These lemon curd muffins are sweet and soft, filled with tart homemade lemon curd and topped with a crunchy classic streusel. Making curd at home might sound intimidating, but it's actually quick and easy — and the bright, tangy filling is so worth it.
If you love lemon the way I do, you'll also want my lemon blueberry mascarpone cake and my lemon blackberry cake for more dessert-focused lemon baking. They scream springtime — these muffins are an especially good Easter idea, too.
Quick Look: Lemon Curd Muffins
⏱️ Ready In: About 50 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: About 20 minutes (5 min at 425°F, then 14–15 min at 350°F)
🍽️ Makes: 12 muffins
✨ Calories: Approximately 371 per muffin
🥄 Main Ingredients: Fresh lemon, homemade lemon curd, Greek yogurt, streusel topping
🌿 Dietary Info: Vegetarian (easily dairy-free)
💛 Why You'll Love It: Soft, bright lemon muffins with a tart homemade curd center and a crunchy streusel top.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A tart curd center. Homemade lemon curd piped into each muffin for a bright, tangy surprise.
- Crunchy streusel top. A buttery classic streusel for texture in every bite.
- Loads of fresh lemon. Zest and juice in the curd and the batter, like my sourdough lemon muffins.
- Easier than it looks. Curd comes together fast over a double boiler, and the batter is one-bowl simple.
- Bright and citrusy. All the lemon-lover energy of my lemon blueberry cookies.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Lemon Curd Muffins
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Lemon Curd Muffins
- Expert Tips
- What Makes This Recipe Special?
- Lemon Curd Muffins FAQs
- Lemon Curd Muffins Troubleshooting Guide
- Storage
- Other Muffin Recipes to Consider
- Lemon Curd Muffins
Ingredients You'll Need
For the lemon curd
- Egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest + juice, salt, and butter: Cooked into a silky, tart curd — the same homemade-curd magic in my lemon blackberry cake.
For the lemon muffins
- All-purpose flour: The structure of the muffins.
- Baking soda + baking powder: Your lift for tall domes.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Milk powder (optional): Adds a little extra richness.
- Unsalted butter + granulated sugar: Creamed for a soft crumb.
- Lemon zest + juice: Bright citrus flavor; fresh is best, the same reason I call for it in my sourdough lemon pound cake.
- Eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla + milk: For a moist, tender muffin.
For the streusel
- Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour + melted butter: Mixed into crunchy crumbles.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free: Use a high-fat non-dairy milk and plant-based butter (or neutral oil).
- Greek yogurt: Sour cream works in its place.
- Store-bought curd: Short on time? Store-bought lemon curd works for the filling.
- Berries: Fold 1 cup of fresh berries (blueberries or raspberries are great) into the batter — frozen works too, adding 3–5 minutes of bake time. My lemon raspberry muffins are a good guide.
- Sourdough version: Swap part of the flour and milk for discard (see the FAQ).
- More lemon-berry bakes: Try my lemon raspberry cookies for a chewy cookie version.
How to Make Lemon Curd Muffins
Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.
Step 1: Make the lemon curd: In a double boiler over boiling water, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, zest, juice, and salt continuously until thick like hollandaise or gravy (8–10 minutes). Off the heat, whisk in the butter until incorporated. Cover with cling wrap touching the surface and chill until set and firm.
Step 2: Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and milk powder. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (4–5 minutes), then mix in the lemon zest, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice until just combined. Fold in the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated.
Step 3: Make the streusel: Mix the flour, sugar, and melted butter with a fork until crumbles form.
Step 4: Fill the pan: Scoop the batter into the muffin liners about ¾ full (a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop makes this easy).
Step 5: Top, bake, and fill: Generously distribute all the streusel over the muffins. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F and bake 14–15 minutes more, until the tops are set and lightly golden. Once cool, poke a hole in the top of each muffin with a straw and pipe in the lemon curd.
Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.
Expert Tips
- Use a double boiler for the curd. Lemon curd burns easily over direct heat; a heat-safe bowl over shallow boiling water gives the smoothest result.
- Chill the curd until firm. It needs to be set before piping into the muffins.
- Fill the muffins after baking. Baking the curd inside the batter can cause it to melt away and leave a hole — pipe it in once the muffins are cool.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold butter or eggs can change the texture of the muffins.
- Start with a hot oven. The 5 minutes at 425°F gives a higher oven spring and taller muffins.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most lemon muffins stop at lemon-flavored batter. These go further with a true homemade lemon curd piped into the center after baking — tart, silky, and bright against the soft, sweet crumb — plus a crunchy streusel top for texture. Filling the curd after baking (rather than baking it in) is the trick that keeps every muffin reliably gooey in the middle instead of hollow.
If you love bright lemon bakes, you're in good company on the blog. My lemon raspberry sweet rolls, sourdough lemon snack cake, and fresh lemon crumb bars are all worth a bake.
Lemon Curd Muffins FAQs
Yes, store-bought lemon curd works great for the filling if you're short on time.
An earlier version baked the curd into the batter, but it sometimes melted away and left a hole in the center. Filling the cooled muffins through a small hole in the top gives a reliable, gooey curd center every time.
Yes, swap part of the flour and milk for discard. To add ¼ cup of starter, subtract about 2 tablespoons (15g) flour and 2 tablespoons (30ml) milk, then add the discard. Adjust the flour to reach the right batter consistency.
Yes, use a high-fat non-dairy milk and plant-based butter. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.
Absolutely! The curd keeps well chilled, so make it a day or two ahead and fill the muffins when you're ready.
Lemon Curd Muffins Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Curd scrambled or grainy | Cooked over direct/too-high heat. | Use a double boiler and whisk constantly. |
| Curd too runny | Not cooked long enough. | Cook until it's as thick as hollandaise/gravy before chilling. |
| Hollow center / no curd | Curd baked into the batter. | Fill the cooled muffins through a hole in the top instead. |
| Flat muffins | Overmixed, or oven not hot to start. | Mix just until combined; start the bake at 425°F. |
| Dense crumb | Cold ingredients or undermixed butter. | Use room-temperature ingredients and cream the butter well. |
Storage
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days (in a sealed container the streusel softens a bit).
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
Other Muffin Recipes to Consider
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Lemon Curd Muffins
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment optional
- 12-muffin pan
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Double boiler
- Whisk
- Cling wrap
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 3 large egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice ¼ cup, about 2 lemons
- Pinch of salt
- 57 g unsalted butter 4 tablespoons, room temperature, cut into pieces
Lemon Muffins
- 240 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk powder optional
- 85 g unsalted butter 6 tablespoons, softened
- 150 g granulated sugar ¾ cup
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 120 g plain Greek yogurt or sour cream ½ cup, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 60 ml milk 4 tablespoons
- 60 ml fresh lemon juice 4 tablespoons
Streusel Topping
- 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
- 60 g all-purpose flour ½ cup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Make the lemon curd
- Cook the curd: In a double boiler over boiling water, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, zest, juice, and salt continuously until the mixture is thick like hollandaise or gravy (8–10 minutes).3 large egg yolks, 100 g granulated sugar, ½ tablespoon lemon zest, 60 ml fresh lemon juice, Pinch of salt
- Finish and chill: Off the heat, whisk in the butter until fully incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with cling wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate until set and firm.57 g unsalted butter
Make the muffins
- Mix dry, cream butter: Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and milk powder; set aside.240 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon milk powder
- Cream butter: Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (4–5 minutes).85 g unsalted butter, 150 g granulated sugar
- Add wet, then dry: Add the lemon zest, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until evenly incorporated.1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 large eggs, 120 g plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 60 ml milk, 60 ml fresh lemon juice
- Make the streusel
- Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and melted butter with a fork until crumbles form.100 g granulated sugar, 60 g all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Assemble and bake
- Fill the pan: Scoop the batter into the muffin liners about ¾ full (a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop helps).
- Top and bake: Distribute all the streusel over the muffins. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F and bake 14–15 minutes more, until the tops are set and starting to golden.
- Fill with curd: When the muffins are cool, poke a hole in the top of each with a straw or small knife and pipe in the lemon curd (a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off works). Replace the cut-out top to hide the hole, and enjoy.
Ola says
Great recipe! The muffins taste just perfect 😊 the only thing that doesn’t look the same as in the pictures is the inside of the muffin after baking. I have more like a hole with a little bit of curd 😅 any idea why? I feel like the curd somehow melted to the dough…
Audrey says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them! If you find that the curd is baking into the muffins, you can use a small knife or straw to make a hole at the top and fill it with some of the extra curd or even put some on top! Thank you for trying my recipe! It means so much to me.
Donna says
Can you use store bought lemon curd ?
Audrey says
Hi, Donna! Yes, you can absolutely use store bought lemon curd in these muffins. Let me know how it goes! 🙂