It doesn’t get better than starting your day off with a lemon poppy seed muffin. The sweet, citrus-flavored muffin is perfect for breakfast, that casual brunch, or even an afternoon snack. They are even good enough for dessert!
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Pin RecipeLemon poppy seed muffins are always a good idea. The super fluffy muffins are such a treat to have in the morning. With their moist cake, sweet lemon flavor, and poppy seed-filled texture, there is nothing not to like.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe
If you love muffins in the morning but think lemon poppy seed muffins are not for you, it is time to think again. Just like classic blueberry and banana chocolate chip muffins, these lemon poppy seed muffins are super fluffy and loaded with flavor. Don’t let the poppy seeds scare you. The lemon is definitely the dominating flavor when it comes to these muffins, while the poppy seeds are there to add a whole lot of texture.
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The star ingredient when it comes to the muffins is definitely the lemon. The lemons provide a strong burst of flavor with both juice and zest. The juice provides the overall flavor, while the zest works with the other ingredients to bring out the best in the citrus fruit. Go for ripe lemons with a lot of juice when you are looking to make this recipe — it will make such a difference in flavor!
Lemon and poppy seeds are not your typical combination, but it is not one to be overlooked. The poppy seeds complement the citrus flavor and add a burst of texture to the muffins. It makes them both cakey and chewy in the best way. If poppy seeds aren’t your cup of tea, feel free to leave them out. The lemon flavor in the muffin is pretty delicious on its own.
Ingredients For Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs – Let the eggs come to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream – makes the muffins super fluffy.
- Vanilla yogurt – keeps the muffins nice and moist.
- Melted butter – make sure the butter is fully cooled.
- Lemons – Go for ripe lemons for lots of juice.
- Poppy seeds
How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 400 and prepare a muffin tin with liners or grease.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar with a fork to bring out all of the oils from the lemon zest. When the two ingredients look combined, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together to combine.
- Add dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter. Mix until fully combined and smooth. It’s okay if there are a few lumps. It is better to have a lumpy batter than an overmixed one. Fold in the poppy seed and evenly scoop out the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake the muffins: Bake the muffins for about 15-18 minutes or until the tops of the muffin are popped up and golden brown. Use a toothpick or cake tester to see if they are ready. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and let cool for about 10 minutes. Top with glaze when fully cooled.
Quick Tip
Don’t over mix the batter! The batter will get rubbery and tough if you overmix it. Mix the batter until the flour is just combined.
How To Store Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
The muffins are great to eat as leftovers for breakfast. Store the muffins in an airtight container for 4-7 days. The muffins also freeze very well. I would recommend making a double batch of these muffins and placing one-half of them in the freezer so you can have muffins whenever you want. In the freezer, the muffins will last about 3-4 months.
FAQs
What do lemon poppy seed muffins taste like?
Lemon poppy seed muffins can be deceiving when it comes to the taste. They don’t have an overpowering lemon flavor, and the poppy seeds don’t add a whole lot of flavor in either. Overall, they are subtly sweet and a little tart. The poppy seeds add more texture than flavor. If you are a big citrus lover, you will really enjoy these.
A small amount of poppy seeds goes a long way when it comes to these muffins. This recipe calls for just two tablespoons of poppy seeds. It might not look like enough when you are making the muffins, but it will spread out, so there is a mouthful of poppy seeds in every bite.
The key to making these muffins so fluffy and moist is all in the sour cream and vanilla yogurt. The ingredients have a high-fat content, which leads to a fluffy and moist texture.
More Muffin Recipes To Enjoy
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Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a regular sized muffin tin with muffin liners or grease. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest with a fork until the sugar and zest are one. Then, whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter. Pour the combined ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix fully. Do not over mix the batter. It is okay if there are a few lumps in the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes. The muffins will be done when the tops are golden brown or a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool on a wired rack for about 10 minutes. While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. Combine the confectioner's sugar, milk, and extract in a bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the lemons. You may need to add more or less milk to get the desired consistency of the glaze.
- Seal in an airtight container for storage.
I tried these and unfortunately they came out surprisingly dry and overly sweet with hardly any lemon flavor. It is also not mentioned in the recipe when to add the poppy seeds. I noticed this when I was finished mixing and the poppies were still not mentioned. So I just added it at the end. I love baking and I enjoy making muffins weekly and trying new recipes. I love your recipes in general, but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me.
Yum! I love lemon poppyseed muffins. I use to work at this restaurant and they were the absolute best!
These look delicious! I’ll bet they’re moist with the sour cream and yogurt combination. I’d like to invite you to share your recipe on A Well-Seasoned Life’s Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/06/sweet-indulgences-sunday-10.html
Love those beautiful muffins of yours. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog till Monday night and I’d love it if you’d come by and link your muffins up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/06/sweets-for-saturday-23.html