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Desserts and Cakes

Easy Lemon Muffins

Soft, bright lemon muffins with a thin glaze and an easy one-bowl batter.

Published by Gabor U. · Updated August 24, 2026

35 minutesTotal time
12 minPreparation
23 minCooking
12 muffinsServings
Easy Lemon Muffins
What you need

Ingredients

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 150 g sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 180 ml milk
  • 100 ml neutral oil
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 80 g icing sugar for glaze
Step by step

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 170°C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips for 30 seconds to release the aromatic oils.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt into the lemon sugar until evenly mixed.
  4. In a jug, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold just until no streaks of flour remain. Divide evenly among the cases, filling each about three quarters full.
  6. Bake for 20–23 minutes, turning the tin once if needed, until risen and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
  7. Mix the icing sugar with the remaining lemon juice to a thick drizzle and spoon over completely cool muffins.

Where the bright lemon flavor comes from

These muffins have a light crumb and a clean lemon flavor from zest in the batter and a sharp little glaze on top. Oil keeps them soft for longer than butter-based muffins, which makes them practical for baking ahead.

Mixing and filling the muffin cases

Finely grate only the yellow part of the lemon skin; the white pith is bitter. Bring the eggs and milk close to room temperature, and line the tin before mixing because the baking powder begins working as soon as the batter is wet.

Flavor ideas beyond the basic batch

Add 100 g blueberries, poppy seeds or a handful of white chocolate chips. Orange zest and juice make an easy variation. For a crunchy top, skip the glaze and sprinkle coarse sugar over the batter before baking.

Using zest, juice and neutral oil

Most lemon aroma is in the colored outer zest, not the juice. Grate only the yellow surface and rub it into the sugar to release the oils; the white pith underneath is bitter. A neutral oil keeps the crumb soft after cooling, whereas strongly flavored olive oil can dominate the citrus.

Serving muffins at their best

Serve once the glaze has set, with tea or coffee. Split-day-old muffins and toast the cut side lightly for breakfast.

Preventing tunnels and a disappearing glaze

Overmixing creates long tunnels and tough edges, so fold only until the final flour streak disappears. Fill the cases evenly for consistent baking. Muffins must be completely cool before glazing; on a warm surface the icing melts, soaks in and loses both its white finish and fresh lemon bite.

Freezing and refreshing muffins

Keep unglazed muffins airtight at room temperature for 2 days or freeze for 2 months. Glazed muffins are best refrigerated in warm weather, then brought back to room temperature before serving.