Lemon Poppyseed Muffins


Author: Rachel

Published Date: February 21, 2022

These lemon poppyseed muffins will tempt your willpower right from the start! These moist homemade muffins topped with a sweet lemon glaze are the best way to start or end any day. Since you can grab a muffin and eat while you walk, this easy muffin recipe is always a great to grab on the run or savory with a cup of coffee! 

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THE BEST LEMON POPPYSEED MUFFIN RECIPE

You know that feeling when you walk into a bakery and order the perfectly baked muffin, sitting behind the glass? That feeling can be replicated right in your kitchen, time and time again. You’re going to obsess over these homemade bakery-style lemon muffins with a simple lemon glaze and impeccable crumble texture.

TRY SOME OF MY OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES:

We totally agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?! (and it’s so fun to get out of bed to eat, too!)

Here are some of our other favorite breakfast recipes to try out: Amish Apple Fritter Bread, Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes, Blackberry Lemon Bread, Blueberry Lemon Scones!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • This recipe for lemon poppyseed muffins is fast and simple! 
  • You’ll get moist and delicious muffins perfectly baked from the first time you make them!
  • The subtle hint of lemon is excellent with a glass of coffee, hot tea, or as a snack on its own. 

INGREDIENTS USED

  • Greek yogurt 
  • Lemon juice
  • Granulated sugar
  • Lemon zest
  • Salted butter 
  • Eggs
  • Flour
  • Poppy seeds
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
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Glaze Ingredients:

  • Powdered sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Milk
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*see recipe card for detailed measurements

KITCHEN SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED

  • Whisk
  • Muffin Pan
  • Measuring spoons/cups

HOW TO MAKE LEMON POPPYSEED MUFFINS WITH LEMON GLAZE

1. Mix the yogurt and lemon juice. Both of these ingredients need to be at room temperature before mixing. 

2. Preheat the oven. Put the oven racks in the middle position in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. 

3. Spray the muffin pan. Spray each muffin area in the muffin pan with nonstick spray. And line each cup with a muffin paper tin (if using)

4. Add the lemon zest. In a smaller bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. To get the lemon flavoring throughout, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers to get that lemon oil to really stick and mesh with the sugar. 

5. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the room temperature butter to the sugar mixture and cream together. Slowly add in the room temperature eggs one at a time. 

6. Add the yogurt. Add the yogurt and lemon mixture together in the bowl and mix well. 

7. Mix the dry ingredients. Using a different bowl, whisk the salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, and flour. In the middle of the mixture, make a well (a hole). 

8. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Slowly add the wet mixture into the well you just created in the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir just enough to make the mixture moist, but don’t overmix. This will make the muffins dry and tough. (There will be small lumps – that’s okay!)

9. Add to the muffin cups. Do your best to divide the batter equally to the 12 prepared muffin cups. If you want to smooth the tops before baking, do so now. 

10. Let the muffins rise. This step is optional, but if you want to have slightly raised muffin tops, letting them sit in the pan for about 20 minutes before putting them in the oven helps! You can skip this step if you want. 

11. Bake. Put the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Once that time has passed, turn the temperature down in the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes. 

12. Make the glaze. As the muffins are cooling from baking, whip up the glaze. Whisk the milk, powdered sugar, and lemon juice together in a bowl. 

13. Add the glaze. Give the muffins about 10 minutes to cool down before removing them from the pan and glazing them. Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the top of all the muffins. 

HELPFUL TIPS & TRICKS

  • Were you hoping to make jumbo muffins? You can use this muffin recipe to do so! Just plan on filling only 8 of the muffin tins and adding a few tablespoons of water into the tins left empty. You’ll still want to follow the rest of the recipe steps and let them rise for 20 minutes before baking them – but these muffins will be bigger and fluffier once they’re done! 
  • Keep in mind while you’re making this poppyseed muffin batter that it’s going to be thick, not runny. This is the texture it should be, and sometimes that throws people off. 
  • Be sure that you’re using plain yogurt and not flavored. Unless you want to add some extra flavor? Adding a little bit of blueberry flavored Greek yogurt would make these taste like blueberry muffins!
  • If you’re a fan of using cupcake liners to line your muffin tin, go for it! We’ve made them with and without and prefer how they baked by adding the batter directly to the tin. But honestly, they’re delicious either way so go with what works for you! 
  • For the best flavor, fresh lemons and fresh lemon zest are best! While it may not be possible to find, it’s the easiest way to get lemony muffins! You can even make a tart lemon glaze by adding more fresh lemon juice and less of the sugar.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

  • Add more lemon – Some people LOVE lemon; some people only want a hint of lemon. You can always add more lemon juice to the glaze than what is written in the recipe to really enhance that lemon flavor. 
  • Leave out the butter – Using butter in these muffins adds great flavor, but you can also use oil instead. Olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil would all be great options to replace the butter with. 
  • Use sour cream – You can swap out the yogurt and use sour cream instead.
  • Can I use a different topping for these homemade lemon poppy seed muffins? You bet! You can add a lemon frosting, dust with a little bit of powdered sugar, or leave them totally bare on top and have nothing! Whatever you want to add to the top of the muffins is totally up to you. Make it be your own perfect lemon poppy seed muffin however you’d like.
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STORAGE NOTES

Store these lemon poppyseed muffins with yogurt in an airtight container. If you store them at room temperature, they’ll stay good for up to 3 days. If you store them in the fridge, they’ll stay good for up to 5 days. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the purpose of having the eggs, lemon juice, milk, and butter at room temperature? 

It might sound odd, but this helps the texture of the muffins stay light and fluffy. (which is what everyone wants in a muffin!) 

How do I know if I over stirred my muffin batter? 

Visually, you really can’t tell. But our trip is that we try to keep the stirs under 12. It’s a simple number to count and remember, and we’ve found that it’s a good stopping point so that it doesn’t make the muffins dry. Just make sure to scrape down the bowl as you go so you can fully combine all the ingredients.

How can I tell if the lemon poppyseed muffins are baked all the way through? 

There are a few ways that you can be sure that you won’t overcook the muffins. The first is to visually see that the edges and top are turning golden-brown. Once that signal is given, you can then check in inside batter. All you have to do is use a clean toothpick and insert it into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. It’s good practice to start checking this a couple of minutes before the baking time is done. This will help you not overcook them. 

Can I premake the muffin batter?

You bet! You can mix everything and have it stored in the fridge for up to 3 days ahead of time. Just make sure that you gently fold everything together again before adding to the muffin pan. 

How long can you freeze muffins? 

Baked muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them cool down before storing them, and make the glaze fresh to add once they’re thawed. Frozen muffins are a great way to enjoy them a second time!

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If you’ve made this recipe or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how they turned out. We love hearing from you! You can also follow along with me on FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM to see more colorful recipes!

Three poppyseed muffins stacked on top of a pink plate with lemon slices.
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Lemon Poppyseed Muffins


5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 255 kcal
This simple poppyseed muffin recipe is the perfect way to make homemade muffins! Top with an easy lemon glaze!

EQUIPMENT

  • Measuring Cups
  • Large mixing bowl

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice, room temperature , fresh is best
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup salted butter , room temperature
  • 2 eggs , room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Mix the yogurt and lemon juice. Both of these ingredients need to be at room temperature before mixing. 
  • Preheat the oven. Put the oven racks in the middle position in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. 
  • Spray each muffin area in the muffin pan with nonstick spray. 
  • In a smaller bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. To get the lemon flavoring throughout, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers to get that lemon oil to really stick and mesh with the sugar. 
  • Add the room temperature butter to the sugar mixture and cream together. Slowly add in the room temperature eggs one at a time. 
  • Add the yogurt and lemon mixture together in the bowl and mix well. 
  • Using a different bowl, whisk the salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, and flour. In the middle of the mixture, make a well (a hole). 
  • Slowly add the wet mixture into the well you just created in the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir just enough to make the mixture moist, but don't overmix. This will make the muffins dry and tough. (There will be small lumps – that's okay!)
  • Do your best to divide the batter equally to the 12 prepared muffin cups. If you want to smooth the tops before baking, do so now. 
  • Let the muffins rise. This step is optional, but if you want to have slightly raised muffin tops, letting them sit in the pan for about 20 minutes before putting them in the oven helps! You can skip this step if you want. 
  • Put the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Once that time has passed, turn the temperature down in the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes. 
  • As the muffins are cooling from baking, whip up the glaze. Whisk the milk, powdered sugar, and lemon juice together in a bowl. 
  • Give the muffins about 10 minutes or so to cool down before removing them from the pan and glazing them. Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle it over the top of all the muffins. 

NUTRITION

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 250mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 280IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweettea_and_sprinkles or tag #sweetteaandsprinkles


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