Description
Homemade lemon cream cheese muffins deliver sunshine on a plate with tangy, sweet perfection. Moist crumb and rich cream cheese make these little treats irresistible for morning pleasure or afternoon indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups (355 ml) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Flavor Enhancers:
- Zest of 1 large lemon
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 23 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a muffin tin with liners or butter, ensuring a non-stick surface for easy removal.
- Sift together the dry ingredients in a spacious mixing bowl, creating a uniform base for the muffin foundation.
- Whisk the liquid components in a separate vessel, blending sour cream, melted butter, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until achieving a silky, cohesive mixture.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, stirring minimally to maintain a tender muffin texture and prevent overmixing.
- Cream the cream cheese filling by whipping the softened cheese with sugar and vanilla until achieving a smooth, luxurious consistency.
- Layer the muffin batter strategically: deposit a base layer of batter, introduce a dollop of cream cheese filling at the center, then crown with additional batter to conceal the creamy surprise.
- Slide the muffin tin into the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, monitoring until a test skewer emerges clean when inserted near the edge.
- Allow muffins to rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then transition to a cooling rack for complete temperature reduction.
- Craft a zesty glaze by whisking powdered sugar with lemon juice and zest until reaching a drizzle-perfect consistency.
- Embellish the cooled muffins with the tangy lemon glaze, creating an elegant finishing touch.
Notes
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth, lump-free filling that blends effortlessly into the muffin batter.
- Fold wet and dry ingredients gently to prevent overmixing, which can create tough, dense muffins with a rubbery texture.
- For a gluten-free version, swap all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend and add an extra pinch of xanthan gum for better structure.
- Reduce sugar content by using a natural sweetener like stevia or monk fruit, maintaining the muffins’ delightful sweetness while cutting calories.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg