Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These lemon poppy seed muffins are super moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor. They're delicious plain or with a simple lemon glaze on top!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Let’s make lemon poppy seed muffins! These classic muffins are bursting with fresh citrus flavor, and they have a moist, tender texture that’s punctuated by the poppy seeds’ crunch.

I love them plain for breakfast or an afternoon snack, but they’re also wonderful with my quick lemon glaze on top. It makes them a bakery-worthy treat that would be perfect for a special occasion brunch or even dessert.

Like all my muffin recipes, these lemon poppy seed muffins are easy to make. You simply stir together the batter in a couple of mixing bowls. No mixer required!

Lemon poppy seed muffins recipe ingredients

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon poppy seed muffins recipe:

  • Lemons, of course! At least 2 to 3. This lemon poppy seed muffins recipe boasts 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons zest!
  • All-purpose flourSpoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup.
  • Baking powder, baking soda, and eggs – They help the muffins rise.
  • Whole milk Greek yogurt – Ever seen sour cream in a muffin recipe? The Greek yogurt does the same thing here. It adds moisture and richness and makes the muffins extra-puffy.
  • Granulated sugar – For sweetness. If you like, you can substitute maple syrup to sweeten these muffins naturally. In that case, omit the milk to make up for the extra liquid.
  • Melted butter – For richness. Avocado oil or vegetable oil works too!
  • Milk – Any kind you like! Whole milk and unsweetened almond milk both work well.
  • Vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
  • Poppy seeds – They add delightful crunch.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

To make the lemon glaze, you’ll also need a few more tablespoons of lemon juice and powdered sugar. Or, for a stronger lemon flavor without the glaze, add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract to the muffin batter.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

FAQ: Can I use chia seeds instead of poppy seeds?

Yes! Just like in my vegan lemon muffins, chia seeds work perfectly here. Feel free to use them instead of poppy seeds.

Bowl of wet ingredients next to bowl of dry ingredients

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This lemon muffins recipe is super easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the batter. Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another.

Pouring dry ingredients into wet ingredients

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Careful not to overmix! If you do, the muffins will be dense.

Fold in the poppy seeds.

Recipe Tip

The muffin batter will be thick! That’s ok. The thick batter supports the poppy seeds so that they don’t all sink to the bottoms of the muffins. It also helps the muffin tops hold their puffed, domed shape after baking.

Lemon poppy seed muffins batter in muffin tin

Next, divide the batter into the muffin pan. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by greasing the muffin cups or lining them with paper liners. Use a 1/3-cup scoop to portion the batter into the muffin cups.

Then, bake! Transfer the muffins to a 400°F oven and bake until the tops spring back to the touch, about 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins should come out clean.

Finally, let the muffins cool. It’ll be tempting to reach for one right away, but the muffins’ texture and flavor actually improve as they cool! Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the muffins are cool, drizzle them with the lemon glaze for a bolder lemon flavor, or enjoy them plain. Both options are delicious!

Storage Instructions

These lemon poppy seed muffins keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze lemon poppy seed muffins?

Yes! Sealed in an airtight container or bag, these muffins keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let frozen muffins thaw for an hour at room temp, or pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. They make a great quick breakfast or snack!

Lemon poppy seed muffins recipe

More Favorite Muffin Recipes

If you love these lemon muffins, try one of these yummy muffin recipes next:

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

rate this recipe:
5 from 25 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves 12
These lemon poppy seed muffins are moist, tender, and bursting with bright citrus flavor. I love them plain for breakfast or a snack, but for a bakery-worthy treat, you can top them with my easy lemon glaze. For a stronger lemon flavor without the glaze, add ½ teaspoon lemon extract to the batter.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil or spray a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with muffin liners.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, sugar, melted butter, milk, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the poppy seeds. Use a â…“-cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into the muffin cups.
  • Bake for 17 to 22 minutes, or until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Drizzle the cooled muffins with the lemon glaze, if using.

Notes

*For naturally sweetened lemon poppy seed muffins, replace the sugar with maple syrup. Omit the milk to compensate for the extra liquid. The muffin batter should be thick, but if it feels too thick or dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten it.
**Avocado oil or vegetable oil works too.

39 comments

5 from 25 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Emma
    08.24.2024

    5 stars
    Absolutely wonderful!

  2. Jade
    07.10.2024

    Hi! Is it possible to use oat milk instead of whole milk for this recipe?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      07.12.2024

      Hi Jade, yep! Oat milk would work great here.

  3. Kathleen
    07.05.2024

    5 stars
    So delicious! Did the maple syrup substitution (no granulated sugar, no milk) and did melted coconut oil (no butter). They turned out amazing!

  4. Audrey Reeves
    07.01.2024

    Can you make these incorporating lemon curd into the batter? If so, how would that change the ingredients?
    Thank you

  5. Barbara
    05.07.2024

    Also, is Monk fruit okay to use in place of sugar? Thank you.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.10.2024

      I’ve never worked with monk fruit sweetener, so I can’t speak to it, but you can substitute maple syrup here. In that case, omit the milk. If the batter is very thick, you can add a tablespoon of milk at a time to loosen it. Hope this helps!

  6. Barbara
    05.07.2024

    New egg allergy. What can be substituted for this recipe? Please and thank you.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.10.2024

      Hi Barbara, we haven’t tested this recipe without eggs, so I can’t guarantee the results, but I think it would work to use 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture thicken for 5 minutes before adding it to the wet ingredients. I would also go up to 1 tablespoon on the baking powder.

  7. Toni
    04.18.2024

    Can you offer a suggestion for the yogurt to make recipe nondairy?

    • Laura O.
      04.19.2024

      How about vegan yogurt? It’s coconut based and I was surprised how good a raspberry version of it was. Haven’t tried plain yet, but it can’t be bad at least.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.20.2024

      Hi Toni, a non-dairy yogurt should work fine here.

  8. Charlie
    04.18.2024

    This sounds amazing! If we substitute avocado oil for the butter, is it the same measurement?

  9. Eva
    04.14.2024

    Can I use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.20.2024

      Hi Eva, I think that would be fine!

  10. christie
    04.04.2024

    5 stars
    did you edit this recipe recently or am i losing it haha? i made this a few weeks ago, they were delicious, but i thought the recipe called for maple syrup, not as a substitution…if this is the case, did it also call for milk or is that an edit you made when changing it to sugar? they were perfect as i made them and want to make them that way again! thanks!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      04.05.2024

      Hi Christie, yes, this recipe was recently updated. It used to call for 2/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup avocado oil, and 2 tablespoons milk (any kind works!). All the other measurements were the same. Hope you enjoy!

  11. Vicki
    03.29.2024

    Please what is the nutrition information?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.29.2024

      Hi Vicki, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately, but you could use an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate.

  12. Sherri
    02.20.2024

    Could I use gluten free flour instead?

    • Vicki
      03.29.2024

      I used cassava flour and they came out fine

      • Audrey
        04.20.2024

        Awesome! Did you use an equal amount of cassava flour? I’m trying to substitute cassava or almond flour in all of my recipes, and this is good to know. Thank you, Vicki!

  13. Femke
    02.08.2024

    Hi! These look delicious! Could I also use a bundt cake tin instead? If so, what would the baking time then be? Thanks in advance!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      Hi Femke, we haven’t tried making this recipe in a bundt pan, so I’m not sure what the timing would be. Sorry about that!

  14. Faith
    12.12.2023

    5 stars
    Wow… these are amazing. So i used about less then half of whole wheat flour, i did half maple syrup and coconut sugar I didn’t have whole fat Greek but used sigis skyr high protein yogurt. These turned out amazing!! Im not much of a baker but these were perfect! Thank you!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.13.2023

      Hi Faith, I’m so glad you loved them!

  15. Becky
    09.10.2023

    5 stars
    These were excellent! Definitely less sweet than traditional lemon poppyseed recipes which was a nice change. Texture was perfect. It did make 12 muffins and filled a mini loaf pan. The flavor was fantastic.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.11.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  16. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    05.01.2023

    lemon flavors are always a favorite of mine in banking, and am definitely in on a nice lemon glaze, thank you!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.05.2023

      Hi Sabrina, I hope you love the muffins!

  17. Maria Teresa
    05.01.2023

    How much in grs is a cup?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.01.2023

      Hi, we don’t have gram conversions for this whole recipe, but we usually estimate 125g of flour per cup. Hope this helps!

  18. Karla Olson
    04.29.2023

    5 stars
    Hi I made these. There’s no sugar in them. They taste like flour :-/ was there supposed to be any white sugar in them. Mine are really bad:-(

    • Rain
      05.01.2023

      I would think the maple syrup is the sweetener.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.01.2023

      Hi Karla, did you add the maple syrup? It sweetens these muffins.

  19. Kianna
    04.28.2023

    Hello! I’m really looking forward to making these but we don’t eat dairy. Could I sub the greek yogurt for a coconut yogurt even if it’s much runnier?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      05.01.2023

      Hi Kianna, this might work fine, but we haven’t tried it, so I’m not 100% sure. If you try it, let us know how it goes!

    • Kianna
      05.08.2023

      5 stars
      Update – I drained the coconut yogurt overnight and it thickened right up. I cut the maple syrup down to somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 cup because I like my muffins less sweet and otherwise I followed the recipe as written.
      I did make only 12 muffins but they were giant – I think making 15 or so might have been better. Because of this, I had to bake them for closer to 25 minutes in order for them to be baked through.
      The outcome was delicious – these are not going to last long!

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.