bonne Maman is the move here.
• Brown butter - Melted butter is fine. Brown butter is the reason people ask you for the recipe.
• White sugar + brown sugar - The combination gives you spread control and a subtle caramel-like flavor from the brown sugar that pairs perfectly with lemon.
• Lemon zest - This is where the real lemon flavor lives. Fresh lemon zest carries the oils that make these taste bright and citrusy, not like lemon cleaning spray.
• Lemon extract - A small amount goes a long way. It backs up the lemon zest without taking over.
• Vanilla extract - It rounds everything out. Use it.
• Large egg + egg yolk - The extra yolk adds richness and helps keep the texture soft and chewy at room temperature.
• Cornstarch - The secret to thick cookies. One teaspoon does more than you'd expect.
• All-purpose flour - Standard, reliable, no drama.
• Baking powder - Gives the cookies a gentle lift, like a muffin top would have.
• Salt - Always. In everything.
• Fresh blueberries - Fresh only. Frozen blueberries release too much moisture and will turn your dough purple. Not the goal.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Here's a quick overview of how the cookies come together - check the recipe card below for the full details.

• Brown the butter - Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns a deep amber and smells nutty. Transfer it immediately to a large bowl and let it cool for a full 45 minutes.
• Cream the butter and sugars - Beat the cooled brown butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is soft and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the eggs and extracts - Mix in your large egg, then the egg yolk, beating after each. Add vanilla extract and lemon extract on low speed.
• Add the dry ingredients - Add the all-purpose flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until just combined. Stop before you think you should.
• Fold in the blueberries - Use a spatula and be gentle.
• Marble in the jam - Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, flatten it gently, add dollops of blueberry jam, then fold the parchment corners in toward the center. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough balls.
• Chill - Move the portioned dough to a prepared baking sheet and pop it in the refrigerator while you make the streusel.
• Make the crumb topping - Combine cold butter, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Work it together with your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs.
• Top and bake - Press the crumb topping firmly onto each cookie dough ball, add a few extra blueberries on top, and bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes.

What Are Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies?

They're exactly what they sound like - and that's a compliment. Lemon blueberry muffin cookies take the best part of a blueberry muffin (the muffin top, obviously) and turn it into a thick, chewy cookie loaded with fresh blueberries, a blueberry jam swirl, bright lemon flavor, and a crunchy streusel on top. They're a dessert that can't decide if it's a cookie or a muffin, and honestly, neither can you after the first bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions people ask before they make these, and a few they should have asked.

• Can I use frozen blueberries? You can, but you shouldn't. Frozen blueberries release a lot of moisture as they thaw and will affect the texture of the dough. Fresh blueberries are the way to go.
• Do I have to brown the butter? No. You can use melted butter that's been cooled. But brown butter is the reason these cookies taste like something you'd pay too much for at a bakery, so consider your choices carefully.
• Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. The cookie dough balls can be scooped, topped, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before you bake them.
• What if I don't have a cookie scoop? Use a large spoon and aim for roughly 4 tablespoons of dough per cookie. They won't be perfectly round and that's fine.
• Can I skip the crumb topping? You can. They'll still be good cookies. Just not these cookies.
• My cookies spread too much. What happened? Most likely the brown butter wasn't fully cooled before you mixed it with the sugars, or the dough skipped its chill time in the refrigerator. Both matter more than you'd think.

Storing and Freezing

Storing: Once baked and fully cooled, store your lemon blueberry muffin cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They're best on day one and day two, but they hold up well - especially if you add the glaze right before serving rather than ahead of time.

Freezing: These freeze surprisingly well. Place the fully baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour. You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls before adding the crumb topping - just top them straight from the freezer and add a minute or two to the bake time.

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Recipe

Lemon Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Molly Murphy

Thick chewy cookie base filled with blueberry jam swirl, fresh blueberries, and a buttery cinnamon streusel topping

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 Cookies

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

FOR THE COOKIES

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
• Zest of three medium to large lemons
• 1 egg room temperature
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fresh blueberries fresh not frozen
• 4-6 tablespoons blueberry jam, bonne maman

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter cold cut to pea size.
• ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup All Purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk or water

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Add the 10 tablespoons of butter to a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams and turns a rich amber color with a nutty aroma, about 5-7 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. Once browned, immediately transfer the butter to a large heatproof bowl and let it cool for 45 minutes.
  10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• In a large bowl of a with an electric hand mixer, beat the cooled browned butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes. The mixture is ready for the next step when it looks soft, smooth and fluffy. Make sure you do this step, if you don't do it right, you will have flat cookies.
  ½ cup white sugar, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, Zest of three medium to large lemons
• With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the egg and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and egg yolk to the mixture beating for 30 more seconds. Add the vanilla and lemon extract and mix low.
  1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• Add the all-purpose flour, salt, corn starch and baking powder with the mixer on the lowest speed mix in the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the fresh blueberries until evenly distributed throughout the dough. You want to be so gently that you don't pop the blueberries into the dough.
  1 cup fresh blueberries
• Note: you want to use 4 tablespoon cookie scoop. To create the marbled effect with the blueberry jam, place a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and place the dough on top. Using your hands, gently flatten the dough into an even layer. Add 2-3 dollops of blueberry jam on top, then carefully lift each corner of the parchment paper and bring the dough toward the center. This will help incorporate the jam without overmixing, creating a beautiful marbled effect.
  4-6 tablespoons blueberry
• Leave the dough on the parchment paper and use a scoop to portion it directly from there. Add more jam once or twice if needed! Do this until you have scoop out all 10 of the cookie dough balls. PLace
• Once done, place in the fridge while you make the topping.
• To make the crumb topping, combine the cold butter, light brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon and all-purpose flour in a small bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  5 tablespoon unsalted butter cold, ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup All Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, pinch of salt
• Press the crumb topping evenly onto each dough ball, ensuring it sticks. Gently press it in so it adheres well, completely covering the surface.
• Add a few blueberries to garnish the top of each cookie dough ball to get it a finish look
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are set.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cooled, If you want to add the glaze, mix the powder sugar and water or milk into a small bowl and whisk. Drizzle on top. Serve at room temp and enjoy!
  1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk or water

Keyword lemon blueberry muffin

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