You’ll love every bite of these tangy-sweet and moist lemon poppy seed muffins. It’s a classic flavor, and the same base recipe I use for many other fan-favorite muffin flavors including blueberry muffins and apple cinnamon muffins. Topped with a sweet lemon icing, these citrus-centered muffins make for a special breakfast treat.
One reader, Robin, commented: “This recipe is AMAZING! Thank you so much for providing such tested recipes. I know I can depend on your recipes to be faultless. โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Prince, commented: “This one is perfection. Light, fluffy, slightly lemony. Great crumb and crust. This one is going in the permanent file! โ โ โ โ โ “
Have you ever tried my go-to muffin recipe before? It’s a standard muffin base I use for a variety of flavors, and with a couple simple tweaks, you can go from spiced peach streusel muffins to fresh lemon poppy seed muffins. When you have a solid and forgiving baking recipe, the possibilities are endless.
A healthy dose of poppy seeds give today’s sunshine-sweet muffins a slight crunch. Thatโs the best part about poppy seed muffins! The poppy seeds are a perfect contrast to the muffinโs soft interior.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Simple to make with basic baking ingredients
- Loads of sweet-tart fresh lemon flavor
- Soft, tender, and cakey, with the added texture of poppy seeds
- Top with lemon icing or a sprinkling of coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet finish
- As good or better than any lemon poppy seed muffin from a bakery
Why You Need the Following Ingredients
I use this combo of ingredients in many of my muffin recipes:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this muffin recipe.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leaveners lift the muffins up, making them soft and fluffy. I’m generous with the baking soda because I want extra lift; there’s enough acid in the batter to neutralize it.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer.
- Poppy Seeds: These itty-bitty seeds add a mild nutty flavor and slight crunch to baked goods. I love them on bagels, too!
- Butter: Creamed butter gives these muffins a cake-like texture; plus, it adds deliciously buttery flavor.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins, balancing out the tart lemon. Brown sugar adds a kiss of flavor, plus extra moisture.
- Eggs: Eggs work to bind the ingredients together.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: You can use either. I typically use full-fat sour cream or low-fat Greek yogurtโboth are very creamy.
- Lemon Zest + Juice: Zest the lemon first, before you cut it open and juice it. Much easier than the other way around!
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor profile of these muffins. I reduce the amount just a bit to make up for the extra liquid from the lemon juice. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, you can replace half of the vanilla with lemon extract.
- Milk: You can use pretty much any kind here: whole milk, low-fat, nondairy, or even buttermilk. For the best taste and texture, steer clear of nonfat milk.
Yes. Replace the same amount of poppy seeds in the batter with chia seeds. There is really no taste or texture difference at all.
Yes. You can fold about 1 and 1/2 cups (about 200โ250g) of fresh or frozen berries (do not thaw) into the batter before spooning into the pan and baking. I actually have a recipe for blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins which is very similar to today’s recipe, as well as a lemon blueberry muffins recipe. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
Expect a Thick Batter
The instructions are pretty basic here, and you’ll find them in the printable recipe card below. One important thing to note, however, is to expect a thick and airy batter. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid; you want a nice thick batter so the muffins hold shape.
There aren’t any add-ins like chocolate chips or berries, so there’s less volume than my other muffin recipes using this same base. As a result, I don’t fill the muffin cups quite as full. You don’t want to fill the muffin pan too high (and yield fewer muffins). Why? Because these muffin tops spread out into mushroom-looking tops when overfilled.
Just divide the batter between 12 cups, using a standard 12-count muffin pan.
The High-Top Muffin Trick
I’ve been using this muffin trick for years and SWEAR by it.
Bake the muffins for just 5 minutes at a high temperature, 425ยฐF (218ยฐC). Then reduce the temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) for the remaining bake time. This initial burst of heat lifts the muffin straight up, creating a solid dome. Baking at a lower temperature for the rest of the time cooks the center of the muffin.
Plain or Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Topping your lemon poppy seed muffins with icing is optional, but it definitely adds some extra lemon flavor. I always add it. This deliciously creamy lemon icing is made from just 3 ingredients, and it’s the same icing I use to top my strawberry lemon poppy seed scones and lemon pound cake. You need confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Two of these ingredients are also used in the muffin batter.
Just whisk everything together in a bowl and drizzle over the baked muffins. If you don’t want to top these with icing, you can sprinkle some coarse sparkling sugar on top before baking.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tangy-sweet and tender, lemon poppy seed muffins topped with a sweet lemon icing make for a special breakfast treat that tastes like it came from a bakery.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (see Note about adding lemon extract)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (any kind), at room temperature
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind)
Instructions
- Preheat oven toย 425ยฐF (218ยฐC).ย Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Mixture may look a little chunky and curded; that’s ok.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter evenly into each muffin cup or liner. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425ยฐF then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Bake for an additional 15โ17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20โ22 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
- Cover and store leftover muffins for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins (with or without icing) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) |ย Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Cooling Rack
- For a jumbo muffin pan: 425ยฐF for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350ยฐF for 22โ25 minutes for a total of 27โ30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350ยฐF (whole time) for 12โ14 minutes. Makes about 36โ40.
- Can I Use Chia Seeds Instead of Poppy Seeds? Yes. Replace the same amount of poppy seeds in the batter with chia seeds.
- Vanilla & Lemon Extracts: If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, you can replace half of the vanilla with lemon extract. (So, use 3/4 teaspoon each vanilla and lemon extracts.)
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Why is everything at room temperature?ย Allย refrigerated items should beย at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.
- Can I Add Berries? Yes. You can fold about 1 and 1/2 cups (about 200g-250g) of fresh or frozen berries (do not thaw) into the batter before spooning into the pan and baking. I actually have a recipe for blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins which is very similar to today’s recipe, as well as a lemon blueberry muffins recipe. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
- Can I Make This Into a Bread? I find the best success when using this slightly different recipe for lemon poppy seed quick bread. I also have a recipe for a slightly denser lemon pound cake loaf. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
Reader Comments and Reviews
5 stars with the following adjustments:
More lemon zest! About 2- 2.5 tbsp.
No milk in the glaze, just a tad more lemon juice.
Next time I’ll try without the extra heat at the beginning of the baking session, they got a bit brown for our liking.
The recipe may need adjustment? In step 2 it doesn’t mention adding the milk, but, that’s when I added it.
I didnโt care for this recipe as I wanted a very lemony and moist muffin. I usually do an oil based recipe and thatโs probably the main difference.
The glaze seemed way too thin and never did thicken. I put on two layers of it but it still didnโt add much punch.
I have been making your jumbo muffin recipes with great success, thank you! When I made these lemon poppyseed muffins, I didn’t get that fantastic domed top, they are flat. The only thing I did differently was use chia seeds. Anything different in this recipe that would cause them to be flat on top rather than the domed top like the other Jumbo muffins?
Hi Ang! How was the texture? Could your baking powder or soda be getting old?
Hmm, I know my baking powder is fine. I wasn’t sure about the baking soda because I had bought it in a bulk bag. I just did a vinegar test and it fizzed up really well. I did have the huge bag of baking soda in the refrigerator. Maybe that was the problem? I don’t think I’m suppose to store it in the fridge.
Iโm currently without my baking notebook and youโre keeping me from craziness over pre-holiday and holiday baking!
So far Iโve been able to recreate most of what is missing!
Can I omit the poppy seeds?
Absolutely.
Question before I make these, can I use greek plain yogurt? Would it make a difference?
Yes, greek yogurt is fine here!
Omgoodness these are PHENOMENAL! So light and fluffy. I let the batter rest for 10 min before filling the cups. I doubled it. Freaked out when it looked curdled then read the notes. Ahahahha. I knew I could count on Sallyโs Baking Addiction for a great muffin recipe.
Wowโฆ I would truly give this recipe a 10star rating if I could. These taste better than store bought and are made with real ingredients, not all the additional flavouring and ingredients you get from store bought. Iโm about to make my second batch because the first didnโt even last a day. Everyone needs to make this recipe, AMAZING!
Hey Sally,
I keep coming back to this recipe and it always delivers! My variation to it was reducing the amount of sugar (I didn’t have dark brown sugar, so I left that out entirely) and the sweetness was still quite decent. I did your lemon-poppy see bundt cake a while back too, chef’s kiss.
Muffin were super tasty but why were they shiny on top?
Why did recipe change from your cookbook? Should I follow website vs cookbook? Cookbook I have 2014
Hi Jess, you can make either recipe. They are a little different! The cookbook version does not include milk. It also calls for more flour, melted butter, and a couple other differences.
Baked these this morning; they came out great. Didnt have sour cream (or yogurt) but did have heavy cream. So used 1/2 cup of that with maybe 1 Tablespoon lemon juice stirred in (in addition to recipe amount of lemon juice) Cream stiffened up to right texture. Had a little extra juice from large-ish lemon, so put that in batter too. Muffins came out delicious-tangy flavour, good texture, and didn’t need icing.
Very good. I recommend halving the amount of icing and potentially using about 1/2 tbsp milk in the icing also instead of 1 tbsp because it was a bit runny. Absolutely fantastic crumb and muffin overall, however! ๐
I also forgot to ask: would dried lemon peel suffice to substitute the fresh lemon zest?
Hi Andreya! Dried lemon peel won’t offer the exact same flavor as fresh lemon zest, but should be a suitable substitute. Let us know if you try!
Hello, I have attempted with reasonable success at muffin making following your recipes.
One question I do have, Is why do sometimes, the muffins when they come out of the oven, they look like a volcano has erupted, with a side eruption of magma. I am using an electric convection oven (UK) with Celsius temp points, although I am able to convert the Fahrenheit oven temps to Celsius with no issue.
Hi Jon, The top of the bread/muffins will naturally cook and set quicker than the center. As the center cooks, air escapes out of the top and can create a crack. If your baked quick bread or muffins donโt really have a large crack down the center, itโs nothing to worry about eitherโthere are so many variables at play including your oven, the oven temperature, length of time, oven rack position, recipe, etc. We hope this helps!
Hi
Some of your recipes state 1 and a third cups as 210g flour
Your carrot muffins state 166 g
Which is correct please
Hi Penny, our carrot cake cupcakes recipe calls for less flour than this recipe calls for (1 and 3/4 cups vs. 1 and 1/3 cups), so the weights are different.
Thank you so much again Sally! I made these also for my husbandโs birthday, and they are just fabulous! Just like the cranberry ones. My go to muffin recipes indeed! And I will definitely be following you for more delicious recipes! Thank you!!
Can I omit the lemon and lemon zest to just have a plain poppy seed muffin?
Can’t see why not, Abrielle, though the flavor may be a little lacking. We would replace the lemon juice with milk.
Mine came out super flat which I didnโt expect with the amount of raising agents and hot cooking temp
Hi Amy, were your baking powder and baking soda fresh? We find they start to lose their effectiveness after about 3 months of opening. Be careful not to overmix the batter, too, as that can cause the muffins to bake up squat and flat. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
Any idea if you can sub lemon extract for the lemon zest?
Hi Jenne, you can omit the lemon zest without any replacements, but you could certainly add some lemon extract. We’d recommend replacing half the vanilla extract with lemon extract. Let us know how they turn out!
I used this recipe because it has metric weights and measures so it can be idiot proof. I followed it slavishly and the results were delightful. The doz muffins lasted until just before 10pm being taken out of the oven at 4pm the same day.
It took a bit longer to cream the sugar and butter because the mixing bowl was cold as it is winter here and the house isn’t that warm. Maybe 10 mins all up using fast whipping and then slow mixing as well as stopping to scrape the sides. I used an ice cream scoop and spatula to measure out the muffins in the pan and no 2 were the same size XD. The mix or batter was globby as I portioned it out. I will make them again when someone gives me free lemons. These were the best of any muffins I have made, zuccini, choc chip , blue berry