Lemon Muffin
intro
Bright, tender lemon muffins with a soft fluffy crumb and bright citrus tang, perfect for light breakfasts, snacks, or portable picnic treats.
Ingredients
Steps
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F), then line an 8-cup standard muffin tin with paper baking liners, or lightly grease each cup with 1 teaspoon of melted butter to prevent sticking.
In a large glass mixing bowl, whisk together 240g all-purpose flour, 100g granulated sugar, 10g baking powder, 1g fine sea salt, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest for 30 seconds until fully combined, breaking up any clumps of baking powder or zest.
In a separate medium ceramic bowl, whisk 2 large eggs lightly for 20 seconds until yolks and whites are fully blended, then stir in 180ml whole milk, 60g cooled melted unsalted butter (cooled to 45°C/113°F or lower to avoid cooking eggs), 45ml fresh lemon juice, and 5ml vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
Pour the entire wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient bowl, then use a silicone spatula to gently fold the batter together for 10-12 total folds, stopping as soon as no dry flour streaks remain; the batter will be thick and slightly lumpy, do not overmix.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each paper liner exactly 2/3 full (roughly 60g of batter per cup) to leave space for rising; do not fill liners to the rim, as this will cause batter to spill over during baking.
Place the muffin tin on the middle rack of the preheated oven, bake for 5 minutes at 200°C (400°F) to create tall domed tops, then lower the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) without opening the oven door, and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of a muffin—it should come out with 1-2 small moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven, let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes to set, then transfer each muffin to a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
2.For an extra zingy lemon kick, brush warm muffin tops with a mixture of 15ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice and 15g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar immediately after removing them from the oven, for a crisp, tangy crust.
3.Store fully cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month for quick, portable breakfasts or snacks.
OMG these lemon muffins are a total game changer!!! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single parent asked for the recipe. They were so fluffy, not too sweet, and that zesty lemon kick was *chef’s kiss*. I even added a tiny extra lemon glaze on top because my family loves extra tang, and it worked perfectly. 10/10, will be making these for meal prep every week from now on!
Super easy recipe even for someone who burns toast half the time lmao. Cook time was exactly 35 minutes like the recipe said, no fancy ingredients needed. My picky 7 year old ate two muffins after school and asked if we can have them for our Sunday family dinner dessert. Only thing I did wrong was zesting the lemon a little too deep and getting some of the bitter white pith, but even then they still turned out great. Knocked one star off because I wish there was a quick note about avoiding the pith for new bakers like me!
Made these for my book club meeting last night and they were gone in 10 minutes flat! I was worried they’d be too dense because every other lemon muffin recipe I’ve tried turns out rubbery, but these were so light and fluffy I couldn’t believe it. The lemon flavor was bright and fresh, not that weird artificial lemon taste you get from store-bought mixes. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation!