Lemon Muffins

These sweet and citrusy lemon muffins are easy to make but difficult to have just one! This lemon muffins recipe is made with oil and butter, making the muffins incredibly light and moist. They are then topped with a fresh lemon glaze that will have you licking your fingers. You can have them for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack!

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best Lemon Muffins recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• ✨ Flavor variations and substitutions
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🧁 More Muffins & Breakfast Recipes
• Lemon Muffins

🌟 Why this is the best Lemon Muffins recipe

1. It is very easy to make - This lemon muffin recipe requires no fancy ingredients or equipment. You likely have everything you need already in your pantry.
2. It is the most delicious - I use only the highest quality ingredients to give these muffins the freshest flavor and pleasing texture. The optional lemon glaze gives kicks up the lemony flavor even more!
3. It is versatile - These lemon muffins are a delicious base for many other sweet treats. At the end of this recipe, I provide several topping and filling variations to customize the muffins to your unique taste.
4. They are easy to store - You can easily make them in advance and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. They're perfect for batch cooking!
5. It uses the best technique - Unlike other recipes, I combine oil and butter to make these muffins super light and fluffy. I also use a simple vinegar and baking soda hack to make these muffins spongy and moist.

📝 Ingredient notes

For the Lemon muffins

1. Sugar - Sugar helps sweeten the batter. I use white granulated sugar for this recipe, but you can refer to my sugar guide to learn more about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking.
2. Butter - The butter needs to be at room temperature but not melted. Always use unsalted butter when baking so that you have complete control of the amount of salt in the recipe. I use butter with 82% fat in all of my recipes. You can also make your butter at home!
3. Oil - Oil gives the muffins moisture and a fluffy texture. For the best results, use a neutral oil without flavor, such as vegetable oil.
4. Egg - To properly emulsify, the egg must be at room temperature.
5. Vanilla extract - Pure vanilla extract eg. this DIY vanilla extract will guarantee the best taste. Avoid using imitation vanilla extract.
6. Lemon zest - Fresh lemon zest intensifies the fresh lemon flavor.
7. Flour - Flour helps to give the structure of the muffin. In this recipe, I use all purpose flour. See my flour guide to learn about the different types of flour in baking.
8. Baking powder - Baking powder helps the muffins rise. You can also try one of these baking powder substitutes.
9. Salt - Salt balances the sweetness and is an essential ingredient in baking. Do not skip it!
10. Milk - Milk with high-fat content provides the muffins with the best taste and texture. I use whole milk with 3% fat in my recipes. The milk must be at room temperature.
11. Baking soda and vinegar - Baking soda and vinegar intensify the moisture and sponginess of the muffins. Do not skip these ingredients!

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

For the Lemon glaze

1. Lemon juice - For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Powdered sugar - Sift the sugar to avoid clumps.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. How to make lemon muffins

1. Lightly grease a muffin tin with butter or prepare it with muffin liners. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 175C / 347F (no fan).
2. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the room-temperature butter and sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly mix in each egg one by one. Then, add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
3. Slowly pour in the oil while continuing to whip the mixture. Next, slowly pour in the room-temperature milk while whipping the batter.
4. Sift in the dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the batter, taking care not to overmix.
5. In a small bowl, mix vinegar with baking soda. The mixture will be very bubbly. Immediately fold the vinegar mixture into the muffin batter just until combined.

💡 Top Tip: When pouring the eggs, oil, and milk into the batter, do so very slowly. Pouring them in too quickly can cause the batter to break and curdle.

2. How to bake

1. Pour the muffin batter into the muffin tin cavities with a spoon or piping bag until each is approximately ¾ full.
2. Place the muffins in the oven and bake for about 20-22 minutes.
3. Wait until the muffins have cooled to room temperature before adding the lemon glaze.

💡 Top Tip: When checking for doneness, it is best to focus on the texture of the muffins versus the amount of time they are in the oven. Use the "toothpick test": If the muffins come out clean after you insert a toothpick into the center, they are done. But, do not overbake them as would result in a dry texture.

3. Make the lemon glaze

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the fresh lemon juice.
2. Lightly drizzle the glaze over the muffins with the help of a teaspoon or ping bag drizzle. Sprinkle lemon zest on top of the muffins to finish.
3. Serve fresh, or store the muffins in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

💡 Top Tip: To make the glaze thinner, add more lemon juice. To make the glaze thicker, add more powdered sugar.

✨ Flavor variations and substitutions

You can customize these lemon muffins in countless ways to fit your tastes and preferences. Kick the flavor up a notch by trying one of these delicious variations:

1. Orange muffins – Swap out the lemon for orange zest.
2. Lemon blueberry muffins – Add fresh blueberries to the batter for lemon blueberry muffins. You can also try it with raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, or mashed bananas.
3. With nuts – Give your muffins some added texture and protein by mixing in crushed pecans or walnuts.
4. Lemon chocolate chip muffins - Love chocolate? Fold in some white or milk chocolate chips to the batter. You can also use butterscotch chocolate chips.
5. Lemon poppy seed muffins - Convert them to lemon poppy seed muffins, as I do with my lemon poppy seed cupcakes!
6. With spices – Warm up the flavor with a dash of cinnamon, allspice, or apple pie spice.
7. With filling - Fill the center of your muffins with pastry cream or my homemade lemon curd to make lemon curd muffins.
8. With toppings – Swap out the lemon glaze for decorating sugar or streusel crumbs.
9. Egg-free muffins – Try one of these many egg substitutions for egg-free muffins.
10. Gluten-free muffins – If you prefer gluten-free muffins, swap out the all-purpose flour with one of the alternatives in my flour guide.

🎓 Expert tips

1. Always bring the butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature before starting the recipe. Otherwise, the batter will break and won´t emulsify properly.
2. Set the eggs in a bowl of warm water for five minutes to help them reach room temperature quicker. Learn how to soften butter quickly.
3. Use only the equipment noted in the recipe to prevent overmixing the batter. 
4. To ensure the even distribution of the dry ingredients (flour, powder, baking soda, and salt), whisk them together in a small bowl before adding them to the batter.
5. A small cookie scoop or piping bag is helpful for a mess-free and even distribution of the batter into the muffin tin cavities.
6. Sift the powdered sugar before mixing it with the lemon juice to avoid clumping.

🥣 Equipment notes

Always use a digital scale to measure your ingredients for the most accurate and consistent baking results. A digital oven thermometer will ensure you bake the muffins at the proper temperature, as some oven models can vary by a degree or two.

An electric hand mixer is necessary to whip together the sugar with the wet ingredients. You will use the rubber spatula to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together without overmixing. Once you prepare the batter, you will need a 12-cup muffin pan for baking the muffins.

❓Recipe FAQs

🧁 More Muffins & Breakfast Recipes