It’s a sunny Spring Sunday and we’re finally getting a feel for warmer climes. Like, Fi-na-lly.

We had an everlasting Winter that so graciously deposited fresh snow into our backyards as recently as four days ago. It was like a bad dream, but the very next day it had vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. Phew. Cue in these bright and sunny muffins that have ample potential to make any day exponentially better and bring joy to those who sink their teeth into them. They’re a fun weekend bake; they come together effortlessly.. and, are bursting with fruity lemon feels at the seams.

Did you ever hear about lemon or citrus sugar? I had, but unfortunately had never given it a go until fairly recently… I bake lemony goodies often and use lemon zest- but never directly mixed it with the sugar itself. Additionally, your girl (also) used to buy great-quality lemon extract for some lemon recipes; however, you can’t beat good ‘ole lemon zest. So here’s what you do friends: take the zest of 1 large lemon and using clean hands or a whisk rub it in against the sugar, to release and wake up the oils in that zest. Pro-tip: add the zest of a lemon or orange (if you’re baking an orange loaf or cake) and for a a cleaner execution: grate the zest directly into your bowl holding the sugar.

If like myself; you opt for unrefined sugars you can do raw brown sugar or coconut sugar, this trick works well with those too. Once you get a hint of a smell from this ultra-fragrant, citrusy goodness.. you’re doing great, keep going. If using classic white sugar, you may also notice the sugar is adopting the color of the zest and may look yellowish or orange depending on the color of your citrus. If using brown or coconut sugar, this last color marker may not be as apparent and that’s expected.

For this little recipe I decided to borrow my mom’s tried and tested lemon glaze which literally consists of 2 ingredients: icing or glazing sugar (confectioner’s sugar) and lemon juice. That’s literally it. Here’s the thing; the lemony glaze itself is not refined sugar free, but it’s delicious. I steadfastly maintain that made-at-home goodies are still significantly more nutritious and made with real-food; as opposed to their store-bought counterparts. Do I recommend the lemon glaze or is it optional? It’s HIGHLY recommended to take these muffins over the top.

Substitutions? I’ve got some ideas and pointers!

• Don’t have any blueberries? You can add strawberries, blackberries or raspberries! Raspberries are probably my favorite sub and do so well with citrus undertones.
• Don’t have any all-purpose flour (standard or gluten-free) ? Try making these with oat flour. Simply pulverize large flake oats in your blender.
• Don’t have any fresh lemons? Wait until you do or use fresh oranges. If you don’t have fresh lemons OR oranges- I don’t recommend you try this recipe without any fresh citrus zest or juice.
• Baking powder versus baking soda? I 100% recommend using baking powder for these babies. The lift and texture is hard to miss.

Without further due, give this easy bake a try and trust me when I say everyone you serve these too will love them, and you. They melt in your mouth and are incredibly good with a cup of fresh, hot coffee. They’re also delicious and very refreshing with cold almond or oat milk. I also like to serve these a la mode, with a scoop of cashew vanilla bean ice cream for the win!

Let me know if you try them, and if you can, please leave a review.