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Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe
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Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins

This lemon cream cheese muffins recipe is perfectly soft and fluffy, with a surprise cream cheese center and buttery crumble top!
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cream cheese, lemon
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Katie Higgins

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar or sugar free alternative (28g)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (2g)

Streusel Topping

  • 1/4 cup flour (30g)
  • 1/4 cup sugar or granulated sugar free alternative (50g)
  • 2 tbsp rolled oats or quick oats (10g)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter or oil (48g)

Lemon Muffins

  • 2/3 cup water (160g)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (30g)
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (6g)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (10g)
  • 1 medium egg or 1/4 cup additional water
  • 3 tbsp oil or unsalted butter (36g) (or mashed banana for low fat)
  • 2 cups flour (240g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar or granulated sugar free alternative (100g)
  • 4 tsp baking powder (18g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • *The recipe works well with white flour, spelt flour, or all purpose gluten free flour.
  • 1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease well. Set aside.
  • 2. Let cream cheese come to room temperature, then blend all cream cheese filling ingredients in a small food processor or with hand beaters until smooth.
  • 3. Next, make the crumble topping by stirring all streusel ingredients except butter in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter or softened oil with a pastry cutter or fork to form small crumbles.
  • 4. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
  • 5. Whisk water, lemon juice and zest, optional egg, remaining vanilla extract, and remaining butter (melted) or oil in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt just until evenly mixed.
  • 6. Spoon about two tablespoons muffin batter into the bottom of each lined or greased tin.
  • 7. Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling, then divide the rest of the muffin batter on top.
  • 8. Sprinkle the oat streusel topping over the unbaked muffins. Bake on the oven's center rack for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean.
  • 9. Enjoy hot from the oven. Or let cool before loosely covering with a towel and storing at room temperature overnight or completely covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also freeze leftover lemon cream cheese muffins for up to two months.
  • View Nutrition Facts

Video

Notes

Want more lemon? Try this Lemon Frozen Yogurt or my Vegan Lemon Loaf.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6.5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg