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These lemon poppy seed muffins are fluffy, moist, and full of bright fresh lemon flavor, while poppy seeds give them the perfect amount of crunch. They only take 30-minutes to make and you don’t need any special equipment to make them. Enjoy these incredible bakery-style muffins for breakfast, a special occasion brunch, or an afternoon snack!
Lemon poppy seed muffins are a quintessential muffin flavor for spring and summer. The fresh lemon juice and lemon zest give them the best citrus flavor and a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract will remind you of regular poppy seed muffin.
The muffins have a soft and tender interior thanks to a combination of melted butter, oil, and Greek yogurt. The domed muffin tops are crisp and just what you’d expect from a muffin from your favorite bakery or coffee shop. I love to sprinkle them with a little sparkling sugar for extra crunch. They’re sure to make your morning a little brighter!
Key Ingredient Notes
Flour – I use all-purpose flour for these muffins to give them a lighter and fluffier texture. Many of my muffin recipes use a combination of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour (like these blueberry muffins), which you can use for this recipe. The muffins won’t be quite as light and fluffy, but they’ll still be delicious!
Sugar – Granulated sugar is best for this recipe. It gives the muffins the perfect amount of sweetness and great structure. Using a liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey makes it harder to achieve a light and fluffy texture.
Baking powder and baking soda – Both baking powder and baking soda are essential for giving these muffins the lift and rise you expect from bakery-style muffins. Be sure they’re fresh and not expired before adding them to the batter, as this can directly affect how well the muffins rise.
Poppy seeds – Poppy seeds can go rancid. Be sure to check them for freshness before adding them to the muffin batter. Fresh poppy seeds should have a slightly nutty aroma, while rancid ones will smell off—similar to chemicals or paint.
Butter and oil – I used a combination of butter and oil for these muffins to give them the best flavor and moisture. Butter gives the muffins a rich flavor and crisp muffin top. Oil adds moisture and keeps the muffins tender longer.
Milk – I like to use whole milk, however any type of milk can be used. You can even use buttermilk for a slight tang.
Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is a key ingredient to making the muffins extra moist. Use whole milk Greek yogurt for the best results. You can also use regular yogurt, but it should be whole milk or it will be too runny.
Lemon – Use fresh lemons. You need both the zest and the juice. The zest actually has more lemon flavor than the juice. A microplane zester is the easier way to zest a lemon. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice.
Vanilla and almond extract – The combination of vanilla bean paste (or extract) and almond extract adds the perfect sweet flavor to the muffins. You don’t need much almond extract because it can be overpowering, but for me it’s a must in poppy seed muffins and makes them extra special!
Tips for Making Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Make sure the ingredients are room temperature so they mix together easily and consistently. Since this muffin recipe uses melted butter you don’t want to add cold ingredients it, which may cause it to seize up and harden.
- Preheat oven while you make the muffin batter. A properly preheated oven is essential to making sure the muffins bake correctly. I keep a oven thermometer in my oven because I found out the built-in oven thermometer is incorrect and warmer than what the actual temperature is.
- The muffin batter will be thick and airy. Don’t be surprised that the muffin batter is thick and airy this is normal. Don’t add additional milk or liquid because it will affect the structure of the muffins.
- Don’t overmix the muffin batter. Overmixing works the gluten in the flour too much and will result in tough, chewy muffins.
- Use a good quality muffin pan or liners. I love my Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Muffin Pan and haven’t needed to use muffin liners with it, just cooking spray. For extra insurance use these parchment paper baking cups to prevent the muffins from sticking.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chia seeds – Poppy seeds can be substituted with the same amount of chia seeds. There isn’t any taste or texture difference.
- Toppings – I like to top the muffins with coarse sparkling sugar for an extra sweet crunch. You can also make iced lemon poppyseed muffins. All you need is powdered sugar and lemon juice. It’s the icing I use to top these lemon glazed raspberry muffins.
Storage and Freezing
Storage – Lemon poppy seed muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 days. They taste best the day they are made. Reheat the muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or until warm.
Freezing – I think it’s best to freeze any leftover muffins. This is the best way to keep them fresh and from drying out. Cool the muffins completely then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let the muffins defrost at room temperature for an hour before serving.
More Favorite Muffin Recipes
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Rhubarb Pecan Muffins
- Strawberry Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- sparkling sugar for garnish (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (I use whole milk)
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt (or whole milk regular yogurt)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 400° F. and line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, oil, milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and almond extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and use a rubber spatula to fold them together until just combined. Don’t overmix. The batter should be thick and airy.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle sparkling sugar on top of the muffins and then place them onto the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes before removing them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
