Lemon Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins
These lemon crumb muffins are perfect! The soft and tender muffins and the sweet-tart glaze have great lemon flavor. They are so easy to make, and the crumb topping is divine.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These were so freaking good! I was craving lemon muffins this week, and the first recipe I tried was decent, but I’m so glad I found and tried yours!! Thank you, thank you! -Julie
Why These Lemon Muffins are Worth Making
Modeled after this popular blueberry muffin recipe, this lemon version is incredible for all of the following reasons:
- The bright lemon flavor shows up in the muffin batter and on top of the muffins.
- The muffins are soft and fluffy with a slightly sturdy texture that holds up well for the crumb topping.
- Also: buttery crumb topping. YUM.
- They are the perfect muffins for everything from breakfast to after school snacks to parties (like a baby or bridal shower, yes!).
- While easy to make, they have just enough “wow-special” factor to make them a muffin everyone will go crazy for.
A Few Notes for Key Ingredients
All of the ingredients for these muffins are very straightforward, but I want to make note of a few important things so the muffins turn out perfectly:
- Cream cheese: The cream cheese in the batter doesn’t lend a cream cheese flavor to the muffins (you can’t taste it). Instead, it contributes to the uniquely soft but sturdy muffin crumb.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is key here for bright, lemony flavor.
- Lemon zest: There is two full tablespoons of lemon zest in the muffin batter. Don’t skimp on this, if possible. You can also add additional lemon zest to the glaze, if you’d like the yellow speckles and extra boost of lemon flavor.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can sub in equal parts sour cream and milk (2 tablespoons of each for this recipe).
A Note About the Crumb Topping: These muffins are heavy on the crumb topping, which is how I like them. However, you can go lighter on the crumb topping if you’d like.
Best Muffin Tins + Additional Notes
My go-to muffin tins are these ones {aff. link}. They are ever-so-slightly deeper than other muffin tins I’ve had in the past, which makes them perfect for recipes like this where crumb topping is added. If using dark-colored muffin tins, it’s best to reduce the baking temperature to 325 degrees F and watch the baking time closely, adding time if needed.
Baking without the crumb topping, is totally an option if you are looking for a delicious plain lemon muffin (or add poppy seeds for a lemon poppy seed variation).
These muffins likely won’t rise into a domed top like other muffins while baking. This is due to the recipe formulation, as well as the crumb topping.
These lemon cream cheese crumb muffins are really special! I love making them for all sorts of events, and they are always the first ones gone with people asking for the recipe. If you need a great, go-to lemon muffin, this recipe is it!
Lemon Cream Cheese Crumb Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin Batter:
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 large lemons, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup buttermilk (see note)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 large lemons)
Crumb Topping:
- ¾ cup (107 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) salted butter, melted
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar, more or less
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- For the muffins, in a medium bowl with an electric handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the egg, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Don't over mix. It's ok if the batter is still slightly lumpy.
- Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with batter. If you have extra batter, bake additional muffins in a second batch rather than overfill the muffin cups.
- For the crumb topping, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir/mash with a fork until the mixture looks evenly moistened and forms tiny clumps.
- Top each muffin evenly with the crumb topping (use it all up!).
- Bake the muffins for 17 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: these muffins likely won't rise into a domed top like other muffins while baking. This is due to the recipe formulation, as well as the crumb topping, so it's ok if they are flatter on top than other muffin recipes.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 2 to 3 minutes, then gently move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Continue adding additional lemon juice until the glaze is thick but pourable. Drizzle glaze over the top of each cooled muffin.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from these favorite blueberry cream cheese muffins)
Recipe originally published April 2017; updated February 2026 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
I don’t know how this recipe could make 12 muffins with just one cup of flour so I doubled the recipe and got about 18 muffins other than that I have made it several times. I doubled the recipe each time and they are absolutely wonderful.
What would baking time be for bite-sized mini muffins? Making for a brunch bridal shower.
Try 9 to 10 minutes for mini muffins.
Sooo AMAZING! Strong lemon flavor (you could easily half the amount of zest for a more settle flavor). I turned this into a cake, and it worked great. I cut the sugar by a third (used 1/2 cup) and it was more than sweet enough. Used cream and water 50/50 portions with a dash of lemon juice in substitute of buttermilk.
I’ve never written a review for a recipe before but this one deserves it. These were awesome. I skipped the topping, but put a few teaspoons of poppy seeds in with the dry mix. Made a double batch. Next day, they’re all gone. Family loved them.
Hi Mel just came across this recipe want to make for a bake sale, how well do they freeze with crumb topping?
They freeze ok! The biggest thing is that they can be a bit messy freezing them because of the crumb topping.
Just made with my mom for a delicious brunch. I love lemon, and it was super delicious, would make again!
Hi Mel, thanks for sharing this recipe! I happen to have about 150g of cream cheese leftover from another recipe, do you think it would work if I used all of it and omitted the butter?
Thank you!
Certainly worth a try – the muffins might be slightly more dense.
Absolutely Ioved these muffins! Thank you for a great recipe
Wonderful recipe. We left off the glaze as the muffins were sweet enough. I would definitely adjust oven temp to your altitude. I’m at 4500 feet, so next time I’ll up the oven temp to 375 or 400 degrees as I didn’t get a dome at all at 350. I used Meyer lemon juice I had in the freezer, and I added a couple of three drops of food grade lemon essential oil in place of the lemon zest as I didn’t have any. Lovely flavor, and we loved the crumb topping!
THESE ARE INSANELY GOOD.
I added the poppy seeds.
And on the glaze I scaled it back on the lemon juice and the sugar.
It only made 9 muffins I like my muffins “normal size” I guess! :0)
ITS A KEEPER!
These are so yummy! We added blueberries, and did not do the crumb topping! The lemon glaze is perfect! So refreshing!
This is the first recipe my mom let me cook on my own. The batter tastes so yummy.
-Jovie age 10
Way to go, Jovie!
For some reason I needed something lemon today – guess I’m not digging all the fall and pumpkin stuff just yet – found this on your site and man oh man – delicious! Oh, and I had no lemon zest and no buttermilk – (followed your suggestion to use sour cream and milk) and just left out the zest, and even then, STILL AMAZING!!!! Thank you Mel!!!!
These muffins are so very yummy! Mine,however, didn’t look as nice as yours-the centers fell.
Suggestions?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Hi Amy – do you happen to live at high elevation? What coating does your pan have? Light color or dark/nonstick? If you are using a dark-coated pan, try reducing the oven temp by 25 degrees.
I tried this recipe and it was amazing. So good, that it inspired me to convert this recipe into an orange cranberry muffin. Seriously the best! I have been hunting for the perfect orange cranberry muffin for years. I made the recipe exactly the same except I used oranges instead of lemons and added the cranberries. I also added a little orange zest into the glaze. Thank you so much for yet another great recipe.
What a fantastic sounding variation, Karen! Thanks for sharing!
Will this recipe work for 6 jumbo muffins instead?
I haven’t tried that, but it’s worth a try!
I was never a lemon person, Mel, that is until I tried some of your recipes.
Your lemon swig sugar cookie is my favorite.
I just tried these muffins and they are delicious. Thank you for sharing all of your awesome recipes.
Maria
Thank you so much, Maria!
Off to try the blueberry cream cheese.
Got some blueberries on sale today.
I’m going to add the crumb topping since I like it in the lemon muffins
I just made these today and I absolutely LOVE them! I popped some blueberries in half of them and they were fantastic. Next time I make these(and there will be a next time!)I want to add other fruits as well. I will not have a problem eating all these muffins by myself.
I just made these amazing muffins. Very simple to make and worth every minute! Thank you also for the buttermilk substitution tip.
Oh my. SO DELICIOUS. I could eat these every single day of my life. I did add two teaspoons of poppy seeds to the batter after I had mixed the wet and dry ingredients together, and it worked great! So good.
I have never commented on a recipe ever! I cook and bake constantly and absolutely love food meaning I’m always finding and trying new recipes and making my own. That being said, these are seriously the best muffins I’ve ever made and I will never stop telling people to make them! They blur the line between muffin and cupcake and that’s my favourite place to be!! 🙂
Thank you!!
It’s so funny that we made these the same day!
Thanks so much, Phoebe!
OMG this muffin is the bomb! Thank you so much for the recipe! The one thing I had to sub was the lemon zest, subbed it with orange zest after accidentally throwing away the lemon peel after squeezing the juice out. I should have doubles the recipe because I’m already on my 2nd muffin tonight and my plan was to have enough for the week’s breakfast.. looks like that ain’t happening
Have you tried Greek yogurt instead of the buttermilk? I have some I need to use up.
I haven’t but it usually works pretty good as a sub
Hi Mel, I know you recommend trying poppy seeds in your post – how much would be appropriate? If anyone else has tried adding them, I’d love to hear what they thought.
I’d suggest about a teaspoon or so.
Made a batch of this and the muffins tasted very good. I reduced the sugar for the batter to just 1/2 cup. I made 5 jumbo size muffis in silicone liners, filled the top with all the crumb topping. Because the muffins took longer to bake, the topping came out golden brown and crunchy, which I liked.
Because the muffins were top heavy, I was worried that the muffins would collapse from the weight of the topping once I took them out of the liner. One fell apart not because of the topping but attributed to the silicon liner. I will try using oat flour next time.
Lesson learned: silicon liners are more suited for denser batter such as pumpkin or gingerbread.
Tasty muffins
These muffins are so delicious! I’ve received many compliments when I’ve made them & have had requests for them! Thank you!
Made these, texture and taste were great. But they don’t puff up and the top was flat, more like a cupcake. Is it suppose to be this way?
Hi Kim, you can try increasing the temperature by 25 degrees to get more of a puff.
These muffins are amazing. I’m writing this review while waiting for them to cool completely, but I’ve already tried one. They are so delicate and full of great lemon flavor. The crumb topping is a wonderful addition to the soft muffins. I followed the recipe exactly, and can’t find a single thing I’d want any different. They are perfect!!
These muffins are devine! The first time I made them was in a middle of a snow storm. They were a huge hit and reminded me summer was just around the corner. Now I’m pregnant with baby #2 with a dislike of sweets but LOVE lemon and this is my go to lemon muffin recipe and baby #2 agrees! Enjoying these bad boys on the deck today!
They smell wonderful while cooking. I did have a question about the crumbled topping. I can never get it right these days. It turned into a dough, not a crumble. I did add more sugar to get it to crumble, but wanted your thoughts.
Hi Tanya – if the crumble topping is more like a dough than a crumble, try adding a few tablespoons more flour (and make sure the butter isn’t too hot when melted).
Can these be made into jumbo muffins?
I haven’t tried that but I’m sure they could!
Does this recipe work at high altitude 6800 feet or should I adjust it?
I’m not sure, I don’t live at that high elevation and haven’t tested it at high elevation. You could try googling high altitude baking recommendations!
Hey! I live at around 6000 feet and did not adjust the recipe. It worked great!
I just made these with oranges instead of lemons, swapping the vanilla for almond extract. They turned out perfectly! If you are low on ingredients or time I think these muffins would still taste great without the crumble and just a bit of glaze.