Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Published on March 13, 2024

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Quick Summary

These bakery-style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are easy to make at home! The muffins are light, tender, dotted with poppy seeds, and bursting with lemon flavor! Enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or anytime of the day!

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I love making muffins because they are easy to make, easy to share, freeze well, and are SO delicious! A few of my favorite muffin recipes include: blueberry muffins, raspberry muffins, banana muffins, and chocolate chip muffins.

I also LOVE these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. The muffins are light, tender, sweet, and bursting with lemon flavor. The poppy seeds add a slight little crunch, that is delightful.

The muffins are made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract for maximum lemon flavor. The muffins also get drizzled with a sweet lemon glaze that enhances the lemon flavor.

Lemon poppy seed muffins are a classic muffin and can be made year-round, but I especially love them in the spring and summer. Enjoy for breakfast, brunch, a sweet snack, or even dessert.

Table of Contents

Muffin Ingredients
Lemon Glaze Ingredients
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Recipe Tips
How to Store & Freeze
More Muffin Recipes
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

Muffin Ingredients

All-purpose flour– spooned and leveled.
Poppy seeds– look for poppy seeds in the spice aisle.
Baking powder & Baking soda– check the expiration dates. I like to replace my baking powder and baking soda every 6 months.
Salt– use kosher salt.
Granulated sugar– to sweeten the muffins.
Lemon zest– use a microplane to zest the lemons.
Unsalted Butter– melted and cooled to room temperature.
Buttermilk– at room temperature.
Sour cream– use full fat! You can also use whole milk plain Greek yogurt.
Eggs– at room temperature.
Oil– you can use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil.
Fresh lemon juice– Use a lemon squeezer!
Lemon extract– look for it in the baking aisle next to the vanilla extract and other extracts.
Vanilla extract– always use pure vanilla extract.

Lemon Glaze Ingredients

Finishing the muffins with a lemon glaze brings out the best lemon flavor. Don't skip it! You only need a two ingredients.

Confectioner's sugar
Fresh lemon juice

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Scroll down for the full recipe with ingredients and instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant.
Add the sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), eggs, oil, lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla extract.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir to combine. Do not over mix. You want there to be a few flour streaks left.

Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let the batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Resting the batter will make them rise in the oven. If you don't have time, they will still be good, but I recommend resting the batter:)

While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners, leaving a space in between every cup. This will help the muffins rise higher in the oven. Spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
Divide the muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling to the top. I like to use a large ice cream scoop.
Bake the muffins on the center rack for 6 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Do not open the oven door. Bake for an additional 10 to 14 minutes or until the muffin tops are golden and the tops are set. You can insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin and if it comes out clean, they are done. Don't over bake.

While the muffins are cooling, make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins. Serve!

Recipe Tips

To achieve the best lemon flavor, use lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract in the muffin batter.
Rubbing the granulated sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers will release the lemon oils and add extra lemon flavor.
Make sure you all of your liquid ingredients are at room temperature.
Don't over mix your muffin batter. It's ok if there are a few flour streaks left.
Allow the muffin batter to rest for 30 minutes. Resting will make the muffins more moist, tender, and taller.
Fill every other muffin cup so the muffins can properly rise and dome, creating beautiful muffin tops.
Start baking the muffins at a high temperature (425 degrees F) and then reduce to 350 degrees F. The initial high temperature helps the muffins rise quickly, creating tall, domed muffins with a slightly crusty top. Reducing the temperature will ensure the muffins don't overcook or burn. The insides will be moist, tender, and soft.
Let the muffins cool completely before adding the lemon glaze.

How to Store & Freeze

Storing on the Counter– Let the muffins cool completely. Place a paper towel in the bottom of an airtight container. Arrange the muffins in a single layer in the container. Close the lid and store on the counter for up to 4 days. You can reheat the muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, if desired.

How to Freeze the Muffins: Let the muffins cool completely. Place the muffins in a freezer container or freezer bag, in a single layer. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.

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