Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Ready in 30 Minutes!)

After testing this muffin recipe six times, I can finally say that I have cracked the code on the simple yet incredibly delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe. Does anyone else think that Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are underrated? People are always talking about Blueberry Muffins and Banana Nut Muffins. Chocolate MuffinBut the humble lemon poppy seed has always been my favorite. When done well, it’s the perfect, not-too-sweet treat that relies more on simplicity than fancy crumbles or mix-ins to make it special.

This recipe is simple, can be prepared in under 30 minutes, and is perfect for a quick breakfast or a light everyday snack.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Ingredients

After testing these muffins several times, I figured I’d simplify the ingredient list so that I could just buy poppy seeds at the store.

Granulated sugar. You can put it in muffins or sprinkle it on top.

The peel of two lemons. I tried this recipe with one muffin and it didn’t taste like much. Adding a second lemon made all the difference.

egg. Let it be at room temperature! It’s much easier to mix.

olive oil. Use good quality olive oil. Trust me, you will taste the difference.

Greek yogurt. I used low-fat Greek yogurt in these muffins, but regular yogurt would work just as well.

Lemon extract Completely optional, but if you want to emphasize the lemon flavor more, a little extract will work much better.

flour. Classic multi-purpose.

Baking powder and baking soda. Both provide the bakery-style rise that is a signature of muffins.

salt. No dessert is complete without it.

Poppy seeds. In case you’re wondering, poppy seeds are found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores!

How to maximize flavor

Audrey Redcurrant Bakery Grind the poppy seeds before adding them to the muffin batter. genius. (Watch how she makes it happen here.) Grind the poppy seeds in a spice grinder until they form a few lumps. This will distribute them evenly throughout the batter and keep them from getting stuck in it. It will also add a slightly nutty flavor. Of course, you don’t have to grind the poppy seeds if you don’t want to, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever put whole seeds in again.

For the best flavor, rub lemon zest into granulated sugar before mixing the dough. Using your fingers, press the lemon zest into the sugar granules until the sugar feels like wet sand and smells like lemon. This releases the natural oils, making the entire dough much more flavorful. I also tested muffins with and without lemon extract, and the muffins without extract were delicious, but the lemon flavor was much more pronounced with the extract. It’s completely optional, but it definitely makes a difference.

PSA: For the love of all things baked, please add salt. Add it to the batter, and even just a little sugar to the muffins. I promise, your batches will be so much better.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Baking Tips

Bring the ingredients to room temperature. This means eggs and yogurt. Cold ingredients will prevent baked goods from expanding. Make sure everything is at room temperature for best results.

Don’t overmix the dough. The cake batter should be light and fluffy, and the flour should be gluten-free. That means you don’t need an electric mixer! In fact, during my testing, I found that it was much easier to mix it evenly when I could scrape the bowl with my hands rather than with a mixer.

Don’t bake the muffins for too long. I learned this the hard way through many tests. If you leave them in the oven for even a few more minutes, they will dry out. Just use a clean toothpick to firm them up and take them out of the oven. After a minute, carefully remove the muffins from the tray and let them cool on a baking rack. This way, the residual heat from the pan will not continue to cook the muffins.

How to Store Leftover Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for 5-6 days (just microwave for 10 seconds before eating). You can also wrap them in parchment paper and freeze them in a ziploc bag. When you’re ready to eat them, just microwave them for 25-30 seconds to thaw them and they’re ready to eat. Enjoy!

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