If you want your breakfast to shine as bright as the sun in the morning, try these Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins! They're so fluffy and bursting with fresh citrus flavor! Whip them up in about 30 minutes and enjoy them as a light breakfast or snack!
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This easy muffin recipe uses both lemon zest and lemon juice, giving them a bright zesty flavor! Add the cream cheese filling on top for a rich, creamy swirl in every bite, like in my strawberry cream cheese muffins!
I'm sharing this recipe with you in partnership with my friends at Lifeway! It uses their kefir, which, if you aren't familiar with kefir, it's a fermented drink that looks and tastes similar to thick yogurt. It's filled with nutrients and probiotics and is so delicious in baked goods and on its own!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Lemon is the star in both the muffin batter and the cream cheese swirl, creating a bright, sunny muffin.
- They're easy to whip up and stay moist and fluffy for days.
- You can make the batter ahead of time and the muffins freeze well!
- There's a perfect balance of sweet and sour from the cheesecake-like filling and punchy citrus.
Recipe Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these lemon cream cheese muffins:
Ingredient Notes:
- This recipe uses lemon zest and juice in both the muffin batter and the cream cheese filling for a citrus flavor that pops!
- Baking powder and baking soda give them the perfect rise. Make sure you're using active leaveners that haven't expired.
- Using soft, room temperature cream cheese is important so that it's creamy enough to swirl into the batter.
- Vegetable oil and plain whole milk kefir add richness and moisture to these lemon muffins. The slight tang from the kefir goes great with this citrusy treat!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Mix in some poppy seeds or white chocolate chips for extra flavor and texture.
- If you really love lemon flavor, try topping the muffins with lemon curd!
- For an extra indulgent treat, drizzle them with the lemon icing from my baked lemon donuts.
- Swap out the lemons for oranges to make a dreamsicle variation.
- Can't find plain kefir? Try Lifeway's lemon kefir or substitute it with buttermilk.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Want to try your hand at making your own parchment paper baking cups? Follow my DIY muffin liners tutorial!
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
Step 2: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar using clean and dry hands. Set aside ¾ of the lemon sugar for the batter.
Step 3: Mix ¼ of the lemon sugar with the softened cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Now, set aside ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture for the topping.
Step 4: Whisk the remaining ¾ of the lemon sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil, kefir, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Step 5: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones just until combined. Gently fold ⅔ of the cream cheese mixture into the batter.
Step 6: Fill muffin liners about ¾ full with the batter and then swirl the remaining ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture on top.
Expert Baking Tips
- Read through all of the instructions before you start and follow the steps carefully so you don't miss dividing the lemon sugar and the cream cheese mixture!
- Use room temperature ingredients so they combine together smoothly.
- Don't over-mix the batter or over-measure ingredients to ensure moist and fluffy muffins. I always recommend measuring by weight with a food scale rather than scooping with measuring cups!
Make the Batter Ahead of Time
Did you know you can make the muffin batter and bake it the next day? This actually makes the muffins even better in my opinion!
Letting the batter sit overnight in the fridge gives the baking powder and soda time to react, which yields much more domed muffin tops!
It also gives you a more flavorful muffin since the lemon zest and juice have more time to extract in the wet batter!
To make ahead, just cover the bowl after folding the cream cheese mixture into the batter and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You'll also want to refrigerate the cream cheese for the swirly tops.
The next day, let the cream cheese mixture sit at room temperature while the oven preheats to 425°F. Then, scoop the batter into your prepared muffin pan and swirl the lemon cream cheese on top. Bake according to the instructions (they may take a few minutes longer) and enjoy!
Common Questions
This is the perfect amount to make the icing from my Red Velvet Cake Donuts.
Yes! It should make about 6 large bakery-style muffins.
You should be able to find it in the refrigerated dairy aisle of your grocery store, or online at lifewaykefir.com! I highly recommend grabbing bottles of their lemon and strawberry kefirs while you're there 😉
Storage
Room Temperature
Let the lemon muffins cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They should be good at room temperature for about 5 days!
Freezing Instructions
Feel free to store the fully cooled muffins in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature before eating.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a star rating & review below and tag @brokenovenbaking and @lifewaykefir on social media!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin pan filled with liners or lightly greased
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Hand mixer recommended for cream cheese mixture
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams for best results
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice for the cream cheese mixture
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) Lifeway Organic Plain Whole Milk Kefir room temperature
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) lemon juice for the muffin batter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, create a lemon sugar mixture by rubbing the sugar and lemon zest together between your fingers. Set aside ¼ cup of this lemon sugar for the cream cheese mixture. The remaining ¾ cup will go into the batter.
- Mix the softened cream cheese, ¼ cup of lemon sugar, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, kefir, ¼ cup of lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the remaining ¾ cup of lemon sugar.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients from step 1 into the wet ingredients just until the flour streaks disappear.
- Add about ⅔ of the cream cheese mixture into the muffin batter and stir a few times to swirl it in.
- Fill the muffin liners with batter so they're about ¾ full. Swirl the remaining cream cheese mixture on top of the batter (about 1 teaspoon per muffin).
- Bake on the middle rack at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean (about 8-12 more minutes; 13-17 minutes total).
- Once they're cool enough to touch, transfer them to a cooling rack.
Save This Recipe! 💌
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Vicki Potter says
This recipe arrived in my inbox & I started making them right away as I had some cream cheese that needed to be used & fresh Meyer lemons! They are easy & super tasty. I’m sure I will make them again. I substituted Greek yogurt for the Kefir & it worked well.
Chris says
Perfectly fluffy with a balanced rush of lemon. Great for a weekend breakfast!