Description
These Lemon Muffins are tender, moist, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Featuring a light and fluffy crumb enhanced by a zesty lemon glaze, they make the perfect bright and refreshing treat for breakfast or a snack.
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
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, add the eggs, buttermilk, melted and cooled butter, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice. Stir gently with a spatula for about 30 seconds until the mixture is combined but not overmixed.
- Incorporate dry into wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, folding gently and mixing by hand just until combined. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy; avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Rest the batter: Cover the bowl with a towel and place it in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes. During this time, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Prepare muffin pan: For bakery-style muffin tops, line a 12-count muffin pan with 6 muffin liners, placing them in every other muffin well to allow space for taller tops.
- Fill muffin liners: Spoon about 8 to 10 heaping tablespoons of batter into each lined muffin well, filling them very full. Use a butter knife or spatula to smooth the tops if the batter is lumpy. Optionally, sprinkle sanding sugar for a sweet crunch.
- Bake the muffins: Place the muffin pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) without opening the oven door, and bake for an additional 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and repeat: Remove the pan from the oven and let muffins cool for 15 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack. Repeat the baking process with the remaining batter, remembering to first preheat the oven back to 425°F for the initial bake.
- Lemon glaze (optional): In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice if needed. Dip the tops of the cooled muffins into the glaze or spread it over with a spoon for a bright, tangy finish.
Notes
- Resting the batter allows the flour to hydrate and baking powder to activate, resulting in a lighter muffin texture.
- Filling the liners very full creates bakery-style tall muffin tops.
- Using alternating muffin liners in the pan helps the muffins rise taller by allowing heat circulation between them.
- You can substitute buttermilk with regular milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, left to sit for 5 minutes.
- The lemon glaze is optional but adds a deliciously tangy sweetness to the muffins.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins.
- Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
