MuffinsGreekEasy

Greek Yogurt Honey Thyme Muffins

Name: Greek Yogurt Honey Thyme Muffins
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 47 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 1½ large lemons, avoiding the white pith; 1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems and finely chopped; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup (240 g) full-fat plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature; ½ cup (170 g) thyme honey, at room temperature so it pours easily; ⅓ cup (80 ml) mild extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado or coarse sugar; 2 tbsp (42 g) thyme honey, for brushing, warmed slightly; 12 small sprigs (3 g) small fresh thyme sprigs or leaves, for garnish (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender, moist muffins made with thick Greek yogurt, floral thyme honey, bright lemon zest and a little fresh thyme. A honey glaze and crunchy sugar top give them a bakery-style finish with a gentle Mediterranean flavor.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 17 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the muffins
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest, finely grated from about 1½ large lemons, avoiding the white pith
1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems and finely chopped
2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 g) full-fat plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
½ cup (170 g) thyme honey, at room temperature so it pours easily
⅓ cup (80 ml) mild extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the topping
1 tbsp (12 g) turbinado or coarse sugar
2 tbsp (42 g) thyme honey, for brushing, warmed slightly
12 small sprigs (3 g) small fresh thyme sprigs or leaves, for garnish (optional)

Equipment (9)

12-cup standard muffin pan (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml)
12 paper liners or butter for greasing
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Fine rasp grater (microplane)
‑¼ cup (60 ml) or large 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop for portioning
Pastry brush
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs, yogurt and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly and the batter stays light.
Use full-fat (5% or 10%) plain Greek yogurt; low-fat versions make a drier, less tender muffin.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or weigh it. Scooping packs in extra flour and makes dense muffins.
Total time is about 77 minutes, including a 10-minute batter rest and 20 minutes of cooling.

1
Heat oven, prep panOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease each cup well with butter or oil.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C) and the pan is lined.
Tip: Use an oven thermometer if you can; many ovens run hot or cool, which changes muffin dome and color.
2
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No streaks or clumps of leavening remain.
3
Rub zest into sugar
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar, lemon zest and chopped thyme.
- Rub them together with your fingertips for about 30 seconds until the sugar looks damp and smells strongly of lemon.
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Ready when: Sugar is pale yellow-green, slightly moist and very fragrant.
Tip: Rubbing releases the citrus oils so the flavor spreads through the whole batter.
4
Mix wet ingredients
- Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and whisk for 30 seconds until slightly frothy.
- Whisk in the yogurt, ½ cup (170 g) honey, olive oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla until completely smooth.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and uniform with no streaks of yogurt or honey at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Scrape the bottom of the bowl; honey likes to settle there.
5
Fold batter together
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- Fold with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides, for about 10–12 strokes, just until no dry flour is visible.
- The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour streaks remain; a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and gives tough, tunneled muffins. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
6
Rest the batter
- Let the batter sit uncovered at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- It will thicken slightly as the flour absorbs the yogurt.
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Ready when: Batter looks thicker and holds a ribbon on its surface for a moment.
7
Fill and top
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups using a scoop or spoon, filling each about three-quarters full (roughly ⅓ cup / 80 g each).
- Sprinkle the tops evenly with the turbinado sugar.
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Ready when: All cups are evenly filled and the tops are sparkling with sugar.
Tip: Fill any empty cups of the pan with 2 tablespoons water to prevent warping and uneven baking if you make fewer muffins.
8
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–22 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 12 minutes, until the tops are golden and domed.
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Ready when: A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Tip: Avoid opening the oven in the first 12 minutes; a draft of cool air can deflate the rise.
9
Cool and glaze
- Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Warm the glaze honey for 10 seconds in the microwave until runny, then brush a thin layer over each warm muffin top.
- Press a small thyme sprig onto each, if using.
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Ready when: Muffin tops look glossy and the honey has soaked in slightly.
Tip: Brush lightly; too much honey makes the paper liners stick.
10
Finish cooling
- Transfer the muffins to the wire rack and cool for at least 15 more minutes before serving.
- They are best warm to room temperature.
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Ready when: Muffins are just warm to the touch and release cleanly from liners.

Good to know

Tips

Stir the batter only until the flour disappears; lumpy batter makes tender muffins.
For taller bakery-style domes, fill the cups to the top and bake at 425°F (220°C) for the first 5 minutes, then lower to 350°F (175°C) for 14–16 minutes.
Measure honey easily by lightly oiling the measuring cup or weighing it directly into the bowl on a scale.
Wait to brush on the honey glaze until after the 5-minute rest so it does not run off and burn onto the pan.

Make ahead

"Mix the dry ingredients and the zest-sugar-thyme mixture up to 1 day ahead and keep separate, covered, at room temperature. Combine the wet ingredients and batter just before baking. Fully baked muffins can be made 1 day ahead; glaze them just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: airtight container up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days; bring to room temperature or warm for 10–15 seconds in the microwave. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight at room temperature, or reheat from frozen at 325°F (160°C) for 12–15 minutes."

Substitutions

thyme honey → Any mild floral honey, such as orange blossom or wildflower. Use the same weight. The thyme note will be less pronounced, so you may add an extra ½ tsp chopped thyme.
mild extra-virgin olive oil → Melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Use the same amount for a richer, buttery flavor, though the crumb will be slightly less moist on day two.
full-fat plain Greek yogurt → Full-fat sour cream or thick plain skyr. Use the same weight. Regular, thin yogurt is too runny and will make the batter loose.
fresh thyme leaves → 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary. Dried thyme is stronger, so use less. Rosemary gives a more piney flavor.

baking breakfast greek honey lemon muffins thyme yogurt

Steps

Heat oven, prep panOven 375°F / 190°C

Whisk dry ingredients

Rub zest into sugar

Mix wet ingredients

Fold batter together

Rest the batter

Fill and top

Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C

Cool and glaze

Finish cooling

Good to know

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