These Lemon Coconut crumb muffins are packed with tangy lemon flavor and have an amazingly soft and fluffy texture.
Plus the sweet crumb topping adds an extra touch of deliciousness. Without the need for butter or milk they are easily whipped up using basic ingredients. Perfect for breakfast, dessert and every single snack in between!
Easy Lemon Coconut Crumb Muffins
Filled with the vibrant flavors of freshly grated lemon zest and tangy lemon juice, there's no need to visit the bakery for the ultimate lemon coconut crumb muffin.
With my easy recipe, you can effortlessly bake these muffins using just a handful of basic ingredients simply whisked together.
They're great to make if you’re low on butter, need to cater for dairy-free diets or just fancy trying something different.
The oil replaces butter in the cake making it softer and fluffier. Plus it creates a lighter more delicate texture for the crumb topping.
If you're new to this recipe, I've got you covered with a handy shopping list that includes ingredient substitutes plus visual instructions, and helpful tips.
Or, if you're in a hurry, you can jump straight to the recipe card for all the measurements and instructions.
Shopping list for ingredients and substitutes if needed
This is just an overview, jump down to the full recipe card for the recipe amounts and recipe instructions
- Sugar: ¾ cup for the muffins and ½ cup to mix the crumb topping:
I went with white granulated sugar for the muffins and light brown sugar for the crumb topping. You can do the same or just use what you have.
Whether you go with brown or white sugar, it'll work just fine for the muffins or crumble.
- Oil: ⅔ cup for the muffins and ¼ cup for the crumb topping.
A neutral flavored oil is best for this recipe. Canola or vegetable oil are great options.
The oil creates a softer texture for the muffins and contributes to a delicate crumb topping.
- Lemon zest and juice: For this recipe, you'll need a large or 2 medium lemons to extract ½ cup of juice and get all the zest from the entire lemon.
All of the juice and that zest go straight into the muffin batter.
Or if you want extra tang in the crumb topping, you can set aside around ½ a teaspoon of that zest. It's totally optional.
- 2 large eggs
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon for the muffin batter and ½ a teaspoon for the crumb topping mixture
- Baking powder: Fresh baking powder (check expiry date on can) is key for fluffy muffins. Without it the muffins will have a dense texture.
- Salt: Just a ¼ teaspoon for the muffin batter and a pinch (about ⅛ teaspoon) for the crumb topping is going to bring out all that delicious flavors.
- Shredded (fine desiccated coconut): I used ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut in the batter and ⅓ cup in the crumb topping.
- Flour: All purpose (plain flour -UK) OR cake flour: 1 ½ cups for the muffin batter and ¾ cup for the crumb topping.
How to make Easy Lemon Coconut Crumb Muffins
This is just the visual so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Dry ingredients: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and shredded coconut in a bowl and set aside.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
4. Whisk or stir the mixture until just combined. Set aside while you make the crumb topping.
- Crumb topping: In a separate medium sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, shredded coconut, vanilla extract and oil. If you have any extra lemon zest from the batter, you can also mix it into the crumble. About ½ teaspoon lemon zest is sufficient to add that extra tangy flavor.
- Stir or whisk together the ingredients to form a light crumb texture.
- Divide the batter among the muffin liners, about ¾ batter in each liner.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter, about 1 - 2 tablespoons per muffin.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven of 350°F° (180°C) for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently asked questions and tips
- What is lemon zest and how its used?
Lemon zest is the yellow outside portion of the lemon peel. Make sure to grate away the yellow part of the peel only, not the white pith! The pith has a bitter flavor which you should try to avoid.
It is much easier to zest a whole lemon before cutting it in half to juice it. The firmness of the lemon makes it simpler to grate or peel off the zest while it is intact.
- Press the crumble gently onto the muffin batter:
Once you've filled the muffin cups with batter, sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top. Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon to gently press the crumble onto the batter. This will help it hold on better and reduce the chances of it falling off during baking.
- Grease the insides of the muffin paper liners:
This is optional, but I guarantee, it works like a charm.
Give the muffin paper liners a quick spritz of nonstick cooking spray before filling them. It works very well to prevent the baked muffins from sticking when unwrapped, even while they’re still warm.
- Don't over mix the batter:
Wet and dry ingredients are simply mixed until just combined. There might still be a few lumps in the batter and that's absolutely normal. Over mixed batter leads to dense and dry muffins.
Storage and freezing
- On the countertop at room temperature: Store in an airtight container for about 4 days
- In the refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for about a week. Warm in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.
- In the freezer: Store in an airtight container for about three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Food safe / Freezer safe airtight containers or zip bags ensures that your muffins do not absorb scents from other food while they are stored.
Enjoy ♡
Easy Lemon Coconut Crumb Muffins (No Butter, No Milk)
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1 ½ cups all purpose (same as plain flour -UK) OR cake flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded (desiccated) coconut
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup lemon juice and zest (see note 1)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup all purpose (same as plain flour -UK) OR cake flour
- ½ cup brown or white granulated sugar
- pinch of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded (desiccated) coconut
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. (see note 2)
- Preheat the oven to 370°F (190°C) 170°C (fan)
Make the muffin batter
- Dry ingredients: Combine the all purpose OR cake flour, baking powder salt and unsweetened shredded (desiccated) coconut in a bowl and set aside.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the white granulated sugar , canola or vegetable oil , lemon juice and zest , eggs and vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Whisk or stir the mixture until just combined. (see note 3)
- Set aside while you make the crumb topping.
Make the crumb topping
- In a separate medium sized bowl, add the all purpose flour, brown or white granulated sugar, pinch of salt , unsweetened shredded (desiccated) coconut, vanilla extract and canola or vegetable oil
- If you have any extra lemon zest from the batter, you can also mix it into the crumble. About ½ teaspoon lemon zest is sufficient to add that extra tangy flavor.
- Stir or whisk together the ingredients to form a light crumb texture.
Bake
- Divide the batter among the muffin liners, about ¾ batter in each liner.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter, about 1 - 2 tablespoons per muffin. (See note 4)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove and continue cooling on a wire rack.
Storage
- On the countertop at room temperature: Store in an airtight container for about 4 days
- In the refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for about a week. Warm in the microwave for a few seconds before eating.
- In the freezer: Store in an airtight container for about three months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.
- Food safe / Freezer safe airtight containers or zip bags ensures that your muffins do not absorb scents from other food while they are stored.
Notes
Nutrition
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