Quick Lemon Muffins Made with Olive Oil

Lemon Olive Oil Muffins made with fresh lemon juice and olive oil are mildly sweet and slightly tart. This light lemon muffins recipe takes only 30 minutes and uses basic ingredients They make the perfect breakfast or snack that the whole family will love.

Lately I have been going through bag after bag of lemons. I am not sure what put me on this lemon kick but every time I am at the produce market or grocery store, I have to buy a bag. There is something about the smell of lemons that energizes me. All the lemon lovers out there understand.

​Lemons are great with fish and poultry but I love lemon baked goods in the spring especially these olive oil muffins with fresh lemon juice. They pair well with blueberries too. Fresh squeezed lemons are a key ingredient to making fresh lemonade. And of course, a little lemon zest makes asparagus more delicious.

Fruity olive oil brings out the brightness in the lemons and I added some whole wheat flour to them. Now I don't feel guilty if I eat them for breakfast.

Ingredients Needed for Lemon Muffins Recipe

• Flour – Use a mixture of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour for a hearty and nutritious moist muffin.
• Leavening Agents – Baking Powder and Baking Soda will help the muffins to rise and have a lovely texture. Always check your packages for freshness.
• Salt – Adding salt to baked goods amplifies all of the other flavor.
• Lemons - You will use the zest and the juice (divided) from two lemons to give this muffin recipe bright lemon flavor.
• Sugar – Use regular white granulated sugar.
• Olive Oil – Regular olive oil will have a mild flavor where extra virgin olive oil will be stronger. I prefer regular olive oil but the choice is yours.
• Eggs - Lightly beat eggs that have been brought to room temperature.
• Buttermilk – If you don't have it, you can also substitute sour cream or plain yogurt.
• Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is combined with fresh lemon juice to create a sweet and tart glaze for these olive oil muffins.
• Coarse Sugar – A light sprinkling of course sugar transforms these simple muffins into something spectacular.

How To Make Lemon Muffins

Find the complete recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 tin muffin pan with liners.
2. Combine whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest of two lemons in a large bowl. Mix together sugar, olive oil, eggs, buttermilk and the juice of one lemon (reserve the rest of the juice) in another bowl.
3. Make a well in the flour mixture and mix in the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until combined. Make sure not to over mix.
4. Line tins with muffin liners then fill with the muffin batter. Bake muffins for 18 to 22 minutes or until muffins are golden and toothpick stuck in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Brush the tops of the warm muffins with the powdered sugar and lemon juice mixture and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

See printable recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.

How to Store Olive Oil Muffins

Store these olive oil muffins in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days. I like to pop them in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. This brings out the freshness in muffins that are a day or two old.  

Freezing Muffins

This lemon muffins recipe also freeze very well. They can be tightly wrapped up in plastic wrap and will keep well in the freezer for at least a month. They can be defrosted on the counter or in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Tips and Variations

• Don't overmix the batter. Just mixing until incorporated will keep these muffins light an airy.
• These muffins won't rise a ton so you can fill up the muffin cups almost to the top. For best results, use an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop to divide batter and fill muffin tins. 
• Swap the lemon for any kid of citrus. Lime, orange and grapefruit zest and juice can be substituted.
• Add chopped fresh herbs to the batter. Lemon thyme and rosemary would make lovely additions. Or add a few tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter. 
• Mix in fresh fruit such as fresh blueberries to make lemon blueberry muffine or sweeten these olive oil muffins up a bit with mini chocolate chips.

While lemons remind me of spring and summer, they are abundant all year round. In the winter, I like to find Meyer lemons to make these muffins with. Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons making them ideal for muffins or desserts.  

It's time to go get a bag of lemons and celebrate spring or whatever season you are in. Make a batch of these bakery style muffins and enjoy! 

More Lemon Recipes

• Blender Lemon Custard Pie
• Lemon No -Bake Cheesecake Cups
• Lemon Brownies via I am Baker
• Blueberry Lemon Loaf via What's Cookin Italian Style Cuisine

If you like this easy Lemon Muffin Recipe, please leave a 5-star rating.

RECIPE

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5 from 3 votes

Lemon Olive Oil Muffins

These light and lemony muffins are perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or tea.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time22 minutes mins

Total Time32 minutes mins

Course: muffins

Cuisine: baked goods

Servings: 12

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Jersey Girl Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• the zest of two lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 eggs beaten
• ½ cup buttermilk
• juice of two lemons divided
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 TBS coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 tin muffin pan with liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest of two lemons.
• In a smaller bowl, mix together sugar, olive oil, eggs, buttermilk and the juice of one lemon (reserve the rest of the juice). Beat until all ingredients are combined.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the wet ingredients until combined. Make sure not to over mix.
• Fill the 12 muffin tins with the batter.
• Bake muffins for 18 to 22 minutes or until muffins are golden and toothpick stuck in the center of one comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a baking rack.
• Mix together remaining lemon juice from one lemon and powdered sugar until smooth. Brush the tops of the muffins with the mixture and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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