These Lemon Muffins made with olive oil are sweet and tart. The light muffins are perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or a mid morning snack.
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. Lemons are great with fish and poultry but I love lemon baked goods in the spring. They pair well with blueberries too. Fresh squeezed lemons are a key ingredient to make one mean whiskey sour. And of course, a little lemon zest makes asparagus more delicious.
Can you freeze lemon muffins?
Since I have been craving lemon pound cake, I decided to compromise and make Lemon Muffins. They are a bit healthier than a pound cake and it's nice to have individual sized treats. These muffins also freeze very well. They can be tightly wrapped up in plastic wrap and will keep well ion the freezer for at least a month. They can be defrosted on the counter or in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.
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. My family is not huge lemon baked good fans so there were more for me and to give away to friends that would enjoy them.
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. make a batch of these lemon muffins and enjoy!
Lemon Olive Oil Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup white flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp 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
I love lemons too. But, I'm bad cause I eat them with salt.....
These muffins look fantastic.
Yum! I've been craving lemon bars recently, but these would be great to make as breakfast in the morning.
Lemon smell is a big comfort smell to me, it just smells fresh and clean. I bet your house is smelling wonderful right now! 🙂
I like lemon anything. It just reminds me of being a kid in the summer. These muffins look wonderful and I love the sprinkling of the coarse sugar on top.
I am a lemon lover too. I have a Meyer lemon tree in my backyard. In December I am just beside myself in happiness because the lemons are ready.
This is a great recipe for muffins. Olive oil and lemons are a natural together.
Velva
I wish I went through lemons more quickly. Mine are getting wrinkly.
These muffins look awesome. What a nice change they would be from my regular breakfast of oatmeal. There is something about the longer days and increasing amount of sunshine that makes me crave lemony things. I think I might have to make these this weekend! 🙂
mmm, i can practically smell these baking, delicious!
Such a beautiful combination !
These look delicious!!
Made these today. Wanted something butter free so they would last longer.
Made a lemon curd first and a crunchy lemon sugar to wash over the top after.
Put lemon curd (Lemon Honey) in the middle.
Used ordinary sunflower oil instead of olive oil for price. Come out Absolutely Fabulously.
Only trouble is you need to double the recipe as there aren't many left by the time you try them to make sure they turned out all right!!!!
Wow, great idea! You really made them fancier!