Lemon Orange Honey Muffins (Printable)
Citrusy honey-sweetened muffins with a fragrant thyme crumble topping, ideal for breakfast or snacking.
# What You'll Need:
→ Muffin Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 cup honey
06 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup plain yogurt
09 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
10 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - Zest of 1 orange
12 - Zest of 1 lemon
13 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Thyme Crumble Topping
14 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 3 tbsp granulated sugar
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
17 - 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
18 - Pinch of salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease each cup.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk the honey, vegetable oil, eggs, yogurt, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
06 - In a small bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, thyme leaves, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips or cut it in with a fork until the mixture forms coarse, crumbly pieces.
07 - Sprinkle the thyme crumble evenly over the top of each muffin, pressing gently so it adheres to the batter.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
09 - Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The thyme crumble on top turns an ordinary muffin into something people will ask you about by name.
- Honey instead of refined sugar gives these a gentler sweetness that works for breakfast without that heavy sugar crash.
- They are genuinely easy to make on a weekday morning when your brain is still half asleep.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to get dense, rubbery muffins, so stop folding while there are still a few tiny lumps.
- Room temperature ingredients blend better and produce a more even crumb than cold ones straight from the fridge.
03 -
- Use a microplane to zest the citrus directly into the wet bowl so you catch every drop of the essential oils.
- Freeze the butter for the crumble for ten minutes before cubing it because colder butter makes a crunchier, more defined topping.