Lemon Chia Yogurt Muffins

Tender, slightly sweet, and full of citrus flavor, these lemon chia yogurt muffins are a healthier alternative to lemon poppyseed muffins! Made with applesauce and greek yogurt, they are free from oil and only 148 calories each.

Muffins are one of my favorite baking projects, because you can make them so much healthier with a few simple swaps! From healthy blueberry muffins to cinnamon rhubarb muffins to these lemon chia muffins, I like to have a batch in my freezer at all times!

These muffins are the perfect way to indulge in your lemon poppyseed muffin cravings, without overdoing it. I think you're going to love them!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

One bowl for easy prep

When it comes to making muffins, one bowl is where it's at, and I'm happy to report that these lemon chia muffins can be mixed up in a single bowl. Start by whisking together the applesauce, greek yogurt and brown sugar, then stir in buttermilk, egg, vanilla and lemon juice.

Add the dry ingredients, and mix until *just* combined, and the final step is to fold in the lemon zest and chia seeds.

No buttermilk?

No problem! If you have regular milk and some lemon juice on hand, you can make a pretty close equivalent. Check out how to make buttermilk.

A kitchen scale is your best friend

Not only does a kitchen scale ensure that you don't over-measure your flour (never scoop it, but fluff, spoon, then level OR simply weigh it on a scale), but it also means that you won't have to wash any measuring cups!

Simply place your bowl on the scale, then measure out exactly what you need. This is the BEST, particularly with sticky ingredients like greek yogurt, which are finicky to get into and out of measuring cups.

Avoid paper liners

An important thing to note about these lemon muffins is that they will stick to paper liners. Instead, you can spray the muffin tin well with oil, use parchment liners, or purchase reusable silicone muffin liners. Using these tricks, I haven’t had any issues with the muffins sticking.

Find my favorite muffin liners in my shop!

Ingredient swaps

• flour- this recipe uses a mix of all purpose and whole wheat flour. You can either use 2 cups of regular all purpose flour (250 g), or 2 cups of white whole wheat flour (250 g). I do not recommend using 2 cups of whole wheat flour as it can be dense and gummy. I do not know if gluten-free, or any other alternative flours, will work in this recipe.
• lemon- feel free to swap the lemon zest and juice for your favorite citrus- lime or orange could work well in this recipe
• chia seeds- you may swap for poppyseeds, or even some chopped nuts (walnuts might add a nice crunch). For nuts use ¼-1/2 cup.
• fruit- these muffins could be good with some berries added in- cranberries and blueberries both pair nicely with lemon. Add in 1 cup of berries (if they are frozen, do not thaw first) when you add the chia seeds.

Storage tips

Room temperature

Lemon chia muffins may be stored at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days

To freeze

To freeze, cool completely, then add to a heavy duty freezer bag. Suck the air out of the bag using a straw and freeze for up to 1 month

For a plastic-free option, you may loosely wrap in parchment paper and store in a meal prep container for up to 1 month.

Check out my favorite freezer containers!

More muffins + snacks

• Easy Baked Oatmeal Muffins
• 7 Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins
• Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
• 7 No Bake Granola Bars
• Healthy Strawberry Apple Crumble Muffins
• Coconut Carrot Lentil Muffins

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Lemon Chia Yogurt Muffins

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

• Pin

Print Rate

Tender, slightly sweet, and full of citrus flavor, these lemon chia muffins are a healthier alternative to lemon poppyseed muffins! Made with applesauce and greek yogurt, they are free from oil and only 148 calories each.

13

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour 125g; fluffed, spooned & levelled; see note 1
• ▢ 1 cup whole wheat flour 125g; fluffed, spooned & levelled
• ▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ⅔ cup applesauce unsweetened
• ▢ ⅓ cup greek yogurt
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk see note 3
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 2 lemons zested; see note 2
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ▢ ¼ cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened; for tops

Instructions 

• Pre-heat oven to 400F. Distribute parchment muffin liners (see note) in a standard-sized muffin tray.
• In a large bowl, combine applesauce, greek yogurt and brown sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Stir in buttermilk, egg, vanilla and lemon juice.
  
• Add the flours, baking powder and salt on top of the wet ingredients. Mix until *just* combined.
• Fold in the lemon zest and chia seeds.
  
• Spoon batter evenly into muffin tray. Sprinkle the tops with coconut.
  
• Bake for 18-22 minutes, until edges brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
  

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Tips:

1- you may use 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour, or 2 cups (250 g) white whole wheat flour, or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat (as written). Do not use 2 full cups of whole wheat flour as the muffins end up dense and gummy.

2- roughly ⅓ cup loosely packed lemon zest

3- if you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own using this recipe.

Muffin liners

This recipe works with silicone and parchment liners but not with paper liners. Alternatively, you can spray muffin tins generously and pop the muffins out when warm.

Storage

After baking, cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to an air tight container or bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze-cool completely, then add to a heavy duty freezer bag. Suck the air out of the bag using a straw and freeze for up to 1 month

Variations

• citrus- swap for lime or orange zest
• chia seeds- swap for poppyseeds or ¼ to ½ cup chopped nuts
• fruit- consider adding in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or cranberries

 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 140kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 42mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.