Bakery-style Calamansi Muffins with a tangy citrus glaze are super moist, tender, and bursting with calamansi flavor! They’re perfect for breakfast and brunch or as an on-the-go snack.
I’ve been on a quest for the perfect calamansi muffin recipe since forever and I am thrilled to say, I finally found it!
I tried and tested a handful of recipes in my search but I was mostly disappointed with the end results. They were either too dry and crumbly or too dense and heavy. What they all shared in common, though, was that they were missing that punch of citrus flavor I was looking for.
Dismayed by my unsuccessful attempts, I was just about to give up the hunt when I chanced upon a lemon crumb muffin recipe on Pinterest. The photo looked so amazing and the thought of the tart glaze dribbling down my chin had me so excited, I wasted no time gathering all the ingredients!
What if, I thought, I made the recipe into calamansi crumb muffins by replacing the lemon juice with calamansi? And folks, it worked like a charm! The muffins delivered all the taste and texture I was looking for and more.
They are soft and moist on the inside while the crumb topping provided a light crunch on the outside. They are fabulous as is but the generous drizzling of the citrus glaze definitely brings them over the top.
The recipe can be easily doubled which I suggest you do. You’d definitely want a huge batch of these calamansi muffins on hand all the time. They’re wonderful for breakfast or brunch as well as an on-the-go snack. Adults and kids alike won’t be able to get enough!
Plus, they’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. Just store in an airtight container and bring to room temperature when craving hits.
Baking tips
- I don’t have access to calamondin fruit all the time so I like to stock up on calamansi puree to use on drinks, marinades, and baked goods. Fresh is better, of course, but this bottled juice concentrate makes a great alternative when the fruit is not available.
- Use a spoon or spatula to incorporate the flour. Do not overmix the batter; it should be slightly lumpy.
- I haven’t personally tried it but a reader commented below that yogurt works well in place of sour cream.
- If storing the muffins in the freezer, skip the glaze and drizzle when ready to serve.
Looking for more baked treats? Try these chocolate cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting for a tasty vegan treat, cheese cupcakes kids and adults alike will love, and
Filipino-stye coconut macaroons that are easy to make and so delicious!
Calamansi Muffins
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
For the Muffins
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon calamansi zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh calamansi juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups flour
For the Calamansi Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh calamansi juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a large 12-hole muffin pan with paper cups.
Crumb Topping
- In a bowl, combine crumb topping ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Stir together with a fork and set aside.
Calamansi Muffins
- In a bowl, beat eggs using an electric mixer for about 1-2 minutes until thick and frothy.
- Add sugar and oil and continue to beat for about 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy.
- Add calamansi zest, juice, baking soda, and salt. Beat for about 1 minute.
- Add sour cream and beat until combined.
- Add flour and using a spoon, stir just until combined. The batter will still be slightly lumpy.
- Using a scoop, fill muffin cups up to 3/4 full. Sprinkle the crumb topping mixture on top.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of muffin comes out clean. Let cool for about 3 to 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to completely cool.
Calamansi Glaze
- In a bowl, combine ingredients for calamansi glaze: powdered sugar and calamansi juice. Stir well until smooth.
- Drizzle over muffins.
Nutrition
Hi Lalaine,
i chanced upon your website while surfing looking for kutsinta recipe which I have yet to try. i saw your calamansi muffins recipe and my question is, could I substitute lemons? I live in California and lemons are almost year round here.
Thank you, brenda
Yes, you can use lemons. I actually based this calamansi muffin recipe on a lemon crumb muffin recipe I saw on Pinterest 🙂
Tried this recipe out today. Loved it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Thanks for the 5-stars! I am glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. Am excited to try it. Can I substitute sour cream with an ordinary nestle cream?
Can I use butter in place of the mild tasting oil?
I made this for my son’s birthday and it was great! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes!❤️
Thanks for the 5-stars! I am glad they were a hit!
Instead of muffins, can I put all the batter into a cake tin instead to make one big cake? 🙂
I haven’t personally tried it but I’m sure it would work. Just adjust the bake time 🙂
This tangy taste makes this an awesome meal for breakfast before hitting the road for work.
Thanks for the update Lalaine.
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe is perfect!
Thank you! I am glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Goodpm po. Ung butter sa crumb topping po e unsalted, tama po ba? Thank you 😊
That’s correct, Edelyn!
Thank you so much po. I will try it today 😊
Alright, Edelyn. Let us know how it goes 🙂
Hi. Can I use valencia oranges too?
Yes, orange juice should be ok 🙂
I will try your Calamansi Muffin recipe. I will let you know the results.Thanks for sharing your recipe
How was it, Thelma! Hope it turned out great.
Please clarify what kind of flour should be used for this recipe…cake, all purpose or bread flour?
Thank you.
It’s all-purpose flour 🙂
Hi. I really want to try this recipe but here in the Bahamas we only have lime. Can I substitute? Thank you. By the way, I have tried the belly lechon and it was amazing! Trust me I have tried a lot of recipes before I found yours and it’s just simply the best..just what we had been looking for. We hit the jackpot!! Thanks again.
Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoyed the pork belly recipe.
I haven’t tried lime in this recipe. Since I based it on a lemon crumb muffin recipe, I suggest substituting lemon if you don’t have access to calamansi.
Hi Lalaine,
Will lime be okay with this recipie? 😬
I haven’t tried this with lime but since I also swap lemon with calamansi, other citrus fruits like lime would work. There might be a change in flavor as calamansi taste a little different.
Hi lalaine…
What kind flour po ang gamit?
All-purpose flour 🙂
Hello po. Can I use mayonnaise instead of sour cream?thanks
Hello Medy,
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried making this with mayonnaise so I can’t guarantee results. One reader who tried the recipe used yogurt as a substitute and it worked.
Hi! I can’t Wait to try this recipe! I do not have calamansi readikt available, what can I use to replace calamansi zest? Will lime zest work? Thanks!
Yes, lime zest should work 🙂
Hi Lalaine, thanks for the recipe.
Can I leave out the sour cream? or is this an important part of the recipe? thank you
The sour cream helps with the texture of the muffins to make them moist and tender, kind of like buttermilk.
Hi😃 I tried baking macaroons and cheese cupcakes from your recipe. They are GREAT!!!! Easy to follow instructions and I don’t need to adjust any of the ingredients (apart from adding a little more cheese😊, I want it cheesier). Thanks so much. Looking forward to more easy and yummy recipes😃👍🏻❤️❤️.
Thank you, Rosie! I am glad you’re enjoying the recipes here. The macaroons and cheese cupcakes are my personal favorites 🙂
Hello, Lalaine! I’ve made and super masarap!! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes. Btw, I shared my version sa blog ko
Take care always!😘
Thank you, Jhuls!
Hi Ms lalaine, just want to ask if can i replace yogurt with buttermilk? Thank you 😉
The recipe calls for sour cream. I haven’t tried this with buttermilk and I am not sure of the amounts to use. 🙁
Thanks for the super easy instructions, Lalaine! This is my second time to bake muffins and it is perfect! Soft and fluffy and smells really good! My adjustments: I did use lemons, substituted sour cream with greek yogurt (since this is a spur-of-the-moment baking spree and I don’t have sour cream on hand) and added 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. My yield is 15 muffins. The drizzle lends a nice touch and taste to these delectable treats. Dacal a salamat again!
Awww, thank you so much! I really appreciate your feedback, Susan, and your regular visits to Kawaling Pinoy. Greek yogurt is indeed a good substitute for sour cream and healthier, too! Dacal murin salamat. 🙂
How do you zest a calamansi? Parang it’s hard.. because it’s so small
Hi Lalaine,
I would love to get a copy of your cookbook.
Here is my address:
Tess Lopez
987 Pleasant Drive
New Milford, New Jersey 07646
Do you mind providing me your email address? My free e-cookbook is a pdf and I can email it to you 🙂
If I am eligible to have the free cookbook, I’d love to! Thank you Ms. Lalaine! My Aunt in the US requested for kalamansi cupcakes and this is the most promising recipe I saw, gotta try it soon! 😋
Hi Dianne! The free cookbook is delivery automatically via email once you subscribe to our feed. Thank you.
Lovely! Sounds like a great recipe we can make to use up our calamondins. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. I visited your blog and I am so envious of your calamansi tree!
Hello po, miss Lalaine! I’m lucky to come across your site 😊 it is from this where I got the recipe for macaroons (my nephew calls them maliliit na cupcakes 😊) mmmmm…yummy.
I’m planning to try another recipe (calamansi muffins) but I would like to clarify something. Baking soda po ba talaga ang gagamitin o baking powder? Thank you po 😊
Yes, baking soda ang gagamitin. It will work with the acids of the calamansi to leaven the muffins 🙂