Name: Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter – Dessert Recipes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups plain flour; 1 tablespoon baking powder; Pinch of salt; 2/3 cup white sugar; 100g butter, melted and cooled; 2 large eggs; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; Extra sugar for sprinkling

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These lemon streusel muffins are sunshine in a wrapper. They’re tender, golden, and topped with a sweet crumb that adds the perfect crunch. I paired them with a simple lemon butter that tastes like it was made for lazy brunches or sneaky midnight snacks. If you’re into Dessert Recipes, you’ll love this one. These Dessert Recipes are exactly what weekends are made for—comforting, easy, and just the right amount of indulgent. Every bite has that balance of tangy lemon and buttery warmth we crave in our favorite Dessert Recipes. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or just for your own sweet tooth, this recipe adds to your list of go-to Dessert Recipes. It’s one of those Dessert Recipes that feels like a hug in muffin form, and with plenty of butter in the mix, it also joins your best-loved recipes with butter.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter Recipe
3) Ingredients for Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter
4) How to Make Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter
5) Tips for Making Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter
6) Making Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Lemon Streusel Muffins
8) Try these dessert recipes next!
9) Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

Lemon streusel muffins are simple to bake and bring bright, tangy flavor.
The homemade lemon butter adds creamy richness perfect for breakfast or dessert.
You don’t need fancy tools or a lot of time to pull this off—just basic pantry staples.
It’s a dessert recipe the whole family will enjoy with a cozy touch of citrus.

2) Easy Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter Recipe

We all need a few go-to dessert recipes, and this one has saved me more than once when I needed a quick fix for a sweet craving or a last-minute brunch invite. These muffins bring together lemon’s tart brightness and a warm buttery crumb topping that’s slightly crunchy. I mean, if a muffin could flirt, this one would wink at you from across the kitchen.

The bonus? A spread of lemon butter that melts ever so slightly when the muffins are still warm. That’s the kind of thing that makes you pause mid-bite and go, “Mmm.” If you’ve got butter and lemons on hand, you’re halfway there. The rest is simple and familiar: flour, sugar, eggs, and a splash of vanilla. It’s the kind of thing you throw together on a slow weekend morning and end up snacking on all week—if they even last that long.

This recipe is part of a collection of dessert recipes I turn to often. It’s dependable, a little indulgent, and pairs well with coffee or tea. I like to think of it as comfort food with a sunny twist.

3) Ingredients for Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter

Plain Flour: This is your base. It gives the muffins their structure. Make sure it’s sifted well to avoid clumps.

Baking Powder: This lifts the batter, helping the muffins rise nicely in the oven without being too dense.

Salt: Just a pinch goes a long way. It balances the sweetness and brings out the lemon flavor.

White Sugar: You’ll need this to sweeten both the muffins and the streusel topping. Granulated works best.

Butter: Use unsalted butter. Melted and cooled, it blends smoothly into the batter and gives the muffins a rich texture.

Eggs: They bind everything together and add moisture. Use large eggs, preferably at room temperature.

Buttermilk: It adds a subtle tang that pairs perfectly with lemon. If you don’t have buttermilk, use milk with a splash of lemon juice.

Lemon Zest: Zest gives the muffins their bright citrus aroma. Only zest the yellow part—not the white pith underneath.

Vanilla Extract: Just a little for depth and warmth. It blends beautifully with lemon.

Lemon Juice: Adds extra zing and helps balance the sweetness in the muffins.

Sugar for Topping: A little sprinkle before baking gives the muffins a golden, crisp top that cracks ever so slightly when you bite in.

4) How to Make Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper cases. You want a warm oven ready to go once the batter is mixed.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Keep the bowl wide so you have space to mix without flour flying everywhere.

Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. The mixture should be smooth but not too frothy.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir gently—don’t overdo it. The batter should look lumpy, not overmixed. Overmixing leads to dense muffins.

Step 5: Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cases. Fill each about two-thirds full. Then, sprinkle the tops with a little sugar for that bakery-style crunch.

Step 6: Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the tin for five minutes, then move them to a rack to finish cooling.

5) Tips for Making Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter

If you’ve ever baked a batch of muffins that came out tough or dry, the culprit was probably overmixing. Stir the batter gently—just until the flour disappears. A lumpy batter is a happy batter here.

Another tip: always zest the lemon before you cut it. Once it’s juiced, the skin’s soft and hard to grate. I’ve learned this the hard way with a slippery lemon more than once.

Finally, if you don’t have buttermilk, make a quick version. Mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for five minutes. This shortcut works great in most dessert recipes that call for buttermilk.

6) Making Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter Ahead of Time

Sometimes I bake a batch on Sunday night to get ahead for the week. These muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days. If I plan to serve them later in the week, I’ll freeze them. Just wrap them in foil or use a zip bag. They reheat well in the oven or even the microwave.

The lemon butter can be made days ahead too. Keep it chilled in the fridge, and let it soften before serving. That way, it spreads like a dream. This is one of those dessert recipes that feels fancy even though it’s actually easy to prep in advance.

Whether for guests or just a quiet morning, having these ready to go makes life taste a little sweeter.

7) Storing Leftover Lemon Streusel Muffins

Leftovers? Rare, but let’s say you didn’t eat them all in one sitting (I admire your self-control). Store the muffins in an airtight container. On the counter, they’ll stay soft for about two days. In the fridge, you get up to four days—but reheat them briefly so they aren’t cold in the middle.

If you freeze them, do it the same day you bake them. Wrap them tight, and they’ll stay good for a few weeks. Thaw overnight or warm in the oven before serving. The lemon butter should always be refrigerated and used within a week.

This is one of those dessert recipes that keeps its flavor well, which makes it perfect for weekend baking and weekday snacking.

8) Try these dessert recipes next!

9) Lemon Streusel Muffins with Homemade Lemon Butter