These Lemon Caramel Muffins are the perfect addition to my muffin roster. I’m a big fan of muffins, so when I start to get that itch to make a new muffin recipe, it has to meet my very high standards. I’m not in the business of boring muffins! This recipe hits the mark in every way- the sweet richness of the caramel is perfectly balanced with zesty lemon- and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a muffin.
Table of contents
The ingredients for these lemon caramel muffins
The most difficult part of making these muffins is nailing the lemon caramel, but from then on, it’s a pretty standard muffin recipe. There’s no complicated layering or working fast with cold butter. These muffins are topped with a citrus sugar that is so easy to make and to die for. Here’s everything you’ll need:
LEMON CARAMEL
- 2 large lemons
- 110 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 28 grams salted butter, chilled (2 tablespoons)
the MUFFINS
- 113 grams salted butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
- 165 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 55 grams dark brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 60 grams heavy cream (1/4 cup) *see note
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 280 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 80 grams milk of choice, I use oat typically (1/3 cup)
CITRUS SUGAR
- 60 grams turbinado sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
*Note: Heavy cream can also be substituted for 85 grams / 1/3 cup of greek yogurt or skyr.
Why lemon and caramel?
The lemon caramel in this recipe is the star of the show. It makes these muffins so unique and delicious. In every bite, there are little pockets of citrusy caramel goodness that will make you go back for more.
Making homemade caramel may sound daunting, but these instructions will help you nail it every time. It’s actually quite simple when you break it down into steps. Homemade caramel just requires some patience and attention, but there’s not a whole lot of work that goes into it. Just let the heat do its thing! Here’s how to make it:
- Zest both the lemons and set the zest aside. Slice the peel away from the lemons, then cut the interior into bite-size pieces. You should yield 130 grams of lemon pieces.
- Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add the sugar and lemons pieces. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the sugar to fully melt. Add in the two tablespoons of butter and mix vigorously to combine.
- Once the mixture is combined, cook it down, stirring often, as it bubbles and begins to darken. It will turn a light golden hue in 4-5 minutes, and a deep gold in 7-8 minutes. When the mixture is thickened and you can swipe a spatula along the bottom of the pan and the bottom shows for a few seconds, it’s ready to transfer.
- Carefully pour the lemon caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper on a cold surface. It should seize up immediately.
How to prepare the rest of the batter
The remaining batter is very much whisk-and-mix. The caramel will cool while you do this, so there’s no rush:
- in a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugars and eggs. Add in the cream and vanilla and mix again.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine, adding splashes of the milk a bit at a time to assist the mixing. You’ll soon have a smooth batter.
- By now, the caramel should be cool enough to handle, although still a bit stretchy. Begin pulling it apart into pieces no bigger than a bean, and add those pieces to the batter. Mix to combine.
- Line a jumbo muffin tin (or a standard 12-count muffin tin) and scoop in the batter. You want it nearly to the top of the tins, but not completely.
And there’s your batter!
What is citrus sugar?
Citrus sugar is magical. It’s only two ingredients and is the perfect finishing touch to these muffins.
To make it, all you have to do is add citrus zest to turbinado sugar and rub it together with your fingers. When you do this, the essential oils in the zest are released and soak into the sugar, giving the sugar a strong flavor and aroma that’s unbeatable.
When the sugar is baked on top of the muffins, it slightly caramelizes but doesn’t lose its zesty flavor. It’s the perfect topping for any muffin, but pairs particularly well with the lemon caramel. Citrus sugar will be your new favorite thing after this recipe!
Tips on how to store these muffins to keep them moist
My tips for keeping muffins moist don’t change, and that’s because they work so well! There are always leftovers from a batch of muffins (which is one of the best parts), so I feel like it’s my duty to share the best ways to store these muffins so they’re good all week long. Here are some of my tips:
- Store in a cool, dry place like a pantry or a cool part of your kitchen – this is not the best recipe to store near the stove! Temperature variance won’t affect the moisture, but it will affect your muffin’s ability to keep for the full week.
- Store in an air-tight container – this is imperative to keeping a cake’s moisture. Let the muffins cool completely before moving them to a tupperware container with a snap-lock lid.
- For extra moisture, throw in a damp paper towel 12 hours before eating your next muffin – it’s wild, but it works!
- Forgot to do that step? Microwave your muffin for 20 seconds with a wet paper towel draped over it. I learned this from Emily Mariko and I’m never going back.
Looking for more muffin recipes?
I am the QUEEN of muffins.
And that’s everything for this Lemon Caramel Muffins!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Lemon Caramel Muffins
Equipment
- 1 small sauté pan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 jumbo muffin tin
Ingredients
For the lemon caramel
- 2 large lemons
- 110 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
- 28 grams salted butter, chilled 2 tablespoons
For the muffins
- 113 grams salted butter, melted 8 tablespoons
- 165 grams granulated sugar 3/4 cup
- 55 grams dark brown sugar 1/4 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 60 grams heavy cream 1/4 cup, see note
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 280 grams all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 80 grams milk of choice, I use oat typically 1/3 cup
For the citrus sugar
- 60 grams turbinado sugar 1/4 cup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Begin by making the lemon caramel. Zest both the lemons and set the zest aside. Slice the peel away from the lemons, then cut the interior into bite-size pieces. You should yield 130 grams of lemon pieces.
- Set a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add the sugar and lemons pieces. Stir to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the sugar to fully melt. Add in the two tablespoons of butter and mix vigorously to combine.
- Once the mixture is combined, cook it down, stirring often, as it bubbles and begins to darken. It will turn a light golden hue in 4-5 minutes, and a deep gold in 7-8 minutes. When the mixture is thickened and you can swipe a spatula along the bottom of the pan and the bottom shows for a few seconds, it's ready to transfer.
- Carefully pour the lemon caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper on a cold surface. It should seize up immediately. Let it cool to the side while you make the muffin batter.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
- To make the batter, in a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugars and eggs. Add in the cream and vanilla and mix again.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine, adding splashes of the milk a bit at a time to assist the mixing. You'll soon have a smooth batter.
- By now, the caramel should be cool enough to handle, although still a bit stretchy. Begin pulling it apart into pieces no bigger than a bean, and add those pieces to the batter. Mix to combine.
- Line a jumbo muffin tin (or a standard 12-count muffin tin) and scoop in the batter. You want it nearly to the top of the tins, but not completely.
- In a small bowl, mix together the reserved lemon zest and the turbinado sugar. Rub the sugar into the zest to make citrus sugar.
- Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the sugar.
- Bake the jumbo muffins for 30-35 minutes, or until domed, golden, and you can tap the tops without them feeling too "jiggly" (an inserted toothpick might lead you astray, since it could come out with lemon caramel on it!). If baking standard muffins, begin checking at the 20-minute mark.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
This sounds absolutely divine! Do you think I could sub another tart citrus for the lemon? I won’t be able to go to the store any time soon and I only have limes.
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These look amazing!!! Would you suggest flax egg as a vegan egg substitute?
Hi! This is a bit tricky since I haven’t tested it with any substitutes yet, and eggs are usually the most difficult to swap. I’d suggest trying flax egg first, but note that the muffins might bake flatter and a little more tender! Hope this helps, and if it works out well, please let us know!
So tart yet balanced! Wonderful 😋
So so thrilled you enjoyed it!
Hi! I only have standard sized muffin/cupcake tins. How would you recommend adjusting the bake time?
Hi hi! It should note in the recipe instructions, but just start checking them at the 20 minute mark. If they are domed and golden and not jiggly, you’re all set!
hi! i have celiacs and would love to test out this recipe- any recommendations for flour? i was thinking a mix of almond and 1:1. lmk!
Hi! I’d go all 1:1 to be safe, almond tends to flatten out my muffin recipes due to how it absorbs moisture. I hope this helps, and please report back if you have success (or not…it helps to know either way!)
Absolutly delicious! Thank you 🙏🏻
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating <3
These were great! The citrus sugar and lemon caramel recipes are ones I’ll keep for other uses too. My batch didn’t rise quite as much as I’d like, but I think this is likely the fault of old baking powder —I guess I’ll need to do more baking to go through it more quickly!
I cannot wait to try this!!! Unfortunately here in India we don’t get lemons, but only key limes and sweet lime. Do you think either of these would work instead?
Ooo I’d try sweet lime first. It should also work with key lime, but I think sweet is a better start!
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. It’s very unique! Just made these and the muffins are so fluffy and the citrus sugar is great. I used a nonstick pan to make the caramel though and it didn’t seem ready from the rubber spatula swipe test but it started smelling a little bitter so I took it off. By the time it cooled it wasn’t stretchy but tough and some parts were brittle. I watched the video on Instagram so I knew the consistency was already off unfortunately. It softened down after baking the muffins but was still a little bitter tasting (I probably should’ve started the caramel over but I didn’t have enough lemons to start again). If you could provide some more tips in the recipe or a link to your video that might help other future people who struggle with caramel.
Hi there! This might also be a temperature issue. Nonstick pans tend to have darker coatings, so the pan heats up quicker and carries a higher heat load during the cooking process. If the pan was too hot, the caramel could have gone a touch too far, which might explain the bitter edge! Great note on adding the video, we’ll get on it!
This is the best muffin base recipe I’ve ever found. Literally so easy and delicious. I do think I messed up the lemon caramel (my first time making caramel!) and it was too sour but I think that just needs practice.
It should be a bit tart – so you might have been just fine! I find the key to making it sweeter is making sure to cook it a decent amount of time. The more golden the caramel, the less strong the lemon!
I couldn’t help but give this unique recipe a go. Made these today and just delicious. The lemon caramel was perfect and I love the sugar topping. Going to also make with oranges as feel they too would be delicious. Cant see how to add photo but thanks ever so much for the recipe.
Hey there Justine! i’ve been looking into using sour cream in muffins (a claire saffitz tip) any thoughts on using sour cream instead of green yogurt / skyr?
Hi there! Unless you’re overloaded with sour cream and need to get rid of some, I’m not sure it would benefit this particular muffin over the heavy cream/yogurt option (sour cream tends to lessen their doming in my testing) But if you try it and like it, please report back!
Delicious!! 100% cupcakes (vs. muffins), but very flavorful and enjoyable. I think most muffins are lackluster, but these were delightful. Will definitely make again.
Hi!
Your recipes are so inspiring!!
Do you think you could include preserved lemons in this recipe?
Hi there! Since preserved lemons have been processed differently, I’m not 100% sure how they would impact the recipe. However, if you want to chop them up and include them as a filling (like blueberries etc.) I’m sure you could!
These were insanely delicious. I added blueberries as well! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
So SO glad you liked them! And with blueberries they sound delicious – I’ll def be trying that.
These were not only delicious but also turned out beautiful. I’ve made them twice now and the second time used mini bundt pans and gave them to the neighbors. I’m NOT a baker but these are east and just special enough to show off. Thanks as always for an awesome recipe!
So SO glad you liked it! And in a bundt they sound beautiful!
These are delightful! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind comment!
These look amazing! Would it be possible to use this recipe to make a full sized cake instead of individual muffins?
It would make a lovely 8 by 8-inch cake or loaf pan, just know it will dome in the center (kind of like a muffin!)
I saw these on tiktok and KNEW I had to try them. The muffin base is perfection – I opted for the greek yogurt route because that’s what I had on hand. The lemon caramel on its own was a bit bitter, but compliments the muffin so well, that I don’t find that to be an issue. I did find that my caramel took significantly longer than the recipe stated, closer to 20 mins after adding the butter, but was well worth the extra minutes of stirring.
Here in India we get lime and it is sour ,can I use oranges instead of lime in this recipe
I haven’t personally tested it, but if you try it and like it, please report back! I know others would find it helpful, and I’m sure if you swap the same amount gram for gram, it should work out ok!
I am not a baker but I had a bunch of lemons at home and didn’t know what to do with them. Glad I decided to try this recipe!
Absolutely loved it. They didn’t rise as much but that could be the baking powder. But, all in all, they were soft and delicious and the caramel was heaven!
These were absolutely delicious! I actually didn’t know how I was going to like the lemon caramel combination but was so intrigued to give this recipe a go since I love all of Justine’s desserts. They left my guests stunned; a true crowd pleaser. One thing I will be changing in my method is pouring the batter into the muffin tin BEFORE adding the pieces of caramel into each muffin. I think my caramel was still a little warm so when I pulled it apart and added it to the batter, it stuck together into a giant ball which I had to pull apart again. I will be remaking this in cake format next…
Could I replace the milk with more heavy cream or water?
Hi there! I haven’t personally tested it, but since it is such a tiny amount, perhaps a mixture of half cream half water would be your best bet if you are in a pinch. I’d always recommend the milk first, but this would be my next best route if I was in your position!
Thanks for the reply! Will test it with water 🙂
I made these with oranges, and gluten-free and dairy-free, with mixed results! the orange caramel was lovely, I’d definitely recommend it! the GF DF substitutions were necessary (didn’t want to poison my allergic bf!) but risky for sure- the muffins came out with a nice, light texture (a little crumbly, but that’s GF baking for you), but the caramel pieces sank to the bottoms and ended up melting into a weird solid base to the muffin. I think the GF flour was the main issue, but it’s hard to tell. If I try this again, I might add some xanthan gum to thicken the batter and hopefully prevent the pieces from sinking. This was a great recipe and it’s my fault for changing half the ingredients, I just thought I’d say this in case anyone else is thinking about trying a GF or DF version! (for reference, I used king arthur GF flour, miyoko’s fake butter, and almond milk for the cream)
Hi Justine,
I found your website and I’m absolutely in love with so many recipes! I would like to make these muffins, but can’t find turbinado sugar. Could I use light brown sugar instead?
Thanks so much!!
Kind regards, Nora
Hi Nora!
I’d actually suggest using white sugar instead. It won’t be as crispy of a topping, but it should still be delicious!
Thanks so much, they were so gooood!!
Absolutely genius recipe! The balance of both flavors and textures on these are amazing. The only issue I had was with the caramel — I think I let it cook just a touch too long so it got a tiiiiny bit bitter, what temperature would you recommend getting the caramel to? I’d like to use a candy thermometer for precision 🙂
Hi there! Since lemon tends to scald, I like to heat it to 325°F and let it hang out there until the caramel thickens! The bitterness may also just be the lemon pith, so making sure your lemon slices have as little pith as possible could also help!
Made it these yesterday. Great recipe easy to follow, delicious and delightfully original. Were a hit at my weekly meeting.
Bit unusual to use both cream and milk, curious about the logic behind that. But they were delicious. The remarkable thing about the lemon caramel is it incorporates a lot more tang than you would ever be able to get into the batter. Was very surprised by how much of the sourness of the lemons stuck around through the caramelization. The bits of caramel in the muffin were delicious in flavor and texture. I may try adding poppy seeds next, or a small bit of thyme.
Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Great recipe. I’m thinking of swapping the sugar with monk fruit. I just have to figure out the right amount to use.
If you find an amount you like, please report back! I’m sure some low-sugar eaters would love to know <3
They were so good!! Love a lemon dessert and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s more a cupcake than a muffin I would say but I didn’t mind. Yum!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
Absolutely delicious!
I’m so happy you liked it!!