The Best Lemon Cheesecake Muffins (with Streusel)

These incredibly moist Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins feature a bright, zesty lemon cake surrounding a rich, creamy cheesecake-like filling, all crowned with a buttery streusel. I’ve found that these are the perfect treat to brighten up any morning, and they disappear almost as soon as they cool. They bring together the best parts of a classic lemon muffin and a decadent cheesecake in one perfect handheld dessert.

What Makes These Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins Truly Stand Out

These Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins are exceptional because they offer a perfect combination of bright, tangy lemon and a rich, creamy cheese filling. This creates a wonderful balance of flavors that unfolds with every single bite. The crunchy streusel on top adds a fantastic texture contrast to the soft muffin crumb.

A luscious lemon glaze provides the final touch with a sweet and tangy finish. With their moist, tender texture and vibrant citrus aroma, these muffins are not just beautiful to look at but also completely irresistible. They are an ideal choice for both a special breakfast and a satisfying dessert. Whether you are looking to impress your guests or just want to indulge in a special morning treat, these muffins are guaranteed to become a new favorite.

What You Need to Make This Lemon Cream Cheese Muffin Recipe

• All-purpose flour This is the essential base for both our tender muffins and the crumbly streusel topping. To get the best texture, be sure to measure it correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off.
• Light brown sugar and granulated sugar A mix of these sugars provides the perfect sweetness. They also contribute to a wonderfully tender crumb in the muffins and a classic crunch in the streusel.
• Unsalted butter This ingredient adds rich flavor and essential moisture. You will need it melted for the streusel to form perfect crumbs and softened for the batter to create a light, airy texture.
• Lemon zest and extract These are the sources of the muffin’s vibrant citrus flavor. Freshly grated lemon zest provides a bright, authentic taste that really makes these muffins shine.
• Greek yogurt This is my secret for keeping the muffins incredibly moist. It also adds a subtle tang that beautifully complements the lemon.
• Cream cheese This is the heart of our creamy filling. For the smoothest, most luxurious texture, make sure the cream cheese is full-fat and at room temperature before you start mixing.
• Powdered sugar and lemon juice These simple ingredients come together to create the zesty glaze. It adds an extra pop of lemon flavor and a beautiful finish to the muffins.

Steps to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins

1. Preheat & Prep First, preheat your oven to 425°F. This initial high heat gives the muffins a great initial rise. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside for later. The amazing aroma that will soon fill your kitchen is something you can definitely look forward to.
2. Streusel Topping In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, both granulated and brown sugars, and a pinch of salt. Pour the melted butter over the top. Use a fork to gently stir everything together until you see perfect, coarse crumbles form. Set the streusel aside while you prepare the other components.
3. Muffin Batter In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. In a small bowl, stir the Greek yogurt and lemon juice together. Add this to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms, but be careful not to overmix.
4. Cream Cheese Filling In another clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract together. Continue mixing until the filling is completely smooth and creamy. This will be the delicious surprise center of your muffins.
5. Assemble Muffins Now it is time to build your muffins. Spoon a layer of muffin batter into each liner, filling it about one-third of the way. Add a dollop of the cream cheese filling right into the center of each cup. Cover the filling with more muffin batter, so each cup is about two-thirds to three-quarters full. Finish by adding a generous sprinkle of the streusel crumbs over the top of each muffin.
6. Bake Place the muffin pan into your hot oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350°F. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. You will know they are ready when the tops are a beautiful golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.
7. Cool & Glaze Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. While they are cooling, you can prepare the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Once the muffins are fully cool, drizzle the bright lemon glaze over the tops for the perfect finishing touch.

Tips for the Best Muffins

When you make these Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins, paying attention to the temperature of your ingredients is a key to success. For the streusel topping, you should use melted butter. This helps create the perfect crumbly texture that gives your muffins a delightful crunch. For the batter, however, using softened butter and room-temperature ingredients like eggs and cream cheese is very important. These ingredients mix together more smoothly and help create a lighter, fluffier muffin.

For the glaze, a good approach is to start with less lemon juice and add more a few drops at a time. Continue adding juice until you reach the consistency you like. This method gives you complete control over the thickness and tanginess of your glaze, making it a perfect final addition. Happy baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Print