Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable)
Moist lemon muffins with a creamy center, ready in 35 minutes for breakfast or snacking.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
07 - ½ cup whole milk
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Cream Cheese Filling
12 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
13 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 egg yolk
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
→ Topping
16 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly with nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, milk, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully blended.
04 - Gently fold wet ingredients into dry mixture until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as flour disappears—do not overmix.
05 - In a small bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar, egg yolk, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup. Place 1 heaping teaspoon cream cheese filling in center, then cover with remaining batter, filling cups ¾ full.
07 - Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over muffin tops, if desired.
08 - Bake for 18–22 minutes until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the edge (avoiding cream cheese center) should come out clean.
09 - Let muffins rest in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cream cheese center stays soft and tangy while the muffin crumb is tender
- These freeze beautifully and thaw overnight for breakfast emergencies
02 -
- Overmixing makes tough muffins, so stop folding as soon as flour streaks disappear
- Insert the toothpick into the edge not the center when testing doneness
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, it is so much easier that way
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the cream cheese from clumping