Move over, poppy seed - there's a new lemon muffin in town: Glazed Lemon Muffins with Lemony Kampot Pepper Crumb. The muffins are packed with fresh lemon flavor for lemon lovers, while the tops of the muffins are the real star of the show. The lemon glaze and crumb topping, studded with freshly ground Kampot peppercorn, first bring the sweet and tangy, then the gentle heat lingers on the tongue just long enough to keep you wanting another bite.
NOTE FROM A NOMAD
While in Cambodia, I was inspired to create a recipe using red Kampot peppercorns, due to their fruity and floral notes. I'd seen lemon and pepper paired in savory dishes for years, so I figured…why not try it in something sweet? These glazed lemon muffins were the result: bright, zingy, and topped with a lemon streusel and glaze laced with just enough Kampot pepper to keep things interesting.
Kampot pepper is a peppercorn grown in Cambodia's Kampot province, where it holds Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, just like Champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano. Kampot pepper was nearly wiped out by the Khmer Rouge when farmland was repurposed for rice production. It wasn't until the early 2000s that a handful of farmers began reviving the crop, and today, it's considered one of the best peppers in the world!
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Besides the usual simple ingredients, here are the make-or-break ones you might need to pick up for this recipe:
- Red Kampot Peppercorns: These peppers have a sweeter, fruitier flavor than their black or white counterparts, making them the ideal choice to pair with the citrusy flavors in the muffin. If you can only find black or white Kampot peppercorns, these will work just fine too. No pre-ground pepper here. You can find it in some supermarkets in the spices aisle or specialty spice shops. Alternatively, you can find it on online shops like The Spice House or La Plantation.
- Whole Lemons: You'll use both fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice from whole lemons for the batter, streusel, and glaze of this muffin.
- Lemon Extract: This helps give a concentrated citrus flavor. If you don't have any, you can substitute with extra lemon zest or even a splash of limoncello - just note the citrus flavor may be a little softer.
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below.
➡️ Be sure to try another loved ingredient from Southeast Asia with these ube iced oatmeal cookies!
How to Make Glazed Lemon and Kampot Pepper Muffins (With Photos!)
You'll be surprised how quickly this easy lemon muffin recipe comes together. Preheat your oven temperature to 400°F / 205°C, line your muffin pan, and let's get baking!
Step 1: Rub lemon zest into the sugar to make a lemon sugar.
Step 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Let the batter rest for 15 - 30 minutes.
Step 4: Mix the streusel topping until you have a mix of small and medium crumbs.
Step 5: Divide the muffin batter among the muffin pan liners in every other muffin cup.
Step 6: Evenly distribute the streusel on top of the muffins. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 to 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 7: In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze. On fully cooled muffins, drizzle the glaze evenly over the tops of the muffins.
Step 8: Enjoy the muffins after the glaze sets.
🍰 Avoiding turning your oven on in summer? Try this no-bake twist on tiramisu made with biscoff cookies.
Test Kitchen Tips
Use room temperature ingredients: Leave the milk and egg on your countertop for 1 - 2 hours to reach room temperature. Cold ingredients don't incorporate well, leading to lumpy batter and dense muffins. Also, make sure you let your melted butter cool so you're not cooking the egg when mixing them.
Measure flour with a kitchen scale: Kitchen scales are the best way to ensure accuracy in baking! If you're using U.S. customary measuring cups, fluff and spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with a knife for the right amount. This will help make sure you have moist lemon muffins.
Mix batter carefully: Once you add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix lightly just until the muffin batter is fully combined. Overmixing the batter leads to unwanted gluten development, which creates tough and chewy muffins. I prefer to use a silicone spatula to mix and check for any dry pockets of flour.
Improve muffin structure: For the best results with large muffin tops, use alternating muffin cups so each muffin has room to grow (e.g. use 6 muffin cups total by filling in every other cup of a 12 muffin cup pan). Also, let the muffin batter rest for 15 - 30 minutes. This will help create a better rise, tender crumb, and a light texture.
Glaze tip: When glazing, let your muffins cool completely then drizzle or dunk quickly so you get a thin, shiny coating.
If you made and loved this Glazed Lemon Muffins with Lemony Kampot Pepper Crumb recipe, please leave a ✨5-star review✨ below! Also, leave a comment if you have any troubleshooting questions. I'd love to hear from you.
Thank you! - Nicole
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📖 Recipe
Glazed Lemon Muffins with Lemony Kampot Pepper Crumb
Equipment
- Muffin liners
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 75 grams white granulated sugar
- 125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 89 milliliters whole milk, room temperature
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell), room temperature
- 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
Streusel topping
- 125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 90 grams white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground red Kampot pepper (coarsely ground or chopped)
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 75 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Glaze topping
- 85 grams powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground red Kampot pepper (coarsely ground or chopped)
- ½ heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
- 15 - 30 milliliters (1 - 2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon), (adjust to achieve the desired consistency)
Instructions
For the muffin batter
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Alternate lining a standard muffin pan with 6 muffin liners and set aside.
- In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to create a lemon sugar. Set aside.1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)75 grams white granulated sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, lemon sugar mixture, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)½ tablespoon baking powder¼ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg, lemon juice, and lemon extract until fully combined. Pour into the dry ingredients, stir, and scrape until only a few streaks of flour remain. Don't overmix. Let muffin batter rest for 15 - 30 minutes.89 milliliters whole milk57 grams unsalted butter1 large egg (55 - 60 grams each with shell)30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)½ teaspoon lemon extract
For the streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, Kampot pepper, lemon zest, and salt until fully mixed.125 grams all-purpose flour (plain flour)90 grams white granulated sugar2 teaspoons freshly ground red Kampot pepper (coarsely ground or chopped)1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until you have a mix of small and medium crumbles that look like wet sand.75 grams unsalted butter
Assembly
- Divide the muffin batter among the muffin pan liners, then evenly distribute the streusel on top of the muffins.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 to 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, Kampot pepper, and lemon zest. Then add lemon juice until smooth and runny.85 grams powdered sugar1 teaspoon freshly ground red Kampot pepper (coarsely ground or chopped)½ heaping tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)15 - 30 milliliters (1 - 2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- On fully cooled muffins, drizzle the glaze evenly over the tops of the muffins. After the glaze sets, enjoy!
Notes
- Muffin Batter: You can mix the muffin batter ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, let the batter sit at room temperature for about 15 - 20 minutes, scoop into muffin tins, add the streusel topping, and bake as directed.
- Streusel Topping: You can prepare the streusel in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Glaze: It's best to prepare and apply the glaze just before putting it on the muffins.
Nicole Price says
I'm so excited to bring you these lemon and Kampot pepper muffins! If you try them, I'd love to know what you think!
- Nicole from Nomad Test Kitchen