I have to say, this time of year is always a little challenging for me. It just seems like winter drags on and on forever, and there’s no end in sight. The days are still so short, it’s too cold to play outside with the kids, and we all seem to fall into a grumpy little slump. Since baking is my solution to pretty much any problem that I face, I decided that the best way to break through our winter blues was with some fresh muffins! One of the few benefits of these dark winter days is that citrus is in season, and so it’s easy to find all my favorite citrus fruits at the store for a good price. I always feel like adding lemon flavor to anything I bake is like adding a little bit of sunshine, and that’s definitely true in these muffins! These lemon crumb muffins are the perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a lemon flavor that’s strong without being overpowering. They’re perfectly tender and moist, and the crisp crumb topping makes them over-the-top delicious!
I was inspired by these gorgeous muffins I found on Baked by Rachel, but I made a few small changes to the recipe to suit my tastes. These muffins are incredibly light and tender, but still hold together well and are sturdy enough to send in a lunch box. I like them best hot out of the oven, but they will keep well for 3-4 days. If you need to add a little brightness to your day, these muffins are the perfect solution!
Lemon Crumb Muffins
The full recipe is at the bottom of this post, but here’s what you’ll need:
lemons sugar brown sugar eggs vanilla butter milk sour cream flour salt baking powder
The batter is quick to make, and uses ingredients that can almost always be found in my fridge and pantry. I used my hand mixer to whip up the batter, but you could easily use a stand mixer or mix by hand.
My favorite trick for equally sized muffins is to use a cookie scoop to fill the muffin cups. I have a 3 tablespoon scoop, and it’s the perfect size for the job.
Be sure to give each muffin a generous topping of the crumb mixture. It’s so delicious and adds a sweet buttery crunch to the top of each muffin.
The muffins smell absolutely heavenly while they’re baking! You’ll know that they’re done when the edges are light golden brown, and the tops spring back when touched lightly.
The lemon juice reacts with the milk and sour cream to make a light and airy batter, and the muffins bake up so tender and fluffy. Fresh lemon juice is definitely a must in these muffins!
These lemon crumb muffins are perfect for an easy and delicious breakfast, and also work well for lunch boxes or snacking. My kids absolutely loved these muffins!
These light and tender lemon crumb muffins are perfectly sweet and have a bright lemon flavor. They start with a luscious lemon muffin base, then are topped by a buttery crumb topping that makes them incredibly delicious!
