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Skip the expensive coffee shop muffins and make a batch of these easy lemon muffins instead! They are made with sour cream and fresh lemon juice so they are bursting with flavor and so moist and tender. This easy muffin recipe is perfect for breakfast and brunch or whenever you want a sweet snack.
BEST Lemon Muffins with Crumble
When you’re craving bakery style muffins you need to try these lemon muffins with a sweet streusel topping and lemon glaze. They taste perfectly lemony and the texture can’t be beat – they’re perfectly moist and springy like a muffin should be.
Lemon sour cream muffins with crumble topping, to be specific. These easy muffins are bright, fresh, and so tender and moist. Basically, the perfect recipe – they’re not just a favorite breakfast, but one of my favorite desserts too!
Ingredients Needed
- Sour Cream – I’m using this in place of milk. The acid in the sour cream helps activate the baking soda for a moist and fluffy muffin. You can swap greek yogurt if you want.
- Lemons – Use fresh lemons and you’ll need both lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Oil – I prefer vegetable oil for the fat in my muffin recipes. I like the moisture it lends to the crumb.
- Butter – I use melted butter in my crumble topping because it makes it easier to mix.
How to Make Lemon Muffins
- I like to make the topping first, that way it’s ready to go when the batter is done. Just combine flour, granulated sugar, salt and melted unsalted butter in a bowl and set it aside.
- Using an electric mixer, mix the eggs in a large bowl until they are thick and frothy. This is a very important step – the fluffy eggs help keep the muffins light.
- Add the sugar and oil and mix again until the mixture is creamy.
- Mix in the zest, lemon juice, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream and mix again.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the flour. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated – the batter may be slightly lumpy.
- Line muffin tins with muffin liners and fill each ¾ full with batter. Sprinkle the crumb topping over each. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking make the glaze by combining powdered sugar with lemon juice in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- Be sure to beat the eggs long enough – they should be thick and yellow and frothy.
- Be sure your sour cream is room temperature to avoid lumps.
- The glaze is optional but adds tons of flavor!
- Do not skip the lemon zest – it adds all the flavor to the muffins.
- Muffins are done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- This recipe make a big batch – 24 muffins! So, they’re perfect for potlucks or when you’re serving a crowd for brunch or breakfast.
- Want lemon blueberry muffins? Add a cup or two of fresh blueberries.
- If you don’t want to make a large batch you can easily cut the recipe in half.
FAQs
Using a combination of sour cream, baking soda, and oil keeps these muffins nice and moist with a tender crumb. Be sure to not over bake muffins either or they’ll be dry.
Add about 1 tablespoon poppy seeds before putting the batter in the muffin pans.
Freeze these muffins without the glaze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Lemon Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1 ¼ cups (155g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
Muffins:
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (454g) sour cream
- 4 cups (492g) all purpose flour
Glaze (optional):
- ¾ cup (85g) powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups. (This recipe makes 24-28 muffins. Half the recipe for a smaller batch!)
- Make the topping by stirring together all topping ingredients with a fork in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, mix eggs with electric mixer about 1-2 minutes until thick and frothy. Mix in sugar and oil, beat until creamy. Mix in lemon zest, juice, vanilla, baking soda, salt. Mix in sour cream then stir in flour using a wooden spoon. (Batter may be slightly lumpy.)
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Sprinkle the tops with the crumble mixture. (I filled mine just a teeny bit too much. They got scary close to overflowing, so stick with 3/4 full!)
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- (The glaze is optional but adds another punch of lemon flavor.)
- Make the glaze: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over muffins.
- Muffins should be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to one month. (If freezing, omit glaze and make it before serving.)
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to beat the eggs long enough – they should be thick and yellow and frothy.
- Be sure your sour cream is room temperature to avoid lumps.
- The glaze is optional but adds tons of flavor!
- Do not skip the lemon zest – it adds all the flavor to the muffins.
- Muffins are done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on January 9, 2024
Coffee and a muffin – that’s my break too! Plus crumb muffins are the best! Pinned!Â
Thanks for pinning!
These lemon muffins look like a perfect excuse to take a break during the day. I don’t get many of those either since I have a rambunctious 5-year old at home!
I am exactly the same. I try and cram all this work into my day and then I just hit a wall and NEED A BREAK! I find just a little bit of surfing for fun helps so much!! I’m not a parent yet and I honestly don’t know how you do it all – I find it stressful enough just running the house, having 2 food jobs (blog and photography) and trying to keep on top of comments, social media etc. You must be super woman!!Â
It’s amazing what 10 minutes will do!
It’s always good when you are able to find time to relax. And these muffins are the perfect way to do it. Lemon treats are the best!Â
I need to take breaks when I am at work too! I always pull up a few food blogs and read them when I need a mental break 🙂 Yours is one of my favorites to read!!
Aaaah yes, parenting and working at home at the same time… Nuh-uh. I try to do as much computer work as possible during nap time (I have no clue what I’m going to do once these stop – right now my baby is sat in her crib, playing and babbling away even though she’s supposed to sleep… Noooo!) and then have her in the kitchen with me as I cook/bake/photograph. She loves “helping” aka needing to peak into my bowls and pots while rattling the tripod 🙂 But while most things aren’t difficult it is a lot to handle and I’m definitely not doing enough to relax! I have started painting my nails again though, so that’s a win 😉 I need to try the whole ice coffee and muffin thing! They look incredible and I’m craving one so badly right now!
I so admire you all with little kids. I’d go insane!!
I’m a teaching assistant during the day and blogger in the evenings so there is literally no time left for anything and its sooooo overwhelming! Thank goodness there is coffee!! I love winding down with a cup of coffee and sweet, bakery muffin. These look delicious 🙂
Overwhelming for sure!! Thanks Jenna!
I’m glad you’re able to find a little time to relax, Dorothy! These muffins look like just the treat to unwind with. I love the crumb topping. Just perfect! And pinned!
Although I don’t have children (my mom’s pushing big time for a grandbaby…let’s wait a few years!), I know what it feels like to not have any time to just relax. During the day, I work as a teacher and by night, I’m a barista or a blogger. My way of settling down usually involves listening to vinyls or watching an episode of my favorite show. Usually that time is reserved for the weekend. 🙂 These muffins are so bright. I need to try them.Â
Two jobs, you’re my hero!! Yeah, on the weekends I just collapse and read and watch TV, lol.
Let me put it this way: the whole “having it all” BS is double-edged sword. Yay, women are allowed to have careers. But we are STILL expected to do every other thing in the house, with the kids, the social calendar…I mean, it’s exhausting. My idea of heaven is 20 minutes with Netflix on my iPad.
I think these muffins would help, though. Nothing says free time more than a snack! With Netflix. These crumb muffins are amazing!
Exactly that. I don’t know how you do it working full time AND blogging. OMG I’d go insane!
Soooo sweetttttt.
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