Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins – With Buttery Streusel Topping!

June 17, 2026

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With crumbly streusel topping and clean cream cheese filling, home made lemon cream cheese muffins are fully scrumptious for breakfast or snack!

Why you’ll love these lemon cream cheese muffins

Tender, moist texture + buttery crumb high = inconceivable to withstand!
The bakery model 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 awesome prompt breakfast on the go.
If you’re on the lookout 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 elements

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 enhance the tangy lemon style.

Flour – For mild and fluffy muffins, go together 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. Nevertheless I don’t advocate it within the muffin base, as a result of it should yield crumbly outcomes.

Cream cheese – The filling bakes efficiently with full fats cream cheese or home made 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 alternative (sugar, erythritol, monk fruit, and so on.) within the cream cheese layer.

Oil – Coconut oil or unsalted butter (vegan if desired) are my desire for one of the best moist crumb. Vegetable oil or sunflower oil work as effectively.

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 happy 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 vital for optimum stability and taste depth.

Different elements – The recipe additionally requires water, non-obligatory egg, and baking powder.

Find out how to make lemon cream cheese muffins

Line an ordinary measurement muffin tin with liners, or grease very effectively.
Make the cream cheese filling first. Let cream cheese come to room temperature so it should 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, minimize within the butter or softened oil till small crumbles type. Set this bowl apart as effectively.
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius).
Lastly, put together the muffin base by whisking the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, non-obligatory 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 combined.
Spoon about two tablespoons of muffin batter into every of the dozen muffin tins. High 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 evenly 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 coated 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 coated container for as much as two months and thaw or reheat earlier than consuming.

Serving strategies

I 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 alternative, a fourth teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and an non-obligatory 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 means!

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 effectively with white flour, spelt flour, or all objective gluten free flour.
1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease effectively. Put aside.
2. Let cream cheese come to room temperature, then mix all cream cheese filling elements in a small meals processor or with hand beaters till clean.
3. Subsequent, make the crumble topping by stirring all streusel elements besides butter in a mixing bowl. Minimize within the butter or softened oil with a pastry cutter or fork to type small crumbles.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
5. Whisk water, lemon juice and zest, non-obligatory 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 combined.
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 heart rack for 22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out largely clear.
9. Take pleasure in sizzling from the oven. Or let cool earlier than loosely overlaying with a towel and storing at room temperature in a single day or fully coated within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You can even freeze leftover lemon cream cheese muffins for as much as two months.