Air Fryer Blueberry Muffins

These air fryer blueberry muffins are bright and flavorful with bursts of juicy blueberry dotted throughout the muffin base.

These easy muffins are full of flavor and texture and make a delicious breakfast or snack. With the help of an air fryer which is like a small convection oven, they're quick and easy to whip together. They are baked in lined silicone muffin cups in the air fryer.

You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries in this air fryer blueberry muffins recipe, so they can be made all year round.

Blueberries

Blueberries make delicious additions to muffins. Biting into juicy blueberries is the perfect complement to the fluffy air fryer muffins.

Blueberries, especially frozen ones are prone to breaking up in the batter and releasing a lot of their juices. This can color the batter quite an unattractive color and you won't get that distinct purple of the berries against the yellow muffin background. For this reason, push the blueberries into the wet mixture after it has been portioned into the muffin cups. This stops them breaking to much.

Simply mix the batter, divide it into the cups and then dot the frozen blueberries on top. Use your fingers or a spoon to gently push them partway into the batter.

Equipment

Air fryer - These blueberry air fryer muffins are baked in a 5.8-quart air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer the muffins may have to bake in batches.

Silicone muffin liners or thick card paper muffin cups - These thicker liners help the muffins keep their shape without needing a muffin tin. Line the silicone cups again with paper liners if you like. If you only have a silicone muffin tray, this makes the baking a little more uneven and the muffins will take much longer to cook in the middle.

Yield

This recipe makes 7 blueberry muffins.

Ingredients

Find the ingredient amounts listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need -

• Blueberries - Fresh or frozen blueberries (like in these blueberry hand pies)
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Melted butter - This can be salted or unsalted butter. You can reduce the salt slightly in the rest of the recipe if using salted butter.
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract or paste
• Lemon zest
• Lemon juice - Lemon juice is a great addition to baked goods and especially so in muffins. It's an acidic product that helps to halt gluten development in wheat flour and it results in a lovely and tender crumb. This can be substituted with apple cider vinegar too, or substitute the lemon juice and the milk for buttermilk instead.
• Milk
• Optional - powdered sugar for topping.

Additions and substitutions

If you want to add or tweak some of the flavors, this easy muffin recipe is very versatile! Try it with:

• Raspberries
• Orange zest and chocolate chips for orange muffins
• Chopped strawberries
• Add almond extract in place of vanilla to bring almond flavor to the muffin.

Method

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together then set these dry ingredients aside.

In a medium bowl add the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Then use a whisk or rubber spatula to beat it all together until combined.

Add half the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients and fold it carefully to combine using a rubber spatula. Add in half the milk and fold, then continue with the remaining flour and milk.

Divide the batter evenly over the muffin liners. An ice cream scoop is easy to use for this job. Add the blueberries evenly over each muffin and gently press them halfway into the batter. They don't need to be pushed all the way down.

Space the muffins out in a single layer in the air fryer basket.

Bake the muffins in the air fryer for around 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300°F/150°C and continue baking for another 5-8 minutes until baked through. The cooking time will vary on your air fryer and how full the muffin liners are. Each air fryer cooks a little differently.

Once baked, remove the muffins and let them cool down to room temperature on a cooling rack. When the muffins have cooled sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little powdered sugar.

Storing

Leftover muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and place each muffin in a freezer-safe container or bag.

Thaw in the fridge or on the bench. The muffins can be rewarmed in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at around 300°F/150°C for a fresh-baked muffin texture.

Did you enjoy this air fryer blueberry muffin recipe? Let me know in the comments below!