Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Printable Version)

Moist muffins with fresh lemon and crunchy poppy seeds, ideal for breakfast or a quick snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
06 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - ⅔ cup whole milk
09 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
11 - Zest of 2 lemons
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Lemon Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, whole milk, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula just until combined, avoiding overmixing to preserve tenderness.
05 - Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each approximately three-fourths full.
06 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the tops turn lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • They're genuinely bright and moist—not dense or crumbly like some muffins that disappoint.
  • Poppy seeds add that little crunch that makes your mouth feel awake, and the lemon keeps it all from ever feeling heavy.
  • Fifteen minutes of actual work means you can have warm muffins while coffee's still hot.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the only real way to fail this recipe—fold gently and stop the moment you see no more dry flour, even if it looks slightly lumpy.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an actual difference in both flavor and how the baking soda reacts, so skip the bottled kind.
  • If your muffins dome too much or crack on top, your oven might run hot—next time check the temperature with an oven thermometer.
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before you juice them—it's easier and you get better, fuller zest without the juice in the way.
  • Room temperature eggs and milk mix more smoothly into the batter, which means a more even crumb, though cold ingredients work fine in a pinch.
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