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    Home » Desserts » Muffins & Cupcakes

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on March 26, 2023, updated May 16, 2023 - Leave a Comment

    Total time: 1 hour hour
    Prep time: 12 minutes minutes
    5 from 1 vote
    Jump to Recipe
    Lemon poppy seed muffins.

    Try these super easy and delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with lots of lemon flavor, topped with a tasty lemon glaze. Sweet but not too sweet, with distinct acidity and flavor from both lemon juice & zest.

    Lemon poppy seed muffins.
    Jump to:
    • Why you will love this recipe
    • What you need to make them
    • How to make them
    • Tips & tricks
    • Recipe FAQ
    • More quick & easy muffin recipes
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    I love a good muffin, as you probably know by now. This recipe is based on my all-time best muffin recipe for Vanilla Muffins, and similar to my Lemon Muffins.

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    But these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins have a twist! Or two, actually. First, poppy seeds - second, a delicious lemon glaze.

    Why you will love this recipe

    • It's quick and all done in under 1 hour (incl. cooling time)
    • It's easy with a few simple steps
    • Lots of lemon flavor for a burst of taste
    • Balanced acidity so they're not too sweet

    What you need to make them

    Ingredients for Lemon poppy seed muffins.

    Ingredient notes & substitutions

    • Powdered sugar: If you don't have any, you can make it yourself
    • Butter: I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
    • Lemons: Fresh lemons are a must! You will need about 3 for this recipe (juice + zest), but depending on their size & juiciness you might need more or less.
    • Vanilla extract can be swapped for vanilla sugar or vanilla powder.
    • Poppy seeds add flavor & texture, but can be skipped

    How to make them

    Collage showing how to make Lemon poppy seed muffins.
    1. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix until fluffy
    2. Add eggs and vanilla extract
    3. Mix until fluffy
    4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, lemon zest and poppy seeds
    Collage showing how to make Lemon poppy seed muffins.
    1. Add dry ingredients and lemon juice to the batter. Mix until just combined.
    2. Add milk
    3. Stir until smooth, but not more
    4. Fill a lined muffin tin ¾ of the way up
    Collage showing how to make Lemon poppy seed muffins.
    1. Bake 16-20 minutes, until done, then set aside to cool down
    2. Meanwhile, make the glaze
    3. Mix in lemon juice with powdered sugar until the consistency is just right - runny enough, but not too runny
    4. When the muffins are cool, top with lemon glaze

    Tips & tricks

    • Cream butter and sugar well - basically, mix until soft, creamy, and fluffy
    • Use room temperature butter to make the creaming process quicker
    • If the batter breaks - don't worry, it will come together in the oven and will still be tasty
    • Place muffins on a wire rack to cool to make the process quicker
    • Add a little lemon juice at a time to the glaze to avoid it becoming too runny
    • For the prettiest lemon drizzle fill a plastic bag with glaze and cut a small hole in the corner
    • Store Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins in room temperature in an air tight container. They're good for up to 4-5 days.
    • Freeze muffins to keep them for up to 3 months - I recommend freezing without the glaze and adding it after thawing
    Lemon poppy seed muffins.

    Recipe FAQ

    Are poppy seeds safe to eat?

    Yes, poppy seeds are safe to eat.

    Do poppy seeds affect the taste of a lemon poppy seed muffin?

    Yes, poppy seeds affect the flavor slightly. They add a nutty flavor which creates more depth of flavor.

    Can you freeze muffins?

    Yes, you can freeze muffins. Freeze in plastic bags or other air tight containers. Muffins are good in the freezer for at least 3 months.

    Lemon poppy seed muffins.

    More quick & easy muffin recipes

    Looking for more tasty muffin recipes?

    • Raspberry Muffins
    • Cinnamon Muffins
    • Cinnamon Apple Muffins
    • Pistachio Muffins with Real Pistachios
    • Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

    Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
    ...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.

    Recipe

    Lemon poppy seed muffins.

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: North American
    Servings: 12 muffins
    Calories: 340kcal
    Prep time: 12 minutes mins
    Cook time: 23 minutes mins
    Cooling time 25 minutes minutes
    Total time: 1 hour hour
    Author: Emmeline Kemperyd
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    • 1 cup salted butter at room temperature, cut in small pieces
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 3 tablespoon lemon zest
    • 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
    • 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 cup milk at room temperature

    Lemon Glaze

    • ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
    • Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and mix until fluffy.
      1 cup salted butter, 1 cup sugar
    • Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until fluffy.
      2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Then add lemon zest and poppy seeds and mix well. Add to the egg, butter & sugar mixture followed by the lemon juice, then mix just enough for it to be well blended.
      2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoon poppy seeds, 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • Add milk, and mix until just smooth - not more.
      1 cup milk
    • Scoop batter into muffin liners, filling them ¾ of the way up.
    • Bake in the middle of the oven for 16-20 minutes. Test with a cake tester or toothpick – it should come out with no or very little cake batter when they are done. When done, allow to cool down before adding the glaze.
    • To make the glaze, place powdered sugar in a bowl and add half of the lemon juice. Mix until sugar is dissolved then add more lemon juice until consistency is just right. It should be thin enough to drizzle on muffins, but not thinner than that.
      ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • Drizzle glaze over muffins with a small spoon, or place glaze in a plastic bag and cut off a corner to create a prettier drizzle.

    Equipment (may contain affiliate links)

    • Muffin tin*
    • 12 muffin liners*
    • Mixing bowls*
    • Cake tester or tooth pick*
    • Measuring spoons*
    • Measuring cups (metric or US)*
    • Electric whisk*

    Video

    Notes

    • The exact baking time will depend on your oven. If you're not sure, start with 16 minutes and then test them, and add a few more minutes if they're not quite done yet.
    • Powdered sugar: If you don't have any, you can make it yourself
    • Butter: I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
    • Lemons: You will need about 3 lemons for this recipe (juice + zest), but depending on their size & juiciness you might need more or less.
    • Vanilla extract can be swapped for vanilla sugar or vanilla powder.
    • Poppy seeds add flavor & texture, but can be skipped
    • Cream butter and sugar well - basically, mix until soft, creamy, and fluffy
    • Use room temperature butter to make the creaming process quicker
    • If the batter breaks - don't worry, it will come together in the oven and will still be tasty
    • Place muffins on a wire rack to cool to make the process quicker
    • Add a little lemon juice at a time to the glaze to avoid it becoming too runny
    • For the prettiest lemon drizzle fill a plastic bag with glaze and cut a small hole in the corner
    • Store muffins in room temperature in an air tight container. They're good for up to 4-5 days.
    • Freeze muffins to keep them for up to 3 months - I recommend freezing without the glaze and adding it after thawing

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.

    Did you make this? Tag me today!Tag @alwaysusebutter and use the hashtag #alwaysusebutter!

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    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN  and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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