Lemon Curd Muffins with Streusel Topping for Breakfast or Brunch

Lemon Curd Muffins

These lemon curd muffins are the kind of bake that makes a cold morning feel brighter. Each one has a soft, tender crumb, a creamy pocket of lemon curd in the middle, and a buttery streusel topping that turns golden in the oven.

A light glaze drizzled over the top adds a sweet finish that balances the tang of the lemon.

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If you are a true lemon lover, this recipe is for you. Fresh lemon juice and grated zest go straight into the batter, and a generous spoonful of lemon curd hides inside each muffin, so every bite brings that bright, refreshing lemon flavor.

They are sweet and tangy at the same time, with crunchy streusel crumbs and a soft lemon filling.

I bake these as a dessert, but they are just as welcome on a breakfast or brunch table with a cup of coffee or tea. I like to make a batch on a slow Sunday and keep them on the counter for busy weekday mornings. They look bakery style, yet the method is completely doable at home.

If you enjoy these muffins, you may also want to try my Lemon Coffee Cake, Lemon Magic Cake, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars and Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins.

How to make Lemon Curd Muffins?

The muffin batter and the streusel crumb topping are both simple to make, especially when you use store bought lemon curd. Homemade curd is my preference and I walk through it in the next section, but a good jar from the store works beautifully when time is short.

Here is what you will need for the whole recipe:

• All purpose flour
• Sugar and light brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon zest
• Eggs and egg yolks
• Greek yogurt
• Vanilla extract
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt
• Lemon curd, homemade or store bought
• Powdered sugar and milk or cream for the glaze

For the streusel crumb topping: stir the sugar, light brown sugar and flour together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until all the dry ingredients are evenly moistened and coarse crumbs form. Then place the bowl in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

For the lemon muffin batter: beat the softened butter until it is smooth and creamy, then add the sugar and beat well. Add the eggs, lemon zest, Greek yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract, and mix to combine. Finally, mix in the dry ingredients, and the batter is ready to bake.

How to Make Homemade Lemon Curd from Scratch?

Homemade lemon curd is tangy, creamy and sweet, and it comes together on the stove in about 10 minutes. It needs only four ingredients, and every one of them earns its place:

• Egg yolks, which thicken the curd
• Sugar, for sweetness and structure
• Lemon juice and zest, for bold citrus flavor
• Cold unsalted butter, which makes the curd silky and creamy

It sounds fancy, but it is simple. The one thing I recommend is a double boiler. Mixing these ingredients over direct heat can quickly lead to burning, and a double boiler gives you gentle, even heat so the curd stays smooth.

Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in the top pot of your double boiler. Place it over simmering water, then use a silicone spatula to stir as the curd cooks. Keep stirring constantly so the egg yolks do not curdle.

Cook until the mixture becomes thick, about 10 minutes. If your curd is not thickening, turn up the heat and whisk constantly until it does.

Then remove the pan from the heat and add the cold butter, whisking it into the curd. The butter melts from the heat of the curd, and that is exactly what you want.

Pour the curd into a jar or a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface so a skin does not form on top.

The curd continues to thicken as it cools. You can keep it in the fridge for up to about 10 days, although I doubt a batch will last that long in my house.

Gentle heat is the whole secret here. A double boiler is not fancy equipment, it is simply a way to keep lemon curd silky instead of scrambled.

Ingredients

This recipe has four components: lemon curd, streusel crumb topping, lemon muffin batter, and a simple glaze. Here is everything you will need.

For the lemon curd

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cut in pieces

For the streusel crumb topping

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the lemon muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Grated zest from 1 lemon
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions

I always make the lemon curd first, because it needs time to cool and set completely before it goes into the muffins. Set out your ingredients, and let us go through it step by step.

Step 1: Make the lemon curd

1. Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice together in the top pot of your double boiler.
2. Place the pot over simmering water and stir with a silicone spatula as the curd cooks.
3. Stir constantly so the egg yolks do not curdle. Cook until the mixture becomes thick, about 10 minutes. If the curd is not thickening, turn up the heat and whisk constantly.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and whisk it into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd.
5. Pour the curd into a jar or bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so a skin does not form. The curd thickens as it cools.

Step 2: Make the streusel crumb topping

Stir the flour, sugar and light brown sugar together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened and coarse crumbs form. Chill the streusel in the fridge until you need it.

Step 3: Make the muffin batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside.
2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set the bowl aside.
3. Beat the butter on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and cream the two together.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and Greek yogurt, and mix just to combine.
5. Add the lemon juice and mix to combine.
6. Finally, add the flour mixture and mix until everything is combined.

Step 4: Assemble the muffins

1. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup about half full.
2. Drop about a tablespoon of lemon curd into the center of each muffin.
3. Cover the curd with a thin layer of muffin batter. The cups should be about three quarters full.
4. Generously top each muffin with the streusel crumb and gently press the crumb so it sticks to the batter.

Step 5: Bake

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the muffins have set and the crumbs turn a nice golden brown color. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack. I usually wait until they are barely warm before glazing, so the glaze does not slide off the streusel.

Step 6: Make the glaze and finish

Stir together the powdered sugar and milk or cream, then drizzle the glaze over the muffins. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a splash more milk or cream. Then serve.

A few notes from my kitchen

• If the curd looks thin after 10 minutes, keep whisking over slightly higher heat. It will thicken as it cools too.
• Do not skip chilling the streusel. Cold crumb topping holds its shape and stays crunchy on top of the muffins.
• Let the curd cool completely before you fill the muffins, or it will melt into the batter instead of staying in the center.
• Fill the muffin cups carefully. Leaving room for the curd and the thin batter lid is what keeps the lemon filling inside the muffin.

Recipe details

Here is the quick overview before you start baking.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. They are best enjoyed within a day or two, and a quick warm up brings back that fresh from the oven feel.

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Lemon Curd Muffins

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Lemon Curd Muffins These lemon curd muffins are the kind of bake that makes a cold morning feel brighter. Each one has a soft, tender crumb, a creamy pocket of lemon curd in the middle, and a buttery streusel topping that turns golden in the oven.

• Total Time: 55 min
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Lemon Curd
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold and cut in pieces

Streusel Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For Lemon Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest from 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1–2 Tablespoons milk or cream

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Instructions

1-Make lemon curd ahead, because it takes: Make lemon curd ahead, because it takes time to cool and set completely. I recommend cooking the lemon curd in a double boiler because mixing these ingredients over direct heat quickly leads to burning. Whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice into the top pot of your double boiler, place over simmering water and then using a silicone spatula continue to stir as the curd cooks. Stir constantly to prevent the egg yolks from curdling. Cook until the mixture becomes thick, about 10 minutes. If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
2-Remove pan from heat, add butter and: Remove pan from heat, add butter and whisk into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd to prevents a skin from forming on top. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
3-Preheat oven to 350F: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
4-Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda,: Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
5-Beat the butter on high speed until: Beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute), then add sugar and cream together. Add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and Greek yogurt, and mix just to combine. Add lemon juice and mix to combine.
6-Finally, add flour mixture and mix until: Finally, add flour mixture and mix until combined.
7-Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling them: Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling them about ½ full with muffin batter.
8-Drop about a tablespoon of lemon curd: Drop about a tablespoon of lemon curd into the center of each muffin, cover with a thin layer of muffin batter. The cups should be about ¾ full. Then generously top with streusel crumb. Gently press the crumb to stick to the batter.
9-Bake for about 25 minutes or until: Bake for about 25 minutes or until the muffin has set and the crumbs get nice golden brown color.
10-To make the glaze, stir together powdered: To make the glaze, stir together powdered sugar and milk (or creme) and drizzle over the muffins. If the glaze is too thin add more liquid, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Method: bake