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    Home » Breakfast

    Easy Lemon Muffins with Yogurt

    Published: Sep 15, 2020 · Updated: Feb 18, 2024 by Billi · This post contains some affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    These Easy Lemon Muffins with Yogurt are delicious, soft, and have an undeniable lemon flavor! Excellent for snacks or breakfast, so try some with your next cup of coffee or tea!

    An overhead shot of freshly baked lemon muffins, cooling on a rack.

    These easy lemon muffins are light enough that you can easily finish a couple with your morning cup of coffee.  

    Don't think they're cloyingly sweet either, because of the sugar on top.  Nope.  

    It's a perfect balance of sugar and lemony flavor --- plus the softness caused by the yogurt.

    It's hard to say no to that, right? 🙂

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    Ingredients

    An image showing all the ingredients you need to make easy lemon muffins.
    • Lemons - you will use both the lemon juice and the peel for this easy lemon muffins recipe.
    • Vanilla extract - just use your favorite brand.
    • Flour - all-purpose flour is excellent for these lemon yogurt muffins.
    • Sugar - regular white sugar is great for this recipe.
    • Baking powder & baking soda - use whatever you have on hand.
    • Salt - you might need to use less if you are using salted butter.
    • Butter - I generally use unsalted butter for making these easy lemon muffins.
    • Eggs - at room temperature.
    • Yogurt - plain yogurt is the best one to use for these muffins. However, if you want to use a flavored one, better limit yourself to lemon-flavored yogurt.

    Even normal vanilla ones might overpower the lemon, so better not to use that either.

    A closer shot of lemon muffin, on a cooling rack, with a piece of lemon on the background.

    Preparation

    Start preparing your lemon muffins with yogurt by greasing the muffin tray or placing some muffin liner on it.

    Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

    Sift and mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  

    Straining the dry ingredients in preparation for making lemon muffins with yogurt.

    In a separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar.

    Combining sugar with eggs to start the batter for lemon muffins with yogurt.

    Mix until creamy.

    Add vanilla extract and melted butter.

    Adding melted butter with the eggs and sugar for making lemon muffins with yogurt.

    Then add yogurt and continue mixing.

    Adding yogurt into the batter of lemon muffins, to keep it softer.

    Add the sifted dry ingredients, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

    Pouring lemon juice with the rest of the ingredients for easy lemon muffins.

    Mix, just enough to combine.

    Spoon the lemon muffin batter into tins or tray.

    Spooning lemon muffins with yogurt batter into tins, for baking.

    Combine the sugar and lemon zest for the topping.

    Add some of the sugar and zest mixture on top of each muffin.

    Sprinkling sugar and lemon zest on lemon muffins with yogurt.

    Distribute the remaining topping on each muffin evenly.

    Place the muffin tray in the oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes, or until the top has turned golden.

    Remove lemon muffins with yogurt from the tray and serve.

    An overhead shot of muffins on a baking tray, just out of the oven.

    Helpful tips

    • If you are not using muffin liners, do not forget to grease or spray the tins with butter.
    • Do not overmix the batter; mix it just enough to combine.
    • When preparing the topping of the lemon muffins, use your fingers to rub the sugar with the lemon zest.  

    It helps in releasing more of the aroma and flavor of the zest.

    A closer shot of lemon muffins on a plate, served with some coffee on the side.

    FAQ

    What is the secret to making moist muffins?

    The secret is in adding something acidic to the muffin batter.  

    The common ones are buttermilk and sour cream -- and as you can see in this recipe, yogurt is also an excellent alternative.

    So, give these easy lemon muffins a try for your next breakfast or coffee break, and let me know what you think!

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    📖 Recipe

    Latest feature image for lemon muffins with yogurt, fresh from the oven.

    Easy Lemon Muffins Recipe (with Yogurt)

    These Easy Lemon Muffins with yogurt are delicious, soft, and have an undeniable lemon flavor! Excellent for snacks or breakfast, so try some with your next cup of coffee or tea!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 169kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Strainer for sifting
    • Hand mixer
    • Rubber spatula
    • Muffin tin
    • Muffin liners

    Ingredients

    For Batter:

    • 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup sugar, heaping
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup yogurt, plain
    • 1/4 cup butter, melted
    • 1 tbsp lemon zest
    • 1/3 cup lemon juice
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • butter, for greasing

    For Topping:

    • 3 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tsp lemon zest
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    Instructions

    Preparing equipment:

    • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Place some muffin liners on the tin or grease tin with butter.

    Preparing batter:

    • Sift and combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
    • Using a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar until they become creamy.
    • Add melted butter and vanilla extract and continue mixing.
    • Add yogurt and mix again to combine.
    • Add the sifted ingredients, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
    • Mix just enough to combine the dry ingredients with the rest.

    Baking lemon muffins:

    • Spoon the batter into your muffin tins. 
    • Combine sugar and zest and rub them with your fingers.
    • Add some of the sugar and lemon zest mixture on top of each muffin.
    • Place your muffin tray in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top has turned darker.
    • Remove lemon muffins from the tin and serve.

    Notes

    • Cook's Tip#1:  Plain yogurt is the best kind to use for this lemon muffins with yogurt recipe, but if you want to try flavored ones, stick to lemon yogurt.
    • Cook's Tip #2:  Make sure you grease or spray some butter into your muffin tins if you do not use muffin liners.
    • Cook's Tip #3:  Remember not to overmix the batter; mix it just enough to combine.
    • Cook's Tip #4:  To prepare the topping of the lemon muffins, rub the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers to combine. It helps in releasing the aroma and flavor of the lemon zest.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 163IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg

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