Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Pucker up for a double shot of lemon with Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Packed with crunchy poppy seeds, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice these muffins will make breakfast bright and sunny.
The irony of this blog is that I write easy-to-follow recipes then don’t bother following the instructions myself. I’m a master of self-sabotage and there’s no place that’s more evident than in the kitchen. What’s more, I fail every which way, every which week like clockwork. You name it, I’ve spilled it, over-salted it and then burned it like a crematorium. Then again, I can’t help it. I don’t like being told what to do and am too stubborn to take advice–even when it’s my own.
It’s all part of my charm.
Not to brag, but there’s no task so simple that I can’t mess it up. Take muffin making for example, that’s as simple as it gets. There aren’t any high-speed beaters threatening to dismember my fingertips, only two bowls, a spoon and a muffin pan. Yet I still manage to outdo myself with mistakes: from overmixing and under-baking to thinking fluorescent yellow food coloring would be a brilliant addition to the batter. (Hint, it’s most definitely not.)
It took three batches of failures and two trips to the grocery store before I finally got the recipe right. Of course, it was right to begin with but since I followed my dicey memory instead of my notes, 8 cups of flour, 7 lemons and 2 containers of poppy seeds were wasted. I literally taste-tested so many poppy-filled bites that I would fail a drug test for opium. But let me tell you, these muffins would make losing my job worth it.
Packed with poppies and loaded with fresh, lemony flavor these soft, fluffy muffins are everything you want in a breakfast treat. Decorate them with a drippy lemon glaze and sprinkles of poppy seeds and escalate them from home baked muffins to bakery-style muffins. You’ll be glad you did.
Before sharing the recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:
Ingredient Tips and Tricks
This recipe was prepared with plain Greek yogurt but full-fat sour cream would work as a substitution.
Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which will result in drier, denser muffins than the moist muffins you’ll get with properly measured flour.
For best results, make sure the eggs and yogurt are at room temperature before beginning.
Preparation Tips and Tricks
Avoid overmixing the muffin batter. Mixing until just barely combined will bake up muffins that are moist and tender.
Storage and Freezing Tips for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Muffins can be stored covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
Muffins can be frozen up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container or freezer bag.
I hope you enjoy this recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe.
Finally, if you like lemony desserts you will adore my recipe for No Bake Lemon Cheesecake. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart on a buttery graham cracker crust will surely brighten your day with each creamy bite.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain room temperature
- 1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 Tbsp poppy seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (or, if you prefer, add paper muffin liners to the pan). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and oil until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet then gently stir with a spoon until just combined. Do not overmix. Note: batter will be thick.
- Distribute batter evenly among 12 muffin cavities. Note, cavities will be very full.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a tester placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Avoid overbaking.
- Cool muffins in the pan for five minutes then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl, stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffin tops then garnish will poppy seeds.
- Muffins can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days in an airtight container or frozen up to 2 months.