Glazed Lemon Muffins Recipe

These Glazed Lemon Muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch or a midday snack.  Moist and fluffy (from the addition of yogurt), loaded with tart lemon flavor, topped with sweet streusel and finished with a sticky, rich glaze, this muffin recipe is lemony perfection!

Updated:  This post was originally published in March 2017.  I’ve updated the post below to include more information about lemon crumb muffins.  I also added step by step photos, plus a recipe video to show you how quick and easy this bakery-style muffin recipe is to make!

Hi, friends!  Happy first day of spring!

I’m so thrilled the first official day of spring has finally sprung, I can hardly contain myself!  We have officially arrived at the season synonymous with the blossoming of new beginnings and warmth!  Absolutely nothing can stop me from basking in all of the vernal sunshine (or sweet spring showers).

In case you haven’t gathered from my enthusiasm, spring is my favorite season.  No offense to the elves and Santa, but THIS is the ‘Hap-HAPPIEST season of all’.  I mean, what’s not to love?  Birds chirping, flowers blooming, colorful produce and long sunny days!!  It’s the best!

Obviously I felt the need to bring something delicious to the table in honor of a day so great.  And, I knew whatever I made to celebrate today just had to include lemons.  Because spring = lemons in ALL the things!  After racking my brain I figured lemons in muffins just made sense.  Because when life gives you Monday, you eat muffins on repeat and call it a day.

So, today I have some magically delicious muffins to help you start this fine spring morning off right.  You get a muffin!  And YOU get a muffin!  AND YOU GET A MUFFIN!!

Lemon Muffins Recipe

Lemon because spring!  Glazed because life is too short not to.  And, a delicate crumb topping because, well frankly, streusel is everything!

These muffins are moist, tender and fluffy from the addition of Greek yogurt and packed with tangy, tart lemon flavor!!  Topped with crisp, crumbly, sweet streusel and generously drizzled with a rich, sticky, sweet lemony glaze, these muffins are absolutely marvelous!!

Words really can’t do justice to just how delicious these lemon crumb muffins taste, you guys!  They are just beyond words, so so good!!  Seriously, you need to stop what you are doing and make these yogurt muffins immediately!  Both your belly and your mood will thank you!

Ingredients in lemon muffins?

How to make lemon muffins at home from scratch?

These bakery style lemon muffins are loaded with lemon flavor, topped with a tender, crumbly streusel topping and generously drizzled with a rich lemon glaze.  While they aren’t a one bowl type of situation, they are 100% worth the extra bowls!

(Scroll down for the detailed measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a regular 12-count or Jumbo 6-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Set aside.
2. Prepare the Crumb Topping:  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, both sugars and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  Slowly add the melted butter and use a fork to blend together until small crumbs form.  Set aside
3. Prepare the Muffins – dry ingredients:  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
4. Prepare the Muffins – wet ingredients:  In a large bowl using a handheld, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add both sugars and beat on high speed until creamed and paste-like, about 2 minutes.  Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.  Add the eggs, yogurt and extracts.  Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then increase speed to high until mixture is combined and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Add the dry to the wet ingredients:  Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and use a spatula to fold until almost combined.  Add in the lemon juice and zest, and continue to gently fold until JUST combined and no pockets of flour remain.  The batter should be thick.
6. Portion batter in muffin tins:  Divide the batter among the muffin tins until they are almost full all the way to the top.  Sprinkle with crumb topping, gently pressing it into the batter, and filling each tin all the way to the top.
7. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 then, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees – leave the muffins in the oven and do not open the oven door!  Bake for an additional 13-15 minutes for regular muffins, or 21-24 minutes for jumbo muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine).
8. Meanwhile, make the glaze:  Whisk together the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Taste and adjust with an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if a tarter and thinner glaze is desired.
9. Cool and serve:  Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle with the glaze.  Enjoy!

How to make muffins step by step photos:

Tips for the best lemon muffins recipe:

1. It is really important you measure your flour correctly.  Make sure you SPOON the flour into your measuring cup, and then LEVEL it off.  Don’t just dip your measuring cup into your container of flour!  If you do this your flour ends up more compact, AKA you end up with more flour than 1 cup, and that’s a no-no.
2. Make sure you use strained (Greek) Yogurt in these muffins.  I used low-fat, but you can use non-fat or full fat Greek yogurt.  You can also strain yogurt yourself.  To do so, simply suspend a fine wire mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheesecloth.  Dump the yogurt on top of the cheesecloth and cover with plastic wrap.  Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and allow the yogurt to strain for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for best results.
3. The amount of lemon juice in the muffin glaze will depend on how thick or thin of a glaze is desired.  I used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in my glaze and I found it to be perfect, but if you want a thinner, tarter glaze, use all 3 tablespoons.
4. You can use this recipe to make regular sized muffins or jumbo muffins.  The baking times for both are included in the recipe below.
5. These lemon muffins freeze well for up to 2-3 months.  Just make sure you do not glaze the muffins prior to freezing them.  Allow the muffins to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating, glazing and eating.
6. I did not come up with the muffin baking technique (starting the oven at a high temperature, and then reducing it to a lower temperature), I adopted it from Sally’s Baking Addiction.  Sally is the mastermind behind one of my favorite baking blogs, and her technique for baking muffins is GENIUS.  The burst of hot air at the beginning of baking helps lift the tops of the muffins quickly, and then reducing the temperature allows the insides of the muffins to bake without drying out.  Read: SKY high muffins, JUST like your favorite bakery.

Can you make muffins in advance?

Lemon streusel muffins can be made in advance and they are the perfect treat to have on hand for grab and go breakfasts, quick snacks or brunch for a crowd!  I recommend making a double batch of muffins and storing them in them in a bread box, refrigerator or freezer.  (More on storing and freezing muffins below.)

How to store muffins?

Before you store baked muffins, make sure you allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.  Store baked muffins in an airtight container lined with a sheet of paper towels.  Make sure you place the muffins in a single layer and cover the top of the muffins with another sheet of paper towels as well.

Since muffins release moisture as they are stored, it is important to line both the bottom of the container and the top of the muffins with paper towels.  The paper will absorb the excess moisture from the muffins and allow them to stay fresher for longer.

If you leave muffins out on the counter, uncovered they will dry out.  However, if you store them in an airtight container without any paper towels, they will get soggy.  I have found the paper towel plus airtight container storage to be the best!

How long will muffins keep?

Properly stored muffins will last a few days at room temperature.  For a longer shelf-life, store muffins in the refrigerator.  Muffins will last in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.  Alternatively, muffins can be frozen (directions below).

Can muffins be frozen?

Baked lemon muffins freeze beautifully!

To freeze, do no glaze the muffins!  Allow the baked muffins to cool completely on a wire rack.  Wrap cooled muffins individually in plastic wrap and then transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-closure bag.  Muffins will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat muffins?

There is nothing better than a slightly toasted warm muffin slathered with plenty of butter!  Thankfully, muffins are incredibly easy to reheat!

To thaw:  If muffins are frozen, allow them to thaw at room temperature on the counter, or you can gently thaw them in the oven.  You can also microwave them at 50% power until slightly defrosted, but make sure you do not over-microwave the muffins or they will become extremely hard!

To reheat:  Place muffin in the microwave and warm for 15 to 30 seconds.  Alternatively, you can reheat muffins in an oven preheated to 175 degrees Fahrenheit until just warmed throughout.

These fluffy, bakery-style Glazed Jumbo Lemon Crumb Muffins are guaranteed to get you out of bed.  Make these muffins and celebrate the spring season in delicious style, my friends.

Until Thursday friends, cheers – to stud muffins… lemon studded muffins to be exact.

XOXO

Cheyanne

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The best Lemon Muffin recipe and step by step video👇

5 from 14 votes

Print

Yogurt Lemon Muffins Recipe

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

These Glazed Lemon Muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch or a midday snack. Moist and fluffy (from the addition of yogurt), loaded with tart lemon flavor, topped with sweet streusel and finished with a sticky, rich glaze, these muffins are simply marvelous!

Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bakery, bread, crumb, glaze, glazed, Greek yogurt, Healthy, jumbo, lemon, muffins, streusel

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 360 kcal

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Ingredients

MUFFINS

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour & sifted (SEE NOTES)
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt - plus more for topping
• 6 TBS Unsalted Butter , softened to room temperature
• 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 large Eggs - at room temperature
• 1 Cup Greek Yogurt (SEE NOTES)
• 1 tsp Lemon Extract
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 2 TBS Lemon Zest (about 2 large lemons)

CRUMB TOPPING

• 2/3 Cup + 2 TBS All Purpose Flour - spooned & leveled
• 3 TBS Light Brown Sugar - packed
• 2 1/2 TBS Granulated Sugar
• 4 TBS Unsalted Butter - melted

GLAZE

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2-3 TBS Lemon Juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a regular 12-count or Jumbo 6-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Set aside.

2. Prepare the Crumb Topping:  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, both sugars and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  Slowly add the melted butter and use a fork to blend together until small crumbs form.  Set aside.

3. Prepare the Muffins – dry ingredients:  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

4. Prepare the Muffins – wet ingredients:  In a large bowl using a handheld, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add both sugars and beat on high speed until creamed and paste-like, about 2 minutes.  Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.  Add the eggs, yogurt and extracts.  Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then increase speed to high until mixture is combined and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Add the dry to the wet ingredients:  Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and use a spatula to fold until almost combined.  Add in the lemon juice and zest, and continue to gently fold until JUST combined and no pockets of flour remain.  The batter should be thick.

6. Portion batter in muffin tins:  Divide the batter among the muffin tins until they are almost full all the way to the top.  Sprinkle with crumb topping, gently pressing it into the batter, and filling each tin all the way to the top.

7. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425 then, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees – leave the muffins in the oven and do not open the oven door!  Bake for an additional 13-15 minutes for regular muffins, or 21-24 minutes for jumbo muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine).

8. Meanwhile, make the glaze:  Whisk together the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Taste and adjust with an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if a tarter and thinner glaze is desired.

9. To serve:  Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle with the glaze.  Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

1. It is really important you measure your flour correctly. Make sure you SPOON the flour into your measuring cup, and then LEVEL it off. Don’t just dip your measuring cup into your container of flour! If you do this your flour ends up more compact, AKA you end up with more flour than 1 cup, and that’s a no-no.
2. Make sure you use (strained) Greek Yogurt in these muffins. I used low-fat yogurt, but you can use non-fat or full fat.  You can use whatever brand of strained yogurt you would like. Or, you can strain yogurt yourself. To do so, simply suspend a fine wire mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheesecloth. Dump the yogurt on top of the cheesecloth and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and allow the yogurt to strain for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for best results.
3. The amount of lemon juice in the glaze will depend on how thick or thin of a glaze is desired. I used 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in my glaze and I found it to be perfect, but if you want a thinner, tarter glaze, use all 3 tablespoons.
4. These muffins freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Just make sure you do not glaze the muffins prior to freezing them. Allow the muffins to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating, glazing and eating.

Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 12 regular sized glazed muffins.

Nutrition Facts

Yogurt Lemon Muffins Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 360 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 61mg20%

Sodium 167mg7%

Potassium 83mg2%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 33g37%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 345IU7%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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