Glazed Lemon-Ginger Muffins! A perfect way to begin the day, these bright and cheerful lemon muffins are amplified by the addition of fragrant ground ginger. A sweet glaze drizzled over top and a sprinkling of candied ginger gives them a delicious finishing touch!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Barlean’s, as a part of my ongoing partnership as part of their Blogger Team. As always, all opinions here are my own.
Hi! I took an unplanned summer vacation. I mean, my official vacation {to Italy, Croatia & the Greek Isles} was planned, but not the absence from the blog. {I've still been active on social media, so make sure to follow me over on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest where there's always a party happening, even when I'm "taking a break."} It seems I needed it, so I took it, and now I'm back -- just in time to start baking up fall recipes and sharing all things autumnal. But before we dive head-first into a vat of pumpkin everything, I want to share this recipe that keeps one foot in the sunny days of summer while dipping a toe into fall flavors.
Glazed Lemon-Ginger Muffins
Muffins are one of my favorite things to make when I feel like baking but don't know exactly what I want to create. Most recipes are very simple and straightforward; whisk together wet ingredients, whisk together dry ingredients, add wet to dry, bake, DONE. These Glazed Lemon-Ginger Muffins follow that exact same script, making them an easy snack or breakfast treat to whip up any day of the week. They bake up nice and tall, not too sweet, with a tender crumb and are finished off with a delightful lemony glaze to give them an extra pop of flavor.
I used Barlean's Seriously Delicious CBD Hemp Oil in their new Lemon Drop flavor in the glaze, which adds an added benefit to these already tasty little muffins. If you don't take CBD Hemp Oil, then fear not -- you can also make these with a traditional glaze. If you do already take their CBD, then this is just one more way you can enjoy it! {Even though it's actually pretty good directly off a spoon.}
Making Healthier Muffins
Another reason I love these muffins is because they're fairly easy to "healthify." Here are a few ways you can alter the recipe to suit your needs:
- Sweetener. In the recipe I'm sharing here, I used regular granulated sugar, but I tested out a different batch with honey instead and they worked out just fine flavor-wise, but the texture was a bit on the chewier side. For a successful swap, use ¾ cups of honey in place of the 1 cup of sugar. Beware: Honey tends to make baked goods brown quickly and can scorch, so reduce the oven temperature by about 25 degrees and keep an eye on the time while they're baking. This article and this post both share some great tips about using honey & other liquid sweeteners as substitutes.
- Flour. I used all purpose flour in this recipe, but you should also be able to use a cup for cup gluten free flour without any other adjustments. You can also substitute up to 1 cup of other flours {whole wheat, oat flour, etc.} in place of the all-purpose, but it will affect the taste and texture as whole grain flours tend to produce "heavier" baked goods.
- Milk. I actually used a combination of almond milk and yogurt {a "buttermilk" of sorts} in the batch shown here simply because that's what I had on hand, but you can use whatever type of milk you prefer.
- Fat. The original recipe that I adapted called for sunflower oil, but I've taken to using Barlean's coconut oil in baked goods that call for any oil at all. I sometimes even replace the butter in recipes with coconut oil, and most of the time there's no issue. While the version I'm sharing uses coconut oil, you can use melted, cooled butter or your favorite oil here -- just remember that the oven will be set to 400 degrees, and not all oils are recommended for high-heat cooking and baking.
Baking with CBD Hemp Oil
Speaking of baking with different oils, it's important to note that CBD Hemp Oil should not be heated above 225 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why I chose to use Barlean's new Lemon Drop flavor of Seriously Delicious CBD Hemp Oil in the glaze rather than bake it into the muffins. Not only does it allow the CBD to keep its potency, but it also adds a burst of lemon flavor and bright yellow color to the glaze. {Don't worry, they use turmeric for the color, so it's all natural!}
If you have more questions about using CBD Hemp Oil in your recipes, hop over to my Mango-Mint CBD Salsa post where I cover all the whos, whats and why's of CBD oil.
Variations on Lemon Muffins
I adapted the base of this muffin recipe from a cookbook I've had for a long time called 1 Mix, 100 Muffins by Susanna Tee. In the book, she shares different ways to use one plain base recipe to make endless muffin flavors. I did some experimenting with this particular recipe myself, and here are my recommendations:
- Extra Gingery Lemon-Ginger Muffins: Use chopped, candied ginger in the batter if you prefer a stronger ginger flavor. The little ginger bits create sweet, jammy little specks throughout the muffin making each bite a ginger-lover's dream.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins: For this popular muffin flavor, simply omit the ground ginger and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon almond extract plus 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds.
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins: Omit the ground ginger. Toss about a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries to the dry ingredients, toss gently to coat them, then mix in the wet ingredients being careful not to break up the berries too much.
- Lemon-Streusel Muffins: Make the muffins as directed & scoop the batter into the muffin tin. Before baking, top each muffin with a heaping scoop of streusel like this one.
Glaze for Lemon Muffins
The finishing touch, no matter which variation you choose to make, is a simple confectioner's sugar glaze. I used ½ cup of confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons of the Lemon Drop CBD Oil, ⅛ teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of water and it made the perfect drizzling consistency. You can drizzle it on with a spoon or if you prefer more precise drizzles, pour the glaze into a zip top bag, snip the tip and use it as a piping bag of sorts.
If you aren't using CBD in your muffins, you can substitute 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice for the oil, then stir until the consistency is thick but able to be drizzled. If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more confectioner's sugar. Too thick? Add a few drops of water at a time until it loosens up. See? Simple!
It's nice to be back in the kitchen and back on the blog sharing recipes with you! If you try these muffins or any of my recipes, don't forget to leave me a comment, email me, or snap a pic and tag me on social media! In the meantime, get cooking/baking and enjoy! <3
Glazed Lemon-Ginger Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt {I used 2%}
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- {optional: ¼ cup chopped candied ginger}
For Glaze
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Drop Seriously Delicious CBD
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon water
- 2 tablespoons candied ginger chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a standard muffin tin. {I just dip my fingers in a bit of coconut oil and rub a bit into each well.} Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt and sugar.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, yogurt, coconut oil and vanilla extract {and candied ginger, if using.}
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just combined. {There should be no pockets of dry ingredients but don't over-mix.}
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the edges are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center come out clean. Remove from oven an cool completely
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Beat together the confectioner's sugar, CBD Hemp Oil, water and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over tops of the muffins, and sprinkle the chopped candied ginger over the top while the glaze is still slightly wet so that it will adhere. Allow the glaze to set before packaging or serve right away.
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