Lemon Muffins (Eggless & Whole Wheat)

Step by StepJump to Recipe

Bright and fluffy lemon muffins are easy to prepare from scratch in only 40 minutes. They’re made with healthier whole wheat flour, and are eggless for a completely vegan muffin recipe. Here I share my step-by-step instructions with photos to make delicious sweet and tart lemon muffins for breakfast or a snack!

closeup shot of halved lemon muffins showing their fluffy and soft texture

About These Lemon Muffins

This easy recipe was developed on a whim one day when I was really craving something lemony. With just a handful of pantry staples I was able to whip up soft and delicious lemon muffins full of lemon flavor in under an hour.

In the recipe I have used olive oil, which creates a rich and smooth batter. And pairs great with the vibrant lemon citrus flavor! Since there are no eggs, butter, or dairy needed my simple recipe also happens to be completely vegan-friendly.

Making these muffins are pretty easy. You only need to sift the dry ingredients and then mix it in a lemon water solution. No stand mixer and no electric beater is required. All you need is a wired whisk to make the batter.

I’ve tested and tweaked this eggless lemon muffins recipe to be just right, and I am confident you’ll love it as much as I do!

Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Lemon Muffins

Prep and Make Lemon Solution

1. Line a muffin pan/muffin tin with muffin liners or muffin cups. You can also grease the pan with oil instead of using muffin liners.

muffin liners in muffin tray

2. Preheat the oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degree Celsius). Rinse and dry a large lemon. Then zest the lemon with a zester or grater.

Only remove the yellow or green part of the peel and not the white. Set the lemon zest aside.

lemon being zested

3. Halve and juice the lemon, straining out the seeds. You want ¼ cup lemon juice in total.

lemon juice in measuring cup

4. Add the juice to a mixing bowl or pan.

lemon juice in black mixing bowl

5. Now add ½ cup raw sugar to the lemon juice. You can swap raw sugar with white granulated sugar or muscovado sugar.

mound of sugar over lemon juice

6. Stir, and then add ½ cup water.

water in pan with wired whisk inside

7. With a wired whisk or spoon stir well, so that all of the sugar is dissolved within the lemon solution.

mixing sugar with wired whisk

8. Add ¼ cup olive oil. You can also use softened butter (dairy or vegan plant-based spread) instead of oil or any other neutral flavored oil.

adding olive oil to the wet ingredients

9. Whisk the oil briskly for 2 to 3 minutes into the lemon mixture until thoroughly combined.

Note that I have not added vanilla extract, but if you prefer add about ½ teaspoon vanilla extract at this step and mix well.

mixing oil for lemon muffin batter

Sift Dry Ingredients

10. Now add 1 cup whole wheat flour (leveled, 120 grams) and ½ teaspoon baking powder in a sieve placed over a bowl or plate.

I am not a fan of baking soda and it is not needed to get a nice rise on the lemon muffins. However, for a more cake-y texture you can add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients.

Note: You can use the Indian whole wheat flour (called atta) or the regular whole wheat flour and even whole wheat pastry flour in the recipe. If you are not a fan of whole wheat flour, then swap with all-purpose flour or pastry flour.

whole wheat flour and baking powder in a sieve

11. Sift the dry ingredients.

sifted dry ingredients on white plate

12. Then add the dry ingredients and 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the lemon zest to the wet ingredients.

lemon zest, flour on top of the lemon solution in the black bowl

Make Muffin Batter

13. Stir together with a whisk, but use a gentle touch.

making lemon muffin batter

14. Everything should be mixed very well, but you do not want to over mix. Because there are no eggs in this recipe, the fluffiness comes from the combination of acid (lemon juice) and baking powder.

Keep in mind that if you blend too much the batter will fall flat when baked.

making lemon muffin batter

Bake Lemon Muffins

15. Pour the batter into the muffin liners to fill ⅔ of the way.

muffin liners filled with batter

16. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. You can also bake them in a convection or microwave oven in the same amount of time.

But be sure to check them after 18 minutes to make sure they don’t over bake. To test for doneness insert a toothpick or bamboo skewer in the center of a lemon muffin. It should come out clean if they are completely baked.

baked whole wheat lemon muffins

17. After 4 to 5 minutes rested in the tin, transfer the lemon muffins to a wire rack to cool. From this recipe, you will get 8 medium sized muffins.

eggless lemon muffins placed on wired tray

18. Serve these egg free and vegan lemon muffins as a sweet snack or dessert. You can also pack them in a lunch box as a sweet side snack!

vegan lemon muffins on wired tray

Helpful Tips

  • Lemons: Feel free to use any variety of lemons. You can also make these muffins with limes.
  • Oil: Swap the olive oil, with a neutral flavored oil. Alternatively for a vegetarian muffin, you can use softened butter.
  • Flour: If you like add all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour for a more lighter and softer crumb. You can also use regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour or the Indian atta flour that is used for making roti to make these muffins.
  • Lemon glaze: If you prefer you can choose to frost these tangy sweet muffins with a lemon glaze icing. This is the recipe I follow: In a small bowl mix together ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar) with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon lemon zest. For a slightly thinner glaze, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more lemon juice. Drizzle this lemon glaze on the muffins.
  • Scaling: The recipe can be scaled to make a smaller batch of 4 muffins or larger batches of 16 muffins or 24 muffins or more.

FAQs

How do I make lemon muffins with all-purpose flour?

I prefer whole wheat flour for a healthier muffin and delicious crumb, but you certainly can use all-purpose flour or pastry flour instead.

Can eggless muffins be made with butter?

Yes, if you are not adhering to a strict vegan diet you can use melted butter or ghee in place of the olive oil. Or, to keep the recipe vegan, simply use your preferred melted dairy-free plant-based butter alternative.

How long do homemade muffins last?

Lemon muffins will keep well for at least a week in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.

Can this recipe be doubled or tripled?

Definitely. As-is this lemon muffin recipe yields 8 treats. Double the ingredients to make 16 muffins, or triple to make 2 dozen (24) lemon muffins.

More Eggless Muffins To Try!

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

closeup shot of halved lemon muffins showing their fluffy and soft texture

Lemon Muffins (Eggless, Whole Wheat)

These bright and fluffy lemon muffins are made with healthier whole wheat flour, and are eggless for a completely vegan muffin. They are easy to prepare from scratch in only 40 minutes.
4.82 from 22 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Cuisine American, World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegan
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 8 regular lemon muffins
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour – leveled – 120 grams
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup raw sugar or white sugar – 80 grams
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup olive oil or any neutral oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice – juice extracted from 1 large lemon or 2 medium lemons or 3 medium limes
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons lemon zest

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Line a muffin pan with muffin liners. You can also grease the pan with oil instead of using muffin liners.
  • Now rinse a large lemon first. Wipe dry and then zest the lemon with a zester or grater. Keep the lemon zest aside. Only remove the yellow or green part of the peel and not the white pith. Also preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 356 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Halve the lemon and squeeze it to get its juice. You should get about ¼ cup lemon juice. Do measure the juice quantity as ¼ cup is required for this recipe.

Making Batter

  • Take the lemon juice in a mixing bowl or pan.
  • Now add the raw sugar to the lemon juice.
  • Add water. With a wired whisk begin to stir so that all the sugar granules are dissolved in the lemon solution.
  • Add olive oil. With a wired whisk stir briskly for 2 to 3 minutes so that the oil is mixed evenly with the lemon juice and sugar solution.
  • Now take a plate or tray. Place a sieve on it. Add whole wheat flour and add baking powder. 
  • Sift the dry ingredients onto the tray and plate.
  • Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Also add the lemon zest.
  • With light hands stir well. Be quick to stir. Everything should be mixed very well. But don’t over do the mixing.
  • Pour the batter in the muffin liners up-to ⅔.

Baking Lemon Muffins

  • Bake the muffins at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 to 25 minutes. Since the temperatures in all the ovens are not the same, do keep a check while baking. 
  • A toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the muffins should come out clean.
  • After 4 to 5 minutes, place the lemon muffins on a wire rack to cool. From this recipe you will get 8 medium sized lemon muffins.
  • Serve these egg free lemon muffins as a sweet snack or dessert. You can also pack one or two muffins in the tiffin box as a side sweet snack.

Notes

  • The recipe works with any variety of lemons. You can also make it with limes. 
  • In place of olive oil, you can use a neutral oil. For a vegetarian option, you can use softened butter. 
  • All-purpose flour can be swapped with whole wheat flour for a more lighter and softer crumb. You can also use the regular whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour or the Indian atta flour that is used for making roti. 
  • The recipe can be scaled to make 16 muffins or 24 muffins or more.
  • You can also choose to frost these muffins with a lemon glaze icing. To make the lemon glaze mix ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar), 1 tablespoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon lemon zest in a bowl. For a slightly thin consistency, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more lemon juice. Then drizzle this lemon glaze on the muffins when they are cooled.
  • Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to the lemon solution if you prefer. 

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Muffins (Eggless, Whole Wheat)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 163 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 92mg3%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 2IU0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 4µg4%
Calcium 19mg2%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 8µg2%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 22mg6%
Phosphorus 72mg7%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Like what you see?

Stay up to date with new recipes and ideas.

This Lemon Muffins post from the archives (July 2015) has been republished and updated on 8 October 2021.

Share This Recipe:

PinWhatsAppPrintShares494

Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

Get My Secrets to Great Indian Food
Sign up for my FREE Beginners Guide to Delicious Indian Cooking

Comments are closed.

124 Comments

  1. Hello Mam,
    Your recipes have motivated the chef in me I swear :p cooking has got soooooooooooo much easier with your descriptions, despite being a Non vegetarian I’ve fallen in love for the wide variety of veg recipes.
    I need some help regarding baking though, I used to bake in a microwave until now but since I’ve shifted to a new city I don’t have much options as of now, all I have is an Electric Rice Cooker and a Toaster oven I have a small query can I follow your recipes as it is and bake in a Toaster oven? It has the time function and a function which lets you select the element to be heated (top/bottom or both) just no temperature settings would that work?

    1. thanks a lot anshul. i think you can bake in the toaster oven. but since no temperature is mentioned, just keep a check. if the temperature is high, then the muffins can get baked too quickly and vice versa. also depending on the space in the oven, you can select the elements to be heated. meaning if the muffin or cake pans are too close to the top heating element, then select the bottom heating element only and vice versa.

  2. Again a great recipe. I just loved your muffin’s. I am a bit confused how much to pour batter in moulds as everytime i try my batter get’s overloaded & comes out. Please recommend so that my muffin’s when cooked looks like your’s.

    1. thanks sonam. usually i add fill the muffin cups till 3/4th or a bit more than 3/4th, depending on the batter consistency.

  3. Hi Dassana,

    I just tried this lemon muffin. It turned out awesome and pushed me to write here to appreciate your efforts and recipes. I personally don’t like the eggy flavor in cakes, hence, always in a search of reliable egg less recipes. I recently started following your recipes and tried banana cake, orange cake and now lemon muffin. I loved it.

    Thanks again for sharing this wonderful recipes. God bless.. 🙂

    My eyes are glued to your site for more recipes full of awesomeness..

    One more request: can you post your picture somewhere on your site. I would love to see my champ chef. thanks!5 stars

    1. thanks a lot gurpreet. good to know 🙂 there is a pic of me on the about page. also you can see my pic on pinterest.

  4. I made those corn sandwiches recently i added parmesan cheese in it , it brings such a amazing flavor to the sandwich

    1. thanks riya for letting me know. i haven’t yet used parmesan cheese. but got to try now 🙂

  5. Hello
    I tried this recipe today with all purpose flour. I cant say i am completely happy with the output. The muffins were sticking in throught though they were nt raw. Also the colour ws pure cream, not even a slight tint of brown 🙁 even after grilling them.

    1. you grilled them or baked them? also did you cool the muffins on a wired rack? sugar in muffins or cakes attracts moisture and hence the cake becomes sticky. the cake or muffins should not be kept in the pan till its cooled or even warm. just after 4 to 5 minutes remove from the pan and place it on a wired rack to cool. the condensation in the pan will make the muffins sticky. also if the muffins are kept in an air tight box, before they are cooled completely, then they will get sticky. with all purpose flour the color will be lighter.