Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable)
Moist muffins filled with tangy cream cheese and bright fresh lemon flavor
# 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
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 cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, milk, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk 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. Fill each cup about ¾ full.
07 - Sprinkle coarse sugar evenly over muffin tops, if desired.
08 - Bake for 18–22 minutes until golden brown. Test doneness by inserting toothpick into edge (avoid cream cheese center)—it should come out clean.
09 - Let muffins cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
# Tips from dashanddishes:
01 -
- The surprise cream cheese center makes every bite feel like discovering something special
- These muffins stay incredibly moist for days, thanks to that hidden creamy filling
02 -
- The toothpick test is tricky here because of the cream cheese center, so test from the edge not the middle
- Overmixed batter makes tough muffins, so stop folding as soon as the flour disappears
03 -
- Use a microplane or fine grater for your lemon zest to avoid getting any bitter white pith
- Room temperature ingredients combine more easily and create a more tender crumb