Yields: 12 muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-22 minutes
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup (180g) plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Get Started:
- Preheat Oven & Prepare: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well.
- Zest & Juice: Thoroughly wash and dry a lemon. Zest it to get 1 tablespoon zest, then juice it for 1/4 cup of juice.
Making the Batter:
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Rub Zest with Sugar: In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers. This releases the flavorful oils for an intense lemon punch.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, yogurt (or sour cream), eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the lemon-sugar mixture.
- Combine, Don’t Overmix: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. A few lumps are perfectly fine! Overmixing leads to dense muffins.
Bake & Glaze:
- Fill & Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Slightly: Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Glaze (Optional): Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. The consistency should be thick enough to drizzle.
- Drizzle & Enjoy: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins and let it set for a few minutes before enjoying.
Tips:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your eggs and yogurt/sour cream are at room temperature for the best texture.
- Fresh is Best: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the maximum lemon flavor.
- Don’t Overbake: Check muffins at the earliest baking point, as overbaking makes them dry.
