Lemon Orange Honey Muffins (Printable)
Citrusy honey-sweetened muffins topped with fragrant thyme crumble, ideal for breakfast or an afternoon treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Muffin Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ⅓ cup honey
06 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - Zest of 1 orange
09 - ½ cup whole milk
10 - ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
11 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
12 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
13 - 2 large eggs
→ Thyme Crumble
14 - ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
15 - ¼ cup light brown sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
17 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
18 - Pinch of salt
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup thoroughly.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine the honey, granulated sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, whole milk, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, melted butter, and eggs. Whisk until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix — a few small lumps are fine.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
06 - In a small bowl, mix the flour, light brown sugar, fresh thyme leaves, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
07 - Sprinkle the thyme crumble evenly over the top of each filled muffin cup, pressing gently so it adheres to the batter.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are golden.
09 - Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The thyme crumble is the kind of unexpected touch that makes people close their eyes on the first bite and ask what that secret flavor is.
- Honey instead of refined sugar in the batter gives these muffins a rounded, floral sweetness that never feels too heavy for morning.
02 -
- I once overmixed the batter thinking I was being thorough and ended up with muffins that could have doubled as hockey pucks, so stop folding the second the flour disappears.
- Using a microplane for the zest rather than a coarse grater changed everything because fine zest melts right into the batter instead of leaving chewy bits.
03 -
- Let the melted butter cool to room temperature before adding it to the wet ingredients or you will accidentally cook the eggs and end up with stringy bits.
- Fill any empty muffin cups halfway with water before baking so the heat distributes evenly and your muffins rise uniformly.