Description
These Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins are a truly delightful treat, combining the bright, tangy freshness of lemon with a rich, creamy, cheesecake-like filling, finished with a sweet, buttery streusel topping and a zesty glaze they are utterly irresistible!
Ingredients
For the Streusel Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the Lemon Muffins
- 1 ½ cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) fresh lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon (4 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (4 ml) lemon extract
- ⅔ cup (160 grams) plain Greek yogurt, full-fat recommended
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces (230 grams) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup (100 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ to 2 ½ teaspoons (7–12 ml) fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare for Baking
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Make the Streusel Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt, stirring to mix everything together.
- Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and stir gently with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Set this aside.
Prepare the Muffin Batter
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt and lemon juice.
- Add the yogurt mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Gradually add the reserved dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, a few small lumps are fine.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a clean medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Muffins
- Spoon a layer of muffin batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup, filling it about one-third full.
- Place a dollop (about 1-2 tablespoons) of the cream cheese filling on top of the batter in each cup.
- Cover the cream cheese filling with more muffin batter, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
- Generously sprinkle the prepared streusel crumb topping over the batter in each cup.
Bake the Muffins
- Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the cake part (avoiding the cream cheese filling) comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
- While the muffins cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice a few drops at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency.
- Once the muffins are completely cool, drizzle the lemon glaze over the tops.
Notes
Gluten-Free Variation: To make these muffins gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Ensure all other ingredients, like baking powder, are certified gluten-free. The texture might differ slightly, but the wonderful lemon and cream cheese flavors will still shine through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg