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These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are light, tender and full of fresh lemon flavor with crunchy poppy seeds and a sweet, tangy lemon glaze.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love lemon as much as I do, these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are going to be a new favorite. They are light and a tender texture with plenty of fresh lemon flavor and just the right amount of crunch from the poppy seeds.
And, of course, there’s the lemon drizzle! It adds an extra pop of sweet, tangy lemon flavor and makes these muffins feel like a bakery style treat. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack or anytime you need a little lemon in your day.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour, unbleached, all purpose flour
- Butter, salted
- Sour Cream
- Eggs
- Lemon, zest and juice
- Sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Baking Soda
- Poppy Seeds
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, poppy seeds and lemon zest in a bowl
- Combine sour cream, egg, melted butter and vanilla in a separate bowl.
- Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened, do not over stir.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffins pans, fill 2/3 full.
- Bake at 400 degrees F until lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes.
- Cool muffins in the pan for ten minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
- Add together powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the muffin tops.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use fresh lemon. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest will give you the best, brightest lemon flavor. Be sure to zest the lemon before you juice it—it’s much easier!
- Don’t overmix. Mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can give you dense or tough muffins instead of light, tender ones. Mixing by hand vs. mixing with a mixer can help prevet overmixing. Also, using room temperature ingredients help them incorporate easier.
- Boost the lemon flavor. When adding the lemon zest, rub it into the sugar with your fingers before mixing the batter. This helps release the oils in the zest and gives the muffins even more lemon flavor.
- Fill the muffin cups evenly. A cookie or muffin scoop works great for dividing the batter evenly so your muffins bake at the same rate. Use about 1/3 cup batter per muffin.
- Let them cool before glazing. If the muffins are too warm, the lemon drizzle will melt right off. Allow them to cool before adding the glaze.
- For a thicker glaze. Add a little more powdered sugar. For a thinner glaze, add lemon juice a teaspoon at a time until you reach the consistency you like.
- Muffin batter is meant to be thick batter. You should be able to stand a fork or spoon up in it. If you think it is too thin, add just a bit more flour. A thicker, stiffer batter will give you a taller, puffy style muffin but you will still have a light and tender muffin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze lemon poppy seed muffins?
Absolutely. Allow the muffins to cool completely and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze them with or without the glaze, although I prefer adding the glaze after they thaw.
Do I need to soak poppy seeds before using them?
No. You can add the poppy seeds directly to the muffin batter
How do I keep my muffins tender?
Be careful not to overmix the batter and don’t overbake the muffins. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Can I make lemon poppy seed muffins ahead of time?
Yes. They can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For the freshest results, you can wait to add the lemon glaze until closer to serving.
These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are proof that sometimes the simplest things are the best. A tender, lemony muffin, a little crunch from the poppy seeds and that sweet and tangy lemon drizzle make them pretty hard to resist. Enjoy one for breakfast, serve them at brunch or grab one for an afternoon treat—I’ll take lemon any time of day!
Check out more of my favorite recipes:
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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 2 tsp vanilla
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Add together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, poppy seeds and lemon zest in a bowl
- In another bowl combine sour cream, egg, melted butter and vanilla. If using Greek yogurt, batter will be thicker.
- Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened, do not over stir
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffins pans (creased or liners) Fill 2/3 full. About 1/3 cup of batter.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown
- Remove from pan and cool on rack
Glaze
- Add together powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a bowl, stir until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over top of muffins
Tips & Notes:
- Use fresh lemon. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest will give you the best, brightest lemon flavor. Be sure to zest the lemon before you juice it—it’s much easier!
- Don’t overmix. Mix the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can give you dense or tough muffins instead of light, tender ones.
- Boost the lemon flavor. When adding the lemon zest, rub it into the sugar with your fingers before mixing the batter. This helps release the oils in the zest and gives the muffins even more lemon flavor.
- Fill the muffin cups evenly. A cookie or muffin scoop works great for dividing the batter evenly so your muffins bake at the same rate. Use about 1/3 cup batter per muffin.
- Let them cool before glazing. If the muffins are too warm, the lemon drizzle will melt right off. Allow them to cool before adding the glaze.
- For a thicker glaze. Add a little more powdered sugar. For a thinner glaze, add lemon juice a teaspoon at a time until you reach the consistency you like.
- Muffin batter is meant to be thick. You should be able to stand a fork or spoon up in it. If you think it is too thin, add just a bit more flour. A thicker, stiffer batter will give you a taller, puffy style muffin but you will still have a light and tender muffin.
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Nutrition Facts:
Stephanie says
Just made these & they were fabulous!!!!
Leigh Anne says
Glad you liked them. They are one of my favorites!!
Naoko says
I just tried this recipe and the muffins are delicious!! The batter was very thick so I was tempted to add some milk like some of the reviewers, but I’m glad I didn’t! Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Leigh Anne says
So glad you enjoyed them!