Lemon Orange Honey Muffins (Print Version)
Citrus muffins with honey and a fragrant thyme crumble topping, ideal for breakfast or snacking.
# What You 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 the cups generously.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the 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 the mixture is smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold 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, mix the flour, light brown sugar, thyme leaves, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold cubed butter and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
07 - Sprinkle the thyme crumble evenly over 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 cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The thyme crumble on top turns an ordinary muffin into something people will actually remember and ask you to make again.
- Honey instead of refined sugar in the batter keeps them moist for days without drying out.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to get tough, tunnel-filled muffins, so stop folding the moment the last dry streak disappears.
- The crumble needs truly cold butter or it will spread into a flat sheet instead of staying craggy and crisp on top.
03 -
- Use a microplane to zest the citrus directly into the sugar, then rub it together with your fingers to release every drop of the essential oils trapped in the peel.
- Let the melted butter cool to lukewarm before adding it to the wet ingredients or you will end up with oddly textured muffins from partially cooked eggs.