Description

These Lemon Muffins are a bright and zesty treat perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack. Featuring a tender crumb with fresh lemon zest and juice, they offer a delightful balance of sweetness and citrus tang. The unique baking method, starting at a high temperature and then reducing it, ensures bakery-style muffin tops with a moist interior. A lemon glaze adds an optional extra layer of flavor, making these muffins irresistible.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (420 grams)
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350 grams)
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled (113 grams)
Zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (60 ml)

Lemon Glaze (Optional)

1 cup powdered sugar (113 grams)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients: In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted and cooled butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice together with a spatula for about 30 seconds until evenly blended.
Incorporate dry into wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring by hand just until combined. The batter will be very thick, so avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
Rest the batter: Cover the bowl with a towel and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. While resting, preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
Prepare muffin pan: Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 6 muffin liners, filling every other muffin cup to encourage bakery-style muffin tops.
Fill muffin liners: Spoon about 8-10 heaping tablespoons of batter into each prepared liner. Use a butter knife to smooth the tops if needed. Optionally sprinkle with sanding sugar for extra crunch.
Bake the muffins: Place one muffin pan in the center of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF (220ºC). Then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (175ºC) and continue baking for an additional 15-17 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool and repeat: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Repeat the baking process with the remaining batter, remembering to preheat to 425ºF again for the initial baking.
Lemon glaze (optional): Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more lemon juice if needed. Dip the muffin tops into the glaze or spread it over them using a spoon for added flavor and sweetness.

Notes

Resting the batter helps hydrate the flour and improves the muffin texture.
Filling every other muffin cup ensures larger, domed muffin tops that resemble bakery-style muffins.
Do not overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins.
Use fresh lemons for the best bright lemon flavor.
The glaze is optional but adds a nice tangy sweetness to complement the muffins.
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Reheat muffins gently in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving for a freshly baked taste.