Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are moist muffins made with lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds and then topped with a lemon glaze. If you love lemon desserts, be sure to try my Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Poppy seeds are seeds from the poppy plant that are used a lot in recipes, including these muffins. Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins have a soft crumb with a super simple (but flavorful) lemon glaze on top. They are a perfect start to your day with a cup of coffee or for a snack.
Muffins Ingredients
There are two parts to this recipe–the lemon poppy seed muffins and the lemon glaze.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients (butter, eggs, yogurt) will help you get the best results when baking these muffins (and other recipes that call for room temperature ingredients). Butter is at room temperature at 65°F. Don’t put it in the microwave to soften it; simply cut it up into small pieces and let it sit out if you forgot to take it out of the refrigerator.
Lemon Flavor: Both lemon juice and lemon zest are added to the muffin batter for that lemon flavor. More lemon juice is added to the glaze for even more lemon taste in every bite!
Yogurt: You will notice there is Greek yogurt in the recipe. It makes the muffins nice and moist. Full-fat yogurt is best.
Poppy Seeds: As stated above, poppy seeds come from the poppy plant. They are used quite a bit in food. Find them in your nearest grocery store or supermarket. They give a little added crunch and flavor to the muffins.
Glaze: The glaze is so simple to make, yet adds a little lemon zing to the muffins. All you need is some more lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
To get started making these muffins, first, whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set that aside as you use a stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Once the butter and sugar have been mixed into a light and fluffy mixture, add the eggs, one at a time.
The reason you should add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition, is to get the fat from the creamed butter and sugar to mesh with the water in the eggs. It’s the science that makes baked goods turn out or go back to the remake pile.
After the eggs have been added one by one, mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the Greek yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Alternating ingredients helps the yogurt get completely absorbed in the batter. Finally, fold in the poppy seeds.
Pour the muffin batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3 of the way full. A 2-tablespoon scoop works best for this. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes. The muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs but no wet batter. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them rest a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool a bit more. They can still be warm when you add the lemon glaze.
How to Make the Glaze
This glaze is so simple, yet adds more lemon flavor to the muffins. Yes, you could leave it off (the muffins are still delicious), but I recommend it, for sure! To make the glaze, simply whisk together the confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice until smooth. You can always add more (or less) lemon juice to reach your desired consistency. Spread the glaze over each muffin; if they are still warm, some of the glaze will soak nicely into the muffin. Yum!
How to Store Muffins
When storing muffins, make sure they are completely cooled before doing so. (Storing warm muffins will result in the muffins becoming soggy.) Once cooled, place a paper towel in the bottom of an air-tight container. Place the muffins in a single layer on top of the paper towel. Then, place a second paper towel on top before putting on the lid. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To freeze the muffins, again, let them cool completely and let the glaze set. Then, wrap the muffins in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Then, place in a freezer-safe container to store for a couple of months. Be sure to label and date the container.
Looking for More Muffin Recipes?
Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are moist muffins made with lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds and then topped with a lemon glaze.
- 1½ cups (187.5g) all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup (143g) plain Greek yogurt
- 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup (125g) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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To the butter and sugar mixture, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
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With the mixer on low, alternate adding some of the flour mixture with Greek yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
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Fold in the poppy seeds until just incorporated.
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Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full. (A 2-tablespoon scoop works great for this.)
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Bake 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs but no wet batter. Allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the muffin tin.
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Let the muffins cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before adding the glaze.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
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Top the warm muffins with lemon glaze.
This recipe was adapted from Browned Butter Blonde’s Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
Miss Amanda, do you have a good cranberry muffin recipe? That is, if you like cranberries. Thank you!
Oh, these lemon poppy seed muffins look just delicious. That lemon glaze is what steals the show for me and makes my mouth water. Plus, I totally have a weakness for poppy seeds in deserts. Wonderful recipe, Amanda!