Light, tender Orange Almond Poppy Seed Muffins are perfect for your weekend breakfast or brunch! Full of fresh orange zest, two wholesome flours, poppy seeds, almond extract and topped with a sweet orange glaze for a decadent finishing touch!

Poppy seeds were never big on my must use list of ingredients, until this past month that is. Now I’m finding myself sticking them in lots of baked goods, especially breakfast items. When I was a kid my favorite kind of muffin was an almond poppy seed muffin. To be honest at that age it was probably the almond extract and all the sugar that made me fall in love with them more than the poppy seeds, to this day I’m still obsessed with almond flavor. Now that my tastebuds have matured slightly it’s not all about the sweet sugary flavors, but textures and combinations of flavors too. These Orange Almond Poppy Seed Muffins are a fresh spin off of that overly sweet muffin I used to love growing up.

With citrus being in season I knew I had to add some to this muffin recipe. Everyone these days seems to already have a recipe for either an almond poppy seed muffin or a lemon poppy seed muffin. To change things up I decided to use sweet citrusy oranges. Instead of loading these muffins with orange juice, which I found after making several batches, makes them gummy and too soft in the middle, I opted to bump up the amount of orange zest I was using. Citrus zest is where the real flavor can be found!

Now lets talk about the texture of the muffins along with how they’ve been made lighter so you don’t feel like you’re eating a piece of cake. These Orange Almond Poppy Seed Muffins are made with a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour. Normally I just stick to whole wheat pastry flour when I bake, but recently I’ve been enjoying adding multiple kinds of flours. The combination of these two flours gives the muffins a nuttier flavor, great texture, along with adding protein and lowering the amount of carbs.

Along with using almond meal/flour to add more protein to these muffins I also replaced most of the oil with plain Greek yogurt. You wouldn’t believe the amount of butter or oil that is used in many recipes! The yogurt helps keep the muffins extra moist since both whole wheat and almond flour can sometimes dry out baked goods if not used correctly. The muffins are great on their own, but even better with a drizzle of the orange glaze! Make a batch this weekend and experience a new kind of almond poppy seed muffin!

Orange Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Yield: 12-14 muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

Orange Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup low fat milk or milk of choice
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, canola, vegetable or coconut oil all work
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Orange Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice, add another if glaze is too thick
• 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with parchment paper liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.
3. In a smaller bowl whisk together the remaining muffin ingredients until smooth.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry with a rubber spatula just until combined.
5. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups until they are approximately 3/4 of the way full.
6. Place the muffins on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool the muffins on a wire rack before drizzling with the orange glaze.

Orange Glaze

1. In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, orange zest and juice until smooth and pourable.
2. Drizzle over the tops of the muffins then sprinkle with the toasted sliced almonds.

Notes

Unglazed muffins may be individually wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in a freezer bag and frozen for a later date.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 19mg Sodium: 243mg Carbohydrates: 39g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 13g Protein: 10g

Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post. I am so excited to be working as a brand ambassador for them this year. I truly love this company and the amazing products they put out! As always all opinions are my own.