Lemon Crumb Muffins Recipe

Freshly baked lemon crumb muffins with golden domed tops and crisp streusel topping.

5 from 1 vote

Soft, tender lemon crumb muffins packed with bright citrus flavor and topped with a buttery, crumbly streusel. An easy bakery-style lemon muffin recipe made from scratch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Resting Time15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bakery style lemon muffins, easy lemon muffins, homemade lemon muffins, lemon muffins from scratch, lemon streusel muffins

Servings:

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients

Streusel

2/3 cup All-purpose flour
5 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
3 tbsp Granulated sugar
3 tbsp Dark brown sugar
2 tsp Lemon zest about 1 large lemon

Muffins

2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup Granulated sugar
Zest 2 Large Lemons about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons
2 large Eggs room temperature
1/2 cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup Buttermilk room temperature
1 tsp Lemon extract
1/4 cup Lemon juice

Instructions

Streusel

In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. (Melted butter, sugars, lemon zest, and flour.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
2/3 cup All-purpose flour, 5 tbsp Unsalted butter, 3 tbsp Granulated sugar, 3 tbsp Dark brown sugar, 2 tsp Lemon zest

Muffins

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Kosher salt
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until combined. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar helps release the oils in the zest and infuses more lemon flavor.
1 cup Granulated sugar, Zest 2 Large Lemons
Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture until they’re thick, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled butter until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon extract until combined.
2 large Eggs, 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, 3/4 cup Buttermilk, 1 tsp Lemon extract, 1/4 cup Lemon juice
Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425ºF. (The muffin batter will thicken upon resting.)
Divide the batter equally into the muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of streusel. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean; do not overbake. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Resting the muffin batter allows the starches in the flour additional time to absorb the liquids, causing them to swell. This results in a much better structured muffin, allowing for a nice, rounded dome.
Use room temperature ingredients so the melted butter mixes smoothly and doesn’t seize up.
Don’t overmix the batter—this keeps the muffins tender instead of dense.
Use tall muffin cups to hold the streusel in place.
Don’t overbake—butter-based muffins can dry out faster than oil-based ones, so pull them as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition