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Calling all lemon lovers – this citrusy flavored Lemon Muffin recipe will brighten your day and win your heart! Made with yogurt for a moist, fluffy crumb and fresh lemon juice and zest for a burst of bright, tart flavors; along with a tender, sweet streusel topping and rich glaze – these incredibly delicious lemon crumb muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack-time, and dessert!

“Perfect lemon flavour; great instructions and photos! Still winter in Canada, but I wanted something to use extra lemons! A dozen vanished the first evening! Thats a keeper!”

– Andrea
Straight on photo of three lemon and yoghurt muffins with a lemon glaze.

Update: This recipe was originally published in March 2017. I made updates to the post below to include more information about making this recipe for lemon muffins.

Hi, friends and happy first day of spring! To celebrate the season synonymous with new beginnings and sunshine I’m bringing you magically delicious bakery-style lemony muffins.

Table of Contents

About this lemon muffin recipe

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

Picture this: the sweet and tangy aroma of lemon filling your kitchen as you pull a warm, moist homemade muffins straight out of the oven. Then you take your first bite, and the muffin is beautifully soft and tender from the addition of Greek yogurt and bursting with tangy, tart lemon flavor. Finished with a crumbly, buttery crumb topping and sticky, sweet lemon glaze, these lemon muffins are the perfect balance of sweetness and citrusy zing.

Bonus points: this recipe for lemon muffins is as versatile as it is delicious. And, they’re a cinch to make. Whether you’re hosting a brunch with friends, treating your family to a cozy breakfast at home, or celebrating a special occasion, these bakery-style muffins with crumb topping and lemon glaze are the perfect treat.

If you’re a lover of bakery style muffins, be sure to try these reader-favorite recipes next: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins, Egg Stuffing Muffins, and Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins.

Why you will love this recipe

  • Bursting with Lemon Flavor. With a triple dose of aromatic lemon flavor, this lemon muffin recipe just can’t be beat.
  • Fluffy, Moist Tantalizing Texture. The addition of greek yogurt keeps these muffins tender, fluffy, and ultra moist with a crumb that melts in your mouth.
  • All The Toppings. Featuring a crumbly, buttery streusel topping and glossy, rich, lemon-scented glaze makes these lemon muffins totally irresistible.
  • Quick and Easy to Prepare. You’ll need just two bowls and a handheld mixer or stand mixer to bring the muffin batter together.
  • Universal, All-Season Appeal. Family0friendly and perfect for any time of year, these handheld lemony beauties are perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert and every single snack in between.
Overhead photo of all purpose flour, large eggs, a stick of butter, three whole lemons, and greek yogurt neatly arranged on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients in a lemon muffin

These homemade lemon muffins only require a few simple-to-find ingredients plus a few pantry staples to create incredibly moist yogurt muffins with tons of lemon flavor:

  • Flour:All-purpose flour is the foundation of this muffin recipe. Flour helps the batter remain sturdy and thick.
  • Baking Soda: Baking soda adds lift to a muffin recipe when paired with an acidic ingredient (greek yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest).
  • Kosher Salt: A touch of salt is necessary to enhance all the flavors!
  • Room Temperature Butter: Room temperature ingredients bond more easily than cold ingredients. Warmer ingredients produce an evenly textured and smooth batter.
  • Sugars: Both granulated and light brown sugar are used to add a dynamic sweetness to the muffins.
  • Eggs: Eggs add structure plus help bind the muffins.
  • Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a secret ingredient to incredibly tender muffins as it lends moisture, along with a touch of tangy flavor. Swap: Full-fat sour cream.
  • Extract: Both lemon and vanilla extract add tons of flavor.
  • Fresh Lemon: Both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are what makes these muffins full of fresh, zippy lemon flavor. Swap: Oranges are a great swap if you’re looking for a different flavor.
  • Crumb Topping: A quick and simple combination of flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter creates an utterly delicious, sweet and crumbly streusel topping that gets baked right on top of the muffins.
  • Glaze: A fast, whisk-together blend of confectioners’ sugar and fresh lemon juice produces a sticky, lemony finishing glaze for the muffins.

Recipe variations

Get creative in the kitchen to create a batch of glazed lemon muffins perfect for you and your family. Below are a few ideas to inspire:

  • Gluten-Free Lemon Muffin. You can substitute gluten-free flour if you would like, just make sure you look for brands that can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for regular flour.
  • Lemon Poppy Seeds Muffins. If you love lemon and poppy seeds together, add a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the muffin batter.
  • Nutty Version. Prefer a bit of crunchy texture in your muffins? Try adding a handful of walnuts to your batter. For the best flavor, I recommend toasting your nuts before adding them to the muffin batter.
  • Blueberry Lemon Muffins. For a burst for berry, fruity goodness, toss in a couple handfuls of fresh or frozen blueberries into the muffin batter.
  • Lemon Cranberry Muffins. And, if you prefer cranberries to blueberries, use those instead.
  • Jumbo Muffins. Do you think bigger is better? Yeah, me too! Turn these standard muffins into jumbo muffins! Follow the recipe instructions below, baking for 5 minutes at 425°F Reduce oven to 350°F and bake for 21-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Angled photo of a lemon yoghurt muffin, showcasing the crumb topping and lemon glaze.

How to make lemon muffins with yogurt

While these bakery style lemon glazed muffin aren’t a one bowl type of situation, they are 100% worth dirtying the extra bowl!

  1. Prepare the Crumb Topping. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, both sugars and  salt. Slowly add the butter and use a fork to blend together until small crumbs form.
  2. Mix the Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  3. Beat Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl using a handheld, or a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Then, add both sugars and beat on high speed until paste-like. Next, add the eggs, yogurt, and extracts, and beat until the mixture is creamy.
  4. Add Dry to Wet Ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Then, grab a spatula and fold until the ingredients are almost combined. Next, add in the lemon juice and zest, and continue to gently fold until JUST combined and no pockets of flour remain.
  5. Portion Batter. Divide the batter among muffin tins, filling each up almost all the way to the top. Then, sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter.
  6. Bake Muffins. Place the muffins into a 425°F oven and bake for 5 minutes. Keeping the oven door closed, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 13-15 minutes for regular muffins, or 21-24 minutes for jumbo muffins.
  7. Meanwhile, Make the Glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar with fresh lemon juice and then adjust for taste and consistency.
  8. Serve Lemon Muffins. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them a wire rack. Drizzle the lemon glaze all over the lemon yogurt muffins and enjoy!

Follow these chef expert tips for the best success!

Before you bust out your mixing bowls and crank up your oven, read the tips and tricks below to ensure your lemon muffins turn out perfectly moist and fluffy every single time:

  • Measure Flour Properly: To properly measure flour, use the spoon-and-level method by using a large spoon to add the flour to the measuring cup and leveling it off. Directly scooping the flour from the bag will result in packed flour, which will lead to heavy, dense muffins.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients. For the best muffin texture, make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before using them. Why? Room temperature ingredients combine more easily with the other ingredients.
  • Zest, Then Juice Lemon. Before juicing, zest the lemon! And, use a microplane zester for fine lemon zest without any bitter pith. 
  • Don’t Overmix Muffin Batter. Be sure to fold the wet and dry ingredients together until they’re *just* combined—over mixing the batter will make your muffins dense.

Step-by-step photos: making this recipe at home

If you’re looking for the detailed measurements and full recipe instructions, please scroll down to the bottom of the page. 

Step-by-step photo collage illustrating how to make lemon muffin recipe with written instructions on each step.

FAQs: frequently asked questions

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 

Can I use regular yoghurt instead of Greek yogurt?

You are more than welcome to try. However, please note that Greek yogurt is strained yogurt—meaning, it’s thicker in texture, so your muffin batter may turn out thinner. If you’re looking for the same exact results, you can turn regular yogurt into “greek yogurt” by straining it yourself. Here’s how:

  • 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.

Can I add a more intense lemon flavor?

If you’re looking for lip-puckering lemon flavor, you can either add more lemon zest or try adding a splash of lemon extract.

How can I make my lemon muffin lighter and fluffier?

If your muffins always seem to come out dense and dry, check out the tips below for baking up light and fluffy muffins:

  • Sift your flour: If you are looking for truly fluffy muffins, make sure you sift your flour (after measuring and before adding to the mixing bowl) so you don’t end up with dense spots in your muffins.
  • Cream the butter: One key to muffins with a light texture is creaming the butter, and then creaming the butter with the sugar. Creaming helps aerate the ingredients and fills the batter with bubbles that will capture the gasses released by your leavening agent. Those bubbles will help produce muffins that are light with a fine crumb.
  • Use yogurt: Not only does yogurt impart creamy, tangy flavor and keep the muffins moist, but the acidity helps activate the baking soda, ensuring you bake up soft and fluffy muffins!
  • Leavening Agents: Muffins need baking powder, baking soda, or both to “rise” and become fluffy! Make sure you are using the correct type and amount in your muffin batter.
  • Oven Temperature: Your baking technique and oven temperature is a crucial factor for baking light, fluffy lemon muffins! During the first 15 minutes of baking, the leavening agents react to heat which causes your muffins to puff up. For the fluffiest muffins, bake for 5 minutes at a heat of 425°F. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 13-15 minutes. The initial burst of hot air helps lift the tops of the muffins quickly, while reducing the temperature allows the insides of the muffins to bake without drying out. Read: Fluffy, sky high muffins, just like your favorite bakery!

How do I avoid dry muffins?

Make sure you measure the flour correctly and accurately! The main culprit of dry, dense muffins is too much flour. Spoon and level refresher: Use a large kitchen spoon to ladle the flour from the bag into your measuring cup, overflowing the cup with the flour. Next, use the flat, straight edge of a butter knife (or something similar) to level off the top of the flour.

Can you make this recipe in advance?

You can make Lemon streusel muffins ahead of time! In fact, they are the perfect treat to have on hand for grab-and-go breakfasts, brunch for a crowd, quick snacks or easy desserts!

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.)

Close-up photo of a lemon muffin made with yoghurt and finished with a glaze.

Serving muffins with lemon

Common serving suggestions

  • With a Warm Drink. Enjoy a freshly baked lemon muffin alongside a steamy cup of coffee, breakfast tea, hot chocolate, or white chocolate for a delightful breakfast or mid-morning treat.
  • Grab-and-Go Snack: Grab a muffin or two on your way out the door for a quick and satisfying snack on the run. I love adding a muffin to my hiking bag along with a little apple granola or chocolate granola.
  • Family Breakfast Bonanza: Serve these lemon yogurt muffins alongside your favorite morning mains like avocado eggs and baked French toast sticks for a delicious spread.
  • Hosting Brunch: Serve these jumbo blueberry muffins alongside your favorite classic egg dishes, like sausage and egg casserole or scrambled eggs made in the oven, a carafe of mimosa cocktails, and lemon blueberry bars for a sweet and savory brunch combination everyone will love.
  • At a Potluck or Picnic: Bring a batch of these lemony muffins to a potluck or picnic as a convenient and crowd-pleasing dessert option.

Unique ideas

Storing leftovers

Storage instructions

  • Cool the Muffins. Before storing, allow the muffins to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack. 
  • Store Muffins. Transfer the lemon and yoghurt muffins to an airtight container and store the muffins at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days,
  • Storage Tip. Line your container with a sheet of paper towel, and then arrange the muffins on top in a single layer. Next, cover the top of the muffins with another sheet of paper towel before sealing the container with a tight-fitting lid. Why? The paper towels will absorb the excess moisture from the muffins and allow them to stay fresher for longer.

Freezer storage

  • Cool and Freeze. Allow the muffins to cool completely before wrapping each muffin individually in plastic wrap. Then, transfer the wrapped muffins into a freezer-safe resealable bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months. Make sure you thaw them on the counter before reheating.
  • Freezing Tip. Do not drizzle the muffins with glaze prior to freezing. If you want to glaze the muffins, wait until just before serving.

Reheating instructions

There are two different ways you can reheat this lemon muffin recipe, depending upon how much time you have and what kitchen equipment you have readily available, the oven or a microwave:

  • Oven (recommended method): Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 325°F. Reheat muffins with lemon until they’re warm throughout or slightly toasted, about 5-10 minutes.
  • Microwave (quick method): Alternatively, you can reheat muffins in the microwave by wrapping a muffin in a damp paper towel and microwave at 50% power for about 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave.
Close-up photo showcasing the tender inside crumb of a lemon muffin made with yogurt.

This fluffy, bakery-style lemon muffin recipe is the perfect way to start (or end!) your day. So, what are you waiting for? Make these muffins and celebrate the spring season in delicious style, my friends.

Cheyanne

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More muffins with fruit!

Straight on photo of a four perfect lemon muffins with crumb topping and lemon glaze.

Lemon Muffin Recipe

5 from 12 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Calling all lemon lovers – this citrusy flavored Lemon Muffin Recipe will win your heart! Made with yogurt for a moist, fluffy crumb and fresh lemon juice and zest for a burst of bright, tart flavors; along with a tender, sweet streusel topping and rich glaze – these incredibly delicious lemon crumb muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch, snack-time, and dessert!

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing Bowls – for the muffin batter
  • 2 Handheld or Stand Mixer – for mixing
  • 2 Muffin Pan – for baking the lemon muffins

Ingredients 

Lemon Muffins

Crumb Topping

Lemon Glaze

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven and Prep Pan: Arrange the oven rack to the center position and then preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
    Line a regular 12-count or Jumbo 6-count muffin pan with muffin liners or cupcake liners. Then set it aside.
  • Prepare the Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, both sugars, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt until fully combined. 
    Slowly pour in the melted butter and use a large fork to blend the ingredients together until small crumbs form. If larger crumbs are desired, continue to mix the ingredients.
    Once you have the crumbles the size you'd like, set the crumb topping aside.
  • Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until fully combined. Then, set the bowl aside.
  • Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing 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 continue to beat on HIGH speed until the mixture is well-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-LOW 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 necessary.
  • Add Dry to Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients.
    Then, use a spatula to fold until the ingredients are ALMOST combined. 
    Add in the lemon juice and zest and continue to gently fold until the ingredients are JUST combined and no pockets of flour remain. (Note: The batter should be thick.)
  • Portion Batter in Muffin Tins: Evenly divide the muffin batter among the muffin tins, filling each cavity until it's almost all the way full to the top.
    Sprinkle the crumb topping over top the muffin batter, filling each tin past the top. Then, use your fingers to very gently press the crumbs into the batter so the crumbs are flush with the top of the tins.
  • Bake Muffins: Transfer the lemon muffins to the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F.
    Then – leaving the muffins in the oven and oven door closed – reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
    Continue to bake the muffins 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).
    Remove the muffins from the oven and place the pan onto a wire rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer the muffins to the wire rack to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, Make the Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth and combined. Use a spoon and taste the glaze, then adjust with more lemon juice if a tarter and thinner glaze is desired.
  • Glaze and Serve Lemon Muffins: Drizzle the lemon yogurt muffins with the lemon glaze and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. Flour: 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. Yogurt: Make sure you use Greek yogurt to make these muffins. Greek yogurt is simply regular yogurt that has been strained to remove the water. If you want to use regular yogurt, you can just strain it yourself-it’s super easy to do!
    • 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. Lemon: 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. Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You’ll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  5. Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 12 servings (not including optional glaze). Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal    Carbohydrates: 49g    Protein: 6g    Fat: 11g    Saturated Fat: 6g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g    Monounsaturated Fat: 3g    Trans Fat: 0.4g    Cholesterol: 57mg    Sodium: 165mg    Potassium: 89mg    Fiber: 1g    Sugar: 23g    Vitamin A: 338IU    Vitamin C: 2mg    Calcium: 39mg    Iron: 2mg
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American

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Straight on photo of a lemon yogurt muffin with streusel topping.