These muffins get a double dose of lemon with both zest and extract and swap out some of the butter for coconut oil to add another dimension of flavor.
By Kimberly Killebrew
I love pretty much any baked goods with lemon. Can’t think of an exception. Lemon has a way of bringing carbs to life, which is probably why lemon zest is a central component to German and European baking at large. That and butter. Must have butter. But these muffins are made without butter. Not because I’m on a health kick, but because I deliberately wanted to use something else instead…something to add a flavor and freshness and moistness that is wunderbar! Coconut oil. Love, love coconut oil. Whether it’s on my skin or in my tummy, coconut oil has my loyal fanship.
These muffins get a double kick of lemon, using both fresh lemon zest and lemon extract. I like my lemon muffins lemony, how about you?
The texture of these muffins…perfect. Buttermilk is a miracle elixir in baking. It contributes not only a fresh and tangy flavor, it creates a deliciously moist and tender crumb. Just take a look at the center of these muffins…yep, that’s what I’m talking about. 
Lemon Coconut Muffins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
These muffins get a double dose of lemon with both zest and extract and swap out some of the butter for coconut oil to add another dimension of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup good quality coconut oil
- Zest of one large lemon
- 1 tablespoon good quality lemon extract (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, coconut oil and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the zest, extract, eggs, and buttermilk and beat just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat just until combined, being careful not to over-beat. Some lumps of flour will remain, and that’s okay.
- Scoop the batter into 6 greased jumbo muffin tins, filling them about ¾ full.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean but moist. Be careful not to over-bake or the muffins will be dry.
Notes
Low quality lemon extract smells strong out of the bottle, but when its baked it loses its flavor. Either use high quality lemon extract or double up on the low-grade stuff. Optional: Combine some extract lemon zest with some sugar and sprinkle over the filled muffin tins before baking. You can also sprinkle with some flaked coconut. Optional: I personally prefer the dominant flavor to be lemon, but if you really want even more coconut flavor, you can add a teaspoon of coconut extract as well.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Baking
This is soooooo sooooo soooo good!