I've been working with this recipe over the years and have updated it a bit. The old version of Lemon Muffins with Pudding Mix called for cake flour, but this new version uses all-purpose flour, which makes the cupcakes a little bit sturdier. I also used granulated sugar instead of brown and added some Boyajian lemon oil for extra lemon flavor.
The photo above is of the new muffins. Unfortunately, the new version didn't dome as much as the old recipe, but overall I like the texture of the new version better. Update: They dome more in greased metal pans without liners.
Lemon Muffins with Pudding Mix
Here's a photo of the old cake version. Those were delicious, but a little more delicate in structure. I kept the old version in the notes in case you have cake flour and want to try a lighter muffin. If you do use cake flour rather than AP, use the equivalent weight.
Can You Use Cook and Serve Pudding Mix?
Yes, you can use Cook and Serve instead of Instant. I accidentally bought Cook and Serve. The Cook and Serve box holds 2.9 oz (82 grams) of mix and makes 6 half cup servings, which is different from the Instant, which is a 3.4 oz box. For the lemon muffins, you only need the 2.9 oz mix rather than the 3.4 oz (96 grams). Also, the batter will be a lot stiffer. I made a half batch using the Cook and Serve (42 grams) and added about a tablespoon of water to thin the batter. I also used buttery olive oil in place of butter. The muffins looked like this.
Half Batch Toaster Oven Version
Our daughter grew up and moved away so I do a lot of baking in a toaster oven and use a little 6-Muffin pan. Here are the measurements if you are like me and only need 6
- Weigh 48 grams (half a package) instant lemon pudding mix on scale (or 41 Cook and Serve) If using Cook and Serve, add 1 T. water to batter
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour about 4 oz total (114 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons poppy seeds more if desired (or leave them out)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest or a teaspoon of good quality lemon oil (I didn't fully cut that in half. We like lots of lemon.)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted (olive oil works too)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease your muffin tins using your favorite method or line with paper liners. Put a bowl on the scale and set tare to zero. Add 48 grams pudding mix,114 grams of flour, 100 grams of sugar and ½ teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda. Add the salt, poppyseeds (if using) and lemon zest too. Mix well. In another bowl whisk together egg and milk. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture and stir until blended, then pour in the melted butter. Put batter in muffin tin and bake at 375 degrees for about 22 minutes.
Recipe
Lemon Muffins with Pudding Mix
Ingredients
- 1 3.4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour about 8 oz total (228 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds more if desired
- 1-2 tablespoon grated lemon zest or a teaspoon of good quality lemon oil.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted (or use half butter and half olive oil) ***
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in poppy seeds.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and lemon zest or oil. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and then pour in the melted butter. Using a wooden spoon, stir batter just until combined.
- Evenly divide batter between 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove and place pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool.
Anna
Glad to hear that! Thanks for posting a review, C!
C L
These lemon muffins are absolutely delicious! I recently made a batch substituting instant coconut cream pudding. This is one of my favorite muffin recipes. It's very versatile.
Chris
Alison,, a substitute for cake flour,,, 3/4 C of all purpose flour plus 2 T cornstarch
Anna
Hi Alison,
This recipe uses cake flour, which is different than cake mix. Are you referring to the lemon pudding mix?
At any rate, I will look through my files and see if I can find a good lemon muffin recipe. I don't think I have one I especially love, but I'll look.
Alison
Hi Anna,
Do you have any lemon muffin recipes that
do not use cake mix? I can't get it here in
Ireland and have been trying to find a lemon
muffin recipe.
Anna
Hi Mishquilt,
Thanks for your comment. I am interested in hearing what you think of the muffins. My girlfriend liked them and so did her 5 year old son. They are definitely lighter and more cupcake-like than other muffins. This could be a positive or a negative to some.
Thanks so much for the Dorie Greenspan tip. I am definitely going to try rubbing the zest with the sugar.
mishquilt
I am eager to try this recipe and I have always been a big fan of flavored pudding mixes as an addition to baked goods. I think they make for a flavoful, moist product without a lot of fuss. I wanted to offer one great tip I discovered while reading Dorie Greenspan's new baking book--regarding the use of citrus zest. She urges the home baker to go one step further and after zesting the fruit, to incorporate it with (clean) fingers into the sugar. She claims that if you "rub" the zest into the sugar, it will impart more flavor. I have done this several times for various recipes that included zest. I would have to agree with her that the citrus flavor is really more pronounced. Perhaps, in addition to adding more zest, this additional step would make the muffins more "lemony" as you suggested. I am also a big fan of lemon oil (food grade--used VERY sparingly). I should also mention that I did not get the same results with Dorie's application to vanilla bean/seeds. I did incorporate the seeds directly from the VB into the sugar and used my fingers to incorporate it. However, in the recipes for which I wanted a strong vanilla flavor, I did not notice a pronounced difference.
Can't wait to make the muffins! What a great time of year for all things lemon!
MISHQUILT