Lemon Orange Honey Muffins (Printable)
Citrusy honey muffins topped with a fragrant thyme crumble, bursting with fresh lemon and orange flavor.
# 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
# How To Make It:
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 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 lumps are perfectly 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 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 to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The thyme crumble is the kind of unexpected touch that makes people ask what your secret is, and you get to decide whether to tell them.
- Honey keeps these muffins moist for days without needing any fancy technique or equipment.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to end up with dense, rubbery muffins instead of the tender crumb you want, so stop folding the moment the last dry streak disappears.
- The crumble topping needs truly cold butter to hold its shape in the oven, so do not let it warm up while you work on the batter.
03 -
- Freeze the crumble mixture on a small plate for ten minutes before topping the muffins and it will hold its shape even better during baking.
- Brushing the finished warm muffins with a tiny bit of extra honey mixed with a squeeze of lemon juice gives them a beautiful glossy finish and an additional layer of flavor.