After testing this muffin recipe six times, I can finally say I’ve cracked the code on an easy but wildly delicious lemon poppy seed muffin recipe. Does anyone think lemon poppy seed muffins are under-appreciated? People are always going on about blueberry muffins, banana nut muffins, chocolate muffins, but the humble lemon poppy seed has always been my favorite. When done well, they’re the perfect not-too-sweet treat that leans on simplicity more than flashy crumbles or mix-ins to make it special.
This recipe is straightforward, comes together in less than 30 minutes, and is the perfect grab-and-go breakfast or everyday little treat.
Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
After testing these muffins so many times, I wanted to keep the ingredient list simple enough that the only thing you might need to go pick up from the store is poppy seeds.
Granulated Sugar. Both in the muffin and for sprinkling on top.
Zest of two lemons. I tested this recipe with the zest of just one muffin and found the flavor didn’t come through all that much. Adding the second lemon made all the difference.
Eggs. Room temperature, please! They’re so much easier to blend in.
Olive oil. Use good-quality olive oil. Trust me, you’ll taste the difference.
Greek yogurt. I’ve used low-fat Greek yogurt in these muffins, but regular should work as well.
Lemon extract. Completely optional, but if you want to punch up the lemon flavor, a little extract goes a long way.
Flour. Classic all-purpose.
Baking powder and baking soda. Both help give these muffins their signature, bakery-style rise.
Salt. No dessert is complete without it.
Poppy seeds. In case you’re wondering, poppy seeds are in the spice aisle of most grocery stores!
How to Maximize Flavor
Audrey of Red Currant Bakery grinds her poppy seeds before adding them to the muffin batter. Genius. (Watch how she makes it happen here.) Grind your poppy seeds in a spice grinder until they form a slightly clumpy texture. This helps them distribute evenly through the batter, so you don’t end up with poppy seeds stuck in your teeth. It also brings out their slightly nutty flavor. Of course, you don’t have to grind your poppy seeds if you don’t want to. But truthfully? I don’t think I’ll ever go back to tossing in the seeds whole.
For maximum flavor, rub the lemon zest into your granulated sugar before mixing the batter. Use your fingers to press the zest into the sugar granules until the sugar feels like wet sand and you can smell the lemon. This helps release the natural oils, making the whole batter much more fragrant. I also tested these muffins with and without lemon extract, and while the muffins without extract were delicious, the lemony flavor was much more prominent with the extract. Completely optional, but it definitely makes a difference.
PSA: Please for the love of all baked goods be sure to add salt. To the batter and just the smallest of pinches to the sugar sprinkled on top of the muffins as well. I promise, your batch will be all the better because of it.
Tips for Baking Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Bring your ingredients to room temperature. This means your eggs and yogurt. Cold ingredients hinder rising in baked goods. Ensuring that everything is at room temperature yields the best outcome.
Do not over-mix your batter. Cake batters should remain light and fluffy, and we don’t want to develop any gluten in the flour. That means no electric mixer! In fact, during my tests, I found that it was much easier to ensure even mixing when I could scrape the bowl by hand compared to the mixer.
Do not over-bake your muffins. I learned this the hard way through my many tests. Even a couple extra minutes in the oven can make your muffins dry. As soon as they are set with a clean toothpick, take them out of the oven. After a minute, carefully remove the muffins from the tray so they can cool on a baking rack. This keeps the pan’s residual heat from continuing to cook your muffins.
How to Store Leftover Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
These muffins last about three days in an airtight container at room temperature, or 5-6 days in the fridge (simply heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating). They also freeze well wrapped in parchment and stored in a ziplock bag. When ready to eat, pop your muffin into the microwave for about 25-30 seconds to thaw and you’re ready to go. Enjoy!
for topping: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon ground poppy seeds, and a pinch of salt mixed together
Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, press zest into the sugar until it feels like wet sand and is fragrant.
Add the eggs and with a whisk, whisk until smooth and sugar feels dissolved. Add the oil and whisk until incorporated. Add the yogurt and whisk to incorporate. If adding lemon extract, add a dash here.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground poppy seeds to the wet ingredients. Whisk until just combined and the batter is smooth. Do not over-mix.
Using a cookie scoop, add batter to muffin tray. Spoon over about a teaspoon of the topping onto the batter in each muffin cup.
Bake for 15-16 minutes. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven, rest for a minute, then carefully remove muffins to finish cooling on a cooling rack.
