Lemon Muffins Recipe: 6 Lemon Muffin Variations

Usually a breakfast or brunch item, lemon muffins are baked goods with a tender crumb and lemony flavor. In addition to lemon juice and lemon zest, bakers sometimes use lemon extract to make the muffins more yellow in color and to impart an even more concentrated lemon taste. A lemon glaze, which is optional, can make for yet more lemon flavor.

Lemon muffins need only to possess a lemony flavor to earn the classification. Beyond that, there is room for variation in terms of ingredients—especially since lemon pairs well with both sweet and savory flavors. Here are six different versions of lemon muffins you can pursue the next time you’re looking for new recipes:

1. 1. Gluten-free lemon muffins: There are “cup for cup” gluten-free flours on the market you can use as even substitutes for all-purpose flour if you want to make gluten-free lemon muffins. Alternatively, use a recipe specifically for gluten-free muffins to ensure you’re using an accurate measurement of gluten-free flour.
2. 2. Lemon blueberry muffins: Lemon plus blueberry is a common flavor pairing during the summer months when blueberries are in season. The burst of blueberries contrasts with the soft texture of the muffin. Mix fresh or frozen blueberries right into the lemon muffin batter and add about five minutes of baking time to your plain lemon muffins recipe for lemon blueberry muffins.
3. 3. Lemon cheesecake muffins: Make a quick and tangy cheesecake batter in a separate mixing bowl to swirl or layer into the lemon muffins. Lemon and cream cheese are both tart flavors, but the creaminess of the cream cheese and sweetness of the cheesecake batter will balance out the tangy lemon taste.
4. 4. Lemon chocolate chip muffins: Fresh lemon and sweet chocolate chips complement each other well. Mix dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, or white chocolate in your muffin batter.
5. 5. Lemon poppy seed muffins: Maybe the most classic addition to lemon muffins, poppy seeds contribute more in terms of texture and appearance than they do in taste. The ingredient adds a slight crunch to lemon poppy seed muffins, plus black specks against the backdrop of the pale yellow muffin.
6. 6. Lemon streusel muffins: Finish your muffins with a sweet and crunchy streusel topping. Mix brown sugar, flour, and butter in a medium bowl until clumps form, then scoop some of the streusel onto the tops of the muffins. Add about five minutes to a plain lemon recipe so that as the muffins bake, the topping has time to become golden brown and crispy.