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A lemon poppyseed muffin recipe made with Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, and a sweet, simple poppyseed glaze. The best lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast or brunch!
Why Make This Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Recipe?
This lemon poppyseed muffin recipe combines bright, zesty lemon with crunchy poppyseeds and a sweet confectioner’s sugar glaze, creating the perfect balance of sour and sweet. The refreshing citrus flavor works nicely for summer breakfasts and brunches, but it’s equally tasty for brightening up a chilly winter morning. I also love a warm muffin with a cup of coffee or tea for a simple mid-morning or afternoon snack.
These easy-to-prepare muffins make a delicious addition to any occasion. Plus, poppyseeds not only add texture, but nutritional benefits (including vitamins and minerals like copper, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron) too. If you don’t already keep a bag or bottle of poppyseeds in the spice rack, I recommend buying some! In addition to making these lemon poppyseed muffins, you can use them in lieu of sesame seeds to top homemade vegetarian sausage rolls or puff pastry anchovy sticks, or toss them in a loaf of everything bagel bread.
Ingredients for Making Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
I love making these lemon poppyseed muffins because I can pull them together using ingredients I already have in the cabinet or fridge: flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, Greek yogurt, and other staples.
In addition to poppyseeds (duh!) you will need the following ingredients:
- All purpose flour – Or plain flour, if you’re in the UK.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness and moisture. Caster will also work—just measure by weight, not by volume.
- Baking powder and baking soda (bicarb of soda) – For leavening.
- Kosher salt – Or, substitute fine sea salt.
- Greek yogurt – Be sure to choose plain Greek yogurt, not a yogurt with vanilla or fruit flavoring added. Plain yogurt will also work for this recipe.
- Unsalted butter – Melted, so plan accordingly! (My personal hack? Put the butter in an oven-safe ramekin, then melt it in the oven as as it preheats.)
- Eggs – The two large eggs act as a binder in this recipe, and give the muffins structure, stability, and lift.
- Lemons – You’ll need juice and zest for the muffin batter, plus more juice for the glaze. Opt for freshly-squeezed lemon juice, not the bottled or reconstituted kind.
- Lemon oil – I bake with LorAnn’s pure lemon oil. Because it’s natural and quite strong, you only need a small amount to give the batter a distinct, lemon-y flavor. If substituting extract, you will want to adjust the measurement to taste—extracts are not as potent as oils.
- Whole milk – Or, substitute skim or 2% milk, or your favorite plant milk (oat, almond, etc.)
- Confectioner’s sugar – For making the glaze. I recommend passing the sugar through a fine mesh sieve to remove any clumps or lumps.
Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Recipe Tips and Tricks
Lining the tin makes removing the baked muffins so much easier. I love my silicone muffin cups for this recipe and many others (like my cookie dough ice cream cupcakes with chocolate cups!) but you can also use paper cupcake liners.
Thinking it might be a good idea to add yellow food coloring to the glaze? Think again! I tested a batch this way, and the results were…not very visually appealing. While the sugar-and-poppyseed mixture appears murky and greyish in the bowl, it will look white or translucent once drizzled over the tops of the muffins, so trust me, the natural color is far prettier than the tinted version!
When adding the wet ingredients to the dry, be careful not to overmix. You want to fold with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just barely combined. (Overworking leads to dense, claggy muffins.) Err on the side of undermixing—a few lumps are fine!
Keep an eye on the muffins during the final few minutes in the oven. To test for doneness, use your fingertip to gently press down on the top of a muffin. If it bounces back (rather than creating a dent), it’s done.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These lemon poppyseed muffins taste best on the day they are made, but leftovers will keep well for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If planning to bake your muffins the night before (for a breakfast, brunch, etc.), I suggest waiting until morning to make and drizzle the glaze.
Unglazed muffins also freeze well. To freeze, layer between parchment in an airtight container, or wrap individual muffins in foil for easy, single-serving portions. Thaw at room temperature.
Other muffin recipes you might enjoy:
Strawberry Muffins
Mixed Berry Oatmeal Cornmeal Muffins
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
A lemon poppyseed muffin recipe made with Greek yogurt, zingy fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, and a sweet, simple poppyseed glaze.
Ingredients
Muffins:
256 grams all purpose flour (2 cups)
210 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
20 grams poppy seeds (2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
120 grams plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup / 1 stick), melted
2 eggs
30 milliliters lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)
75 milliliters whole milk (1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon lemon oil
Glaze:
65 grams confectioner’s sugar
15 milliliters lemon juice (1 tablespoon), plus more to adjust consistency
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F / 205° C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone or paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, whole milk, and lemon oil.
Add wet ingredients to the flour bowl, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir until just combined. Do not overmix. (Batter will be lumpy.)
Spoon batter into prepared tin, dividing it equally between the cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 19-22 minutes, or until muffins are nicely risen and golden brown around the edges, and spring back lightly when touched.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.
Glaze:
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar, and lemon juice.
Sit the wire rack over a sheet of parchment or parchment-lined tray. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.
Store leftover lemon poppyseed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Unglazed muffins can also be frozen.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven