Lemon Olive Oil Muffins
Moist and fruity, these lightly sweetened olive oil muffins are great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. They’re one of my favorite muffin recipes and are naturally vegan!
These moist, fruity olive oil muffins are a perfect breakfast recipe or afternoon snack. Made with olive oil for a bright, unique vegan muffin recipe.
Why I love this recipe
I made these lemon muffins before we left for our Spain trip as a thank you to the sweet couple who are watering our plants while we are gone. I find that it’s a lot easier to beg someone to help you out when there’s food involved.
If you love lemon as much as I do, then you’re going to love these lemon olive oil muffins. These muffins are exactly what I’ve been craving as of late: bright, sweet flavors.
Lightly sweetened and incredibly moist, almost cake-like, with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. They work just as easily for breakfast and snacks as they would for an after-dinner treat.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll want a fruity, extra virgin olive oil for best results. You can use a virgin olive oil for a lighter flavor but I like these best with a more grassy olive oil for the best flavor.
I’ve tested these olive oil muffins with so many different oils, and my favorites are Kosterina and California Ranch Olive Oil. I have tested them with a more neutral oil, like canola, and while it works in this olive oil muffin recipe, it doesn’t give it the same flavor as olive oil.
The olive oil gives these muffins a lot of flavor, so I like using an olive oil that I enjoy the taste of, but it doesn’t need to be expensive.
Substitutions
I love the lemon paired with the olive oil in this muffin recipe, but you can also use another acid if you’d like. Orange juice or grapefruit juice will also work.
I tested this recipe using whole wheat pastry flour, and if you want to add in more whole grains, then I recommend using 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
I found that using all 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour led to a more dense muffin, but the half-and-half mixture still yielded a tender and moist olive oil muffin.
How to Make These Olive Oil Muffins
Step 1: Make the Lemon Sugar
Add the brown sugar to a small bowl along with the lemon zest and mix well. I use my hands to ensure that the lemon zest is fully incorporated into the sugar. This really helps to add a lot of lemon flavor to this muffin recipe.
Step 2: Whisk together the dry
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, powder, and salt.
Step 3: Add the wet
To the same bowl with the brown sugar, whisk in the maple syrup, olive oil, water, and lemon juice. Whisk until the brown sugar is almost dissolved into the wet ingredients.
Step 4: Combine
Add the wet to the dry and mix together until just incorporated, until you no longer see streaks of flour but taking care not to overmix. I know I am a broken record on this with all my muffin recipes, but it really is key in creating tender, moist muffins.
Step 5: Divide and Bake
Divide the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin. This recipe really makes about 13-14 muffins, but I usually just make 12 for ease. If you have any extra batter, then you can make a few extra muffins. I do this to keep the ingredients consistent.
The muffins are ready when they spring back easily when touched or when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. When cool, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Tips for Success
Be sure to mix the flour and baking soda/powder really well before adding the wet ingredients. The first time I made these, I didn’t sift everything in together, and some bites tasted almost soapy. When I tried it again after sifting and stirring, they came out perfectly.
Mix the wet and dry until there are no longer any streaks of flour visible, taking care not to overmix. Overmixing the batter will create dense muffins instead of light, almost fluffy muffins.
I highly recommend using an extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but something with a nice golden color and grassy taste will make for a better muffin than a lighter, less fragrant olive oil.
Variations
These olive oil muffins also work as mini muffins! To make mini muffins, divide the batter into a 24 mini muffin pan and bake for 10-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted easily comes out clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What olive oil is best?
I recommend a flavorful olive oil that’s fruity and slightly grassy in taste. It doesn’t have to be expensive! I use California Ranch Olive Oil, Trader Joe’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or Kosterina Olive Oil in these.
How do I know these muffins are done?
These muffins are done when a toothpick inserted easily comes out clean or only has a few wet crumbs stuck to the toothpick.
Do I need to use muffin liners?
I almost never use muffin liners in any of my muffin recipes as I find them wasteful and unnecessary. As long as your muffin tin is well-greased, you don’t need liners.
More Olive Oil Recipes
More Muffin Recipes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Vegan Banana Muffins
- Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Video
Lemon Olive Oil Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup fruity olive oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup water
- powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon zest and the brown sugar until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk in the olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and water.
- Slowly pour the sugar and olive oil mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Divide the batter into 12 muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes, or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes, then remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and enjoy.
Nutrition
If you try this Lemon Olive Oil Muffin recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
This post was first published in 2017 and updated in 2025.