Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins – With Buttery Streusel Topping!

June 20, 2026

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With crumbly streusel topping and clean cream cheese filling, do-it-yourself lemon cream cheese muffins are fully scrumptious for breakfast or snack!

Why you’ll love these lemon cream cheese muffins

Mushy, moist texture + buttery crumb high = unattainable to withstand!
The bakery type pastries are bursting with recent lemon taste, and every chew tastes like creamy lemon cheesecake within the type of the muffin.
They’re freezer pleasant and make an important immediate breakfast on the go.
If you’re searching for a simple-yet-elegant lemon muffin recipe to impress in a single day visitors or feed a hungry household, that is completely the recipe for you.

You might also like this Lemon Sorbet

Step-by-step recipe video

Key components

Lemon juice + zest – A full tablespoon of lemon zest provides daring lemony taste to the muffins. I usually use vinegar in my muffin recipes however swapped it this time for lemon juice (recent squeezed or bottled) to additional improve the tangy lemon style.

Flour – For mild and fluffy muffins, go along with white all objective flour, entire grain spelt flour, or cup-for-cup gluten free flour.

Low carb almond flour is a superb choice within the streusel. Nonetheless I don’t suggest it within the muffin base, as a result of it is going to yield crumbly outcomes.

Cream cheese – The filling bakes efficiently with full fats cream cheese or do-it-yourself vegan cream cheese. I’ve not tried low fats or fats free cream cheese spreads right here.

Sugar – You want granulated sugar or a sugar free different within the streusel and muffins and powdered sweetener of selection (sugar, erythritol, monk fruit, and so forth.) within the cream cheese layer.

Oil – Coconut oil or unsalted butter (vegan if desired) are my choice for the perfect moist crumb. Vegetable oil or sunflower oil work as nicely.

Or for oil free, wholesome muffins with a denser end, you should use applesauce or mashed banana. I simply wouldn’t serve the more healthy model to visitors anticipating a conventional muffin.

Oats – Rolled oats give a chewy texture to the crumble muffin topping. Be at liberty to substitute fast oats, almond meal, or gluten free quinoa flakes.

Vanilla extract – Half a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract compliments the tartness of the lemon.

Salt – It might seem to be a small quantity within the muffins and topping, however this ingredient is essential for optimum steadiness and taste depth.

Different components – The recipe additionally requires water, non-compulsory egg, and baking powder.

The best way to make lemon cream cheese muffins

Line an ordinary dimension muffin tin with liners, or grease very nicely.
Make the cream cheese filling first. Let cream cheese come to room temperature so it is going to mix extra easily. Course of the softened cream cheese with the powdered sweetener and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract in a small meals processor or with hand beaters till clean. Put aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar, oats, and salt for the streusel topping. Utilizing a pastry cutter or fork, reduce within the butter or softened oil till small crumbles kind. Set this bowl apart as nicely.
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius).
Lastly, put together the muffin base by whisking the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, non-compulsory egg, two teaspoons vanilla extract, and three tablespoons melted butter or oil in a big mixing bowl. Then stir within the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt till simply evenly blended.
Spoon about two tablespoons of muffin batter into every of the dozen muffin tins. Prime with a spoonful of cream cheese filling after which the remaining muffin batter.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the muffins, and place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven.
Bake for twenty two minutes, or till muffins rise and topping is frivolously browned and golden. A toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin ought to come out largely clear.
As soon as cooled, you possibly can retailer any leftovers loosely lined on the counter in a single day or refrigerated for as much as 5 days. Liners ought to peel off simply.
For longer storage, freeze in an hermetic lined container for as much as two months and thaw or reheat earlier than consuming.

Serving recommendations

I really like making a easy glaze icing to drizzle over the streusel:

Whisk half a cup powdered sugar (or powdered sweetener) with two teaspoons milk of selection, a fourth teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and an non-compulsory teaspoon lemon zest. If too thick, stir in one other teaspoon of milk (I like dairy free almond milk).

You may completely skip this glaze and serve the muffins as-is from the oven or dusted with powdered sugar. They’re tremendous tasty both method!

Lemon Cream Cheese Muffin Recipe - With Oat Crumb Topping

I created the muffins in honor of my dad, who by no means met a lemon baked good he didn’t love.

The recipe was tailored from my Applesauce Muffins and this Lemon Mug Cake.

*The recipe works nicely with white flour, spelt flour, or all objective gluten free flour.
1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease nicely. Put aside.
2. Let cream cheese come to room temperature, then mix all cream cheese filling components in a small meals processor or with hand beaters till clean.
3. Subsequent, make the crumble topping by stirring all streusel components besides butter in a mixing bowl. Lower within the butter or softened oil with a pastry cutter or fork to kind small crumbles.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
5. Whisk water, lemon juice and zest, non-compulsory egg, remaining vanilla extract, and remaining butter (melted) or oil in a big mixing bowl. Stir within the remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt simply till evenly blended.
6. Spoon about two tablespoons muffin batter into the underside of every lined or greased tin.
7. Add a spoonful of cream cheese filling, then divide the remainder of the muffin batter on high.
8. Sprinkle the oat streusel topping over the unbaked muffins. Bake on the oven’s middle rack for 22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out largely clear.
9. Take pleasure in scorching from the oven. Or let cool earlier than loosely overlaying with a towel and storing at room temperature in a single day or fully lined within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You may as well freeze leftover lemon cream cheese muffins for as much as two months.