Description
These Luscious Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins are bright, tangy, and perfectly sweet! Each fluffy lemon muffin is swirled with a creamy, rich cream cheese filling and topped with a simple lemon glaze. These muffins make a delightful breakfast treat or afternoon snack with a burst of fresh lemon flavor!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For the Muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Lemon Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease the cups well.
- Make the Muffin Batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Muffins: Fill each muffin cup with about 2 tablespoons of muffin batter. Add a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling to the center, then top with more batter to cover the cream cheese, filling each muffin cup about ¾ full.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese center) comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.
Notes
- For a more intense lemon flavor, add an extra teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter.
- Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.