Lemon Muffins

How to make this delicious lemon muffins recipe with a lemon flavored glaze. These muffins have a light and fluffy texture and are perfect for breakfast or your daytime cravings.

this recipe

If you love all sweet and lemony desserts then you must try this soft and moist lemon muffins recipe served with a lemon flavored icing.

These lemon muffins have everything you'd want from them, a soft and flavorful texture with a slight tartness that makes all lemon lovers fall in love.

I have a similar recipe that I love, lemon poppy seed muffins, which are as delicious and moist as this muffin recipe. They are easy to make at home and perfect for a good coffee.

>> See all the muffin recipes on the blog

Why we love this recipe

This recipe is so easy to make and with only one bowl. Much better in taste and composition than the ones you can buy in the store.

They have a rich buttery texture and are made with buttermilk and sour cream which balances the acidity in these muffins and gives them that moist texture.

Made with real fresh lemon juice in combination to lemon zest, not chemical lemon extract, which add a wonderful lemon flavor to these lemon muffins.

They are also served with a lemon flavored icing that adds a crunchy crumb to the top of the muffins and a delicious sweetness to balance the tartness.

Make lemon muffin recipe with a streusel topping like in my Blueberry Streusel Muffins recipe and you have a perfect breakfast to go.

Ingredients and substitutions

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed and possible substitutions to make these lemon muffins at home, scroll down the page to see the quantities in the recipe card.

• Butter: Use soft, unsalted butter, melted butter and cooled.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar not flavored sugar to keep the lemon flavor.
• Eggs: large eggs at room temperature.
• Vanilla and salt: Pure, liquid vanilla extract
• Buttermilk: You can replace it with whole milk or plain yogurt.
• Sour cream: The acidity of the sour cream brings a very soft texture. You can use only buttermilk or replace it with greek yogurt.
• Baking powder: A combination of baking powder and baking soda that you can replace with 1 packet of baking powder.
• Lemon: Use fresh organic yellow lemon if possible for the juice and the zest, you can replace the lemon zest by a lemon extract.

Find the quantities and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to make lemon muffins recipe

Cream butter and sugar

• Begin by placing the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, then mix and set aside.
• Place the softened butter, cut into pieces, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl whisk of your stand mixer or in a large bowl.
• Whisk together with an hand mixer, at medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until you have a smooth and creamy butter.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again with a mixer to incorporate them.

Tip: Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer at the beginning of this recipe to mix the ingredients together.

Add dry ingredients

• Add the buttermilk, sour cream and lemon juice and mix again with a mixer until well blended.
• Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the ingredients are incorporated and the cake batter is smooth but a little lumpy.

Tip: The muffin batter is always a little thick and crumbly, which is normal. Be careful not to over mix after adding the dry ingredients.

Baking

1. Preheat the oven to 428°F / 220°C and prepare a muffin tins with muffin cups.
2. Pour muffin batter into the paper cups, filling them completely.
3. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 392°F / 200°C and continue baking for about 15 to 18 minutes until the muffins are puffed and golden brown on top. (The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs)
4. Let muffins cool slightly before removing from the muffin pan and then let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Tip: Add lemon curd to your lemon muffins for extra flavor like in my lemon curd cupcakes recipe

Make the Lemon glaze

1. Place powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl.
2. With a fork, beat the mixture until you have a smooth, white glaze.
3. Decorate the top of each muffin with the sugar glaze and let dry a little before eating.

Tip: If your icing seems too liquid then add a little powdered sugar and if it seems too thick then add small amounts of liquid.

Store and freeze instructions

At room temperature

They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for about 1 week.

How to Freeze ?

You can also store them for up to 3 months in the freezer. Place your cakes in a storage box or bags and keep them in the freezer.

Let them come back to temperature or use the defrost function of your microwave.

More lemon recipes

• Lemon cream pie
• Lemon Meringue Tartlets
• Lemon sour cream pound cake
• Lemon poppy seed pound cake
• Lemon Bundt Cake with sugar icing
• Lemon meringue cake
• Lemon curd tart

More muffin recipes

• Double chocolate banana muffins
• Blueberry streusel muffins
• Nutella muffins
• Healthy banana oatmeal muffins
• Double chocolate chip muffins
• Bakery Style chocolate chip muffins
• Banana bread muffins
• Pumpkin streusel muffins

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