Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Muffins infused with bright lemon zest and poppy seeds drizzled with a lemon icing make a lip-smacking fresh lemon treat.

If you didn’t know it already, I love anything made with lemons. These lemon-packed muffins are no exception! Pretty and appealing they will surely bring a little springtime into anyone’s day.

The muffins come out of the oven with rounded crackled tops and are drizzled with a sweet-tart lemon icing that seeps into all the crevices.

The perfect muffins to whip up when company is dropping by for brunch, or afternoon tea. Your guests will be impressed when they’re greeted with freshly baked muffins. No need to tell them how quick and easy they were to make!

How to make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Gather all the ingredients

Mix the batter with a spatula

Dispense batter into muffin cups

Muffins right out of the oven

Best baking tips

• 2 – 3 medium-sized lemons are required for this recipe
• Stir the lemon zest into the sugar to infuse it with lemon flavour
• The eggs should be at room temperature
• Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before using
• Use either sour cream or plain yogurt
• Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
• Mix the batter by hand with a spatula
• For light, fluffy muffins, do not over mix the batter
• Either grease the muffin cups or use paper muffin inserts
• For perfect rounded tops use a large ice cream scoop to dispense the batter
• Let the muffins cool completely before icing
• Mix the icing just before needed
• Use a honey dipper, whisk or spoon to drizzle the icing

How do these muffins get their yellow colour and lemon taste? Eggs, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest are what naturally give these muffins their beautiful pale yellow colour and intense lemon flavour!

Lemon and poppy seed combination

Poppy seeds are a well-known classic flavour addition in many baked goods. They have a nutty, earthy and slightly bitter flavour with a little crunch. They’re a good alternative to nuts and grains. In this recipe, the dark blue-black poppy seeds combined with the lemon batter work perfectly together.

How to store and/or freeze lemon muffins

These muffins are best eaten the day they’re baked, but if you need to make them in advance you can store or freeze them.

To store the muffins for up to 24 – 48 hours, lay a double thickness of paper towels on the bottom of a storage container. Arrange the muffins on top in a single layer. Lightly lay another double thickness of paper towels on top of the muffins. Seal the container and store at room temperature. The paper towel will absorb moisture from the muffins and prevent them from getting soggy.

To freeze the muffins, follow the same directions as for storing only place the container in the freezer. To thaw the muffins, remove the lid and the top layer of paper towels, and leave at room temperature for 3 – 4 hours.

I’ve been making these moist lemon-y muffins forever and everyone, including me, enjoys them. Give these muffins a try and let me now how you like them!

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Bakery style lemon muffins with poppy seeds, drizzled with a sweet-tart lemon icing.

Servings 12 muffins

Author Rita Jakobschuk

Ingredients

For the Muffins

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 1 lemon zested
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice juice the zested lemon
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the Icing

• ¾ cup icing sugar
• 1 lemon zested for garnish
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice juice the zested lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. For the muffins: In a small bowl add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Stir to infuse the lemon zest into the sugar and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk, whisk the eggs. Add the lemon infused sugar and whisk to combine. Add the butter, lemon juice and sour cream (or yogurt) and whisk until smooth and creamy.
4. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large mixing bowl. With a spatula stir to combine just until the flour is all absorbed. Fold in the poppy seeds and gently stir until they are incorporated into the batter. Batter will be thick.
6. Fill prepared muffin cups almost level with the rims. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then un-mold the muffins to a rack fitted over a parchment paper lined baking sheet to cool completely.
7. For the Icing: In a small bowl mix the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle layers of icing over the muffins allowing the excess to dribble down the sides of the muffins. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a touch of lemon zest.

Craving more lemon recipes? Try these

• Lemon Madeleines
• Lemon Blueberry Loaf
• Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Cranberry Scones