Lemons are such bright, cheerful little fruits and adding their beautiful flavor to a muffin makes for one very special breakfast and dessert.
These lemon crumble muffins are very easy to bring together. The batter all whips up in the same bowl then we sprinkle a little sweet, crumbly goodness over top and bake to sunny perfection.
Let’s get started…
In a large bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of lemon or citrus extract and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until fully combined.
Add 1/2 cup of whole milk and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and whisk until smooth and frothy.
Next, add 2 cups of all purpose flour along with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix until just combined.
Now that your lemony batter is mixed up, set it aside while we make a small batch of streusel to top these muffins with…
In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of all purpose flour with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and then drop 1 1/2 tablespoons of room temperature butter in little pieces over the flour and sugar.
Use clean , dry hands to work the butter into the flour and sugar until you have a consistency like just slightly damp sand.
Line your cupcake tins with liners and fill each one just below full with the batter. If you want your muffins to rise nice and tall as they bake, try only using every other cavity instead of filling each one. This method creates the best heat distribution for muffins and cupcakes to rise to their tallest potential. This is purely cosmetic though and your muffins will taste wonderful baked next to each other too.
Now add a generous amount of your streusel topping over each muffin and press the crumble down gently to try and get as much of it to adhere to the batter as possible.
I also like to add a sprinkle of course sugar over the streusel, but this is totally optional. These muffins are perfect as is, but there is something about the crunch of course sugar that I absolutely love in a muffin.
Bake these muffins in a 375 degree oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick will come out of the center of a muffin clean.
Transfer the muffins onto a cooling rack and enjoy! They are great warm especially with a cup of coffee or cold milk. They have a tender crumb and are not too sweet, but full of cheerful citrusy goodness.
Now if you prefer your muffins a little more on the decadent side then I would highly suggest making a simple lemon glaze to top these beauties off with.
Simply whisk a cup of confectioners with with a splash of vanilla extract and enough fresh lemon juice to create a consistency that will drizzle well and then drizzle away…
Although I am not a fan of super sweet desserts, I am completely obsessed with the way that the tender lemon crumb combines with that light, crumbly streusel and the tangy drizzle. It is glorious and exactly how a Sunday morning should be kicked off.
Lemon Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
- course sugar (optional)
Lemon Muffins
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon of lemon or citrus extract
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted
- a splash of vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 large eggs with 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of lemon or citrus extract and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Add 1/2 cup of whole milk and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and whisk until smooth and frothy.
- Add 2 cups of all purpose flour along with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix until just combined.
- Line a standard sized cupcake tin with liners and fill each cavity just below full.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of all purpose flour with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and use your hands to incorporate 1 1/2 tablespoons of room temperature butter into the flour and sugar until you have a texture like slightly wet sand.
- Top each muffin generously with the streusel and press down lightly to help it adhere to the batter.
- Sprinkle course sugar over each muffin and then bake in a 375 degree oven for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of a muffin clean.
- Transfer the muffins onto a cooling rack to cool.
- To glaze the muffins, whisk a cup of sifted confectioners sugar with a splash of vanilla extract and enough fresh lemon juice to create a consistency that will drizzle well.
- Drizzle each muffin with the glaze and enjoy!
