This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Healthy Lemon Muffins. This small batch of healthier lemon muffins will definitely brighten up your breakfast in the morning. Made with coconut oil, greek yogurt, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Healthier lemon muffins. Start the day off right with these EASY to make, skinny lemon muffins.
- Simple to make: only one bowl and common pantry items are needed for this recipe!
- Small batch: the perfect amount for me and my kids for breakfast with no leftovers. But it’s so easy to make a larger batch if needed.
How to make Healthier Lemon Muffins:
- Wet ingredients: combine the wet ingredients. Be sure that the coconut oil is melted but not hot when mixing. Allow time for it to cool to room temperature before mixing.
- Dry ingredients: add the dry ingredients to the mixed wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Scoop: add the muffin batter to the muffin tin.
- Bake: be sure to check the muffins with a toothpick to ensure they are baked through.
Ingredient Breakdown:
- White Whole Wheat Flour: this is different than whole wheat flour since it’s harvested from different wheat. Whole wheat flour is ground red wheat which gives the color and texture that you know as whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour is ground white wheat, it is NOT bleached. It’s a light flour that bakes similar to all purpose flour. And it does have the same nutrients as using regular whole wheat flour.
- Coconut Oil: adds moisture and gives a wonderful hint of coconut flavor to the muffins.
- Maple Syrup: to sweeten. Can also be subbed with honey.
- Greek Yogurt: extra moisture. Plus if you use a vanilla or lemon flavored yogurt it will give an extra boost of flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: due to the amount of acidic ingredients both are used to give the right amount of lift.
- Lemon: fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest give a bright flavor to the muffin.
- Egg
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
Pro Tips:
- Zesting: Zest the lemons first then juice them. This makes it easier to get the zest and leads to less waste of the lemons.
- More Lemon Flavor: feel free to add a bit of lemon extract on top of the fresh lemon juice if you’re wanting extra lemon flavor in your muffins.
- Texture: the batter for these muffins might look thick, it’s a fluffy batter, not a smooth creamy batter. So don’t worry! These muffins will bake up moist and tender.
- Glaze right before serving: don’t store glazed muffins as the glaze can become soggy. Store the glaze separate and drizzle right before serving. But keep in mind the glaze is NOT necessary. If you’re wanting to cut the sugar completely skip it.
More Muffin Recipes:
Healthier Lemon Muffins (Small Batch)
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Zest from 1 lemon
Icing
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp almond milk/milk/cream
- ½ tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin tin with baking spray or line with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl add the melted and cooled coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, greek yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest to the mixing bowl. Stir just until combined.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tin to 3/4 full, there will be enough batter for 6 muffins.
- Bake for 16 minutes or until tops are puffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes then remove from the muffin tin to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- To make the icing combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle over the muffins.
Video
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe first published April 1, 2016. Updated May 28, 2020 with new images and changes to recipe of more coconut oil and yogurt for added moisture.
Just finished making these they are so light and fluffy. In keeping them healthier tho I am not adding the icing and I donโt think it needs it. ย Very deliciousย
These muffins are delicious and will be !
These muffins are wonderful.ย
Very good and fluffy! Followed recipe,but used regular peach yogurt since didn’t have Greek one and it turned out still delicious.
Have you tried this with almond or coconut flour? Is there a way to make them fluffy while using a mixture of these flours?
Sorry, I haven’t tried this so I’m not able to verify if it will work.
This is by far the best muffins I have ever made. I’m 15 and I’m new to baking and cooking. I made this today and my family and I loved the muffins, especially with the glaze. It was really delicious. Thank you so much ๐ธ
Delicious! I added flaked almonds with raspberries, they were so good ๐ going to make another batch!ย
They are delicious! Thanks for sharing! Do you think I could make them in to a cake?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Since I haven’t tried to bake this into a cake, I can’t speak on if it will work or not. If you try it out please let me know.
ย This is one of the best muffins I have ever eaten. Absolutely delicious! I followed the directions exactly except I used vanilla flavored Greek yogurt, and like some one else mentioned, also found the glaze to be too dry. ย Just a little bit more milk and lemon juice did the trick. Thank you for an amazing recipe.ย
Will make again soon. They were light and fluffy and had a light lemon flavour that my husband loves but I may add a tad more to it. So yummy that I would double it next time, thank you for a great lemon muffin!