These Easy Lemon Glazed Muffins are packed full of fresh lemon flavor in both the muffin batter and the glaze. They are the perfect size for breakfast on the go or just a quick snack.
We have an incredible lemon tree in our front yard that produces a massive amount of lemons all year long. It is not uncommon to have neighbors come up to our door asking to take some. We never hesitate to share them because even with giving them away so many go to waste. Because of this I love making recipes with lemon any chance I get. These Easy Lemon Glazed Muffins are wonderful for breakfast on the go or for a snack.
I really wanted to drive home the lemon flavor by using lemon juice, lemon zest and even lemon extract. I have made these muffins using just lemon extract and lemon juice and there just was not enough lemon flavor. The lemon extract really does provide that bright and pronounced lemon flavor I was looking for.
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Ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour - To have a fluffy and light muffin it is extremely important to measure your flour correctly. If you scoop your measuring cup in to the bag of flour it compresses the flour. As a result you will end up with much more flour than your recipe actually calls for. To measure flour correctly fluff it with a fork, then spoon it into a measuring cup. Once filled, use the handle of the spoon to level off the measuring cup. It also helps once your flour is measured to sift it into your mixing bowl with a fine mesh sifter like this. The combination of proper measuring and sifting ensure a light a fluffy muffin.
- Baking Soda - Baking soda here is needed to neutralize the acid in the brown sugar and the yogurt.
- Baking Powder - Baking powder is needed in combination with the baking soda to help leaven the muffins.
- Salt - Salt is added to help balance the amount of sugar.
- Butter - We use two different kinds of butter in this recipe. Unsalted is used in the batter so that we can control the amount of salt for the main part of this muffin. Using salted butter in the crumble topping gives it a wonderful balance to the sugary crumble.
- Dark Brown Sugar - You can use light brown sugar instead of dark in both the muffin batter and the crumble topping however the dark brown sugar gives it the muffins much more moisture and depth of flavor since it has more molasses added.
- Granulated Sugar - We use granulated sugar in combination with brown sugar as too much brown sugar would produce an unappetizing color.
- Powdered Sugar - Powdered sugar is traditionally used in combination with liquid to produce a glaze like consistency.
- Eggs - It is important to use large eggs and to have them be room temperature so they mix cohesively with the other ingredients creating a smooth batter. If a recipe does not state what size eggs to use, the rule of thumb is to use "large" eggs.
- Yogurt - The addition of yogurt in this recipe really does keep them so incredibly moist. It is my new favorite ingredient in muffins and cupcakes. I believe it is important to use full fat yogurt but using lemon flavored yogurt I think would work nicely as well if you really want to punch that lemon flavor forward.
- Vanilla Extract - It is always important when using vanilla extract that you are using "pure" vanilla extract. Many brands us artificial flavors and do not use vanilla at all. Here is my favorite brand of vanilla extract.
- Lemon Juice - When using lemon juice, make sure you are always using fresh lemon juice. Lemon juice that comes from a bottle is processed, has preservatives and most of the health benefits have been destroyed. Fresh is best.
- Lemon Zest - The lemon zest used in the batter creates a wonderful dimension of flavor and adding more on top of the muffins makes an incredible pop of color and lets your guests know what flavor of muffin they are eating without having to guess.
- Lemon Extract - After making these muffins with only lemon juice and lemon zest it honestly still was not lemony enough. It is important to make sure the lemon flavor is pronounced in the batter. For that I recommend using lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract for the lemon trifecta.
For more brunch recipes try these Cream Cheese Pumpkin Spice Muffins or these Nutella Swirled Muffins.
Easy Lemon Glazed Muffins
A delicious and refreshing muffin bursting with lemon flavor inside and out.
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Servings: 12
Calories: 330kcal
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temp)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 cup plain full fat yogurt
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoon melted salted butter (warm not hot)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease.
- To make the crumble topping, in a small bowl melt 4 tablespoons of butter until just melted (make sure it is warm but not hot)
- Combine ½ cup of flour, ¼ cup dark brown sugar and ¼ cup granulated sugar with the melted butter and stir with a fork until a crumble forms. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In another medium mixing bowl, cream 6 tablespoons of room temp butter, ¼ cup dark brown sugar and ¾ cup granulated sugar together with a hand mixier on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Next add yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix with electric mixer about 1 minute until smooth
- Add the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients slowly folding with a spatula until just combined. It is ok if batter is a little lumpy.
- Fill each paper liner about ¾ of the way full (I use an ice cream scoop to do so).
- Sprinkle the crumble topping generously over each muffin. Very gently press crumble topping into the tops of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins in the oven for 6 minutes at 425 then without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for 13 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until combined to create a glaze.
- Once muffins are done, let them cool for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle with lemon glaze. Garnish with more freshly grated lemon zest.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4.6g | Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 30g
Deepti Singhal says
The muffins look so addictive. I love lemons in any form. Could you pls suggest a substitute for egg as I am pure vegetarian and don't eat eggs. Thanks!
Elizabeth.cipolla1 says
Thank you so much! You can use on fourth a cup of applesauce or plant based yogurt per egg as a substitute. I hope you like it!
Mary says
These delicious muffins had a ton of fresh lemon flavor. They were moist and the crumble topping was sooo good. I’ll definitely be making them again.