Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are soft and fluffy on the inside with a burst of citrus flavor. Topped with a lemon glaze to give them moisture, and a lemon icing to add a pop of sweetness.
If you love today’s lemon muffins, you’ve got to try our delicious lemon poppy seed bread. Or give our easy lemon scones a whirl.
Why These Muffins are Best
I’ve been craving lemon poppy seed muffins like it’s nobody’s business! These flavorful muffins are the number one requested muffin flavor from my kids.
Well, except for my oldest daughter who loves blueberry muffins!
- This muffin recipe gets its flavor from fresh lemons.
- Fluffy and moist on the inside!
- Topped with a perfect lemon glaze.
- Make them in 20 minutes or less.
- Freezer friendly recipe!
These muffins are bright and cheerful and remind me of sunshine.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what makes these lemon poppyseed muffins so spectacular.
- Lemons – obviously! We use both the zest and the juice of 7 full muffins for that zesty citrus flavor. Use our guide on how to zest a lemon for quick tips and tricks.
- Greek yogurt – gives the muffins a moist, soft crumb and enhances the tangy lemon taste.
- Poppy seeds – Tiny black seeds look so pretty in these bright yellow muffins.
- Lemon simple syrup – Poured over the baked muffins for extra sweetness and moisture, this syrup is made from lemon juice and granulated sugar.
Tips and Tricks
- Zest and juice all of your lemons first. Check out my tips for how to zest a lemon to get the most from your citrus!
- Remember to grease the muffin tin before adding the batter! Baking spray works too.
- While the muffins cool, make your lemon simple syrup. Dissolve sugar in lemon juice over medium heat. Spoon the syrup over the baked muffins. This adds a delicious touch of sweetness and even more moisture!
- The lemon icing in this recipe is pourable, but thick. For a thinner glaze, simply add more heavy cream. If you want a glaze that’s thicker, like a lemon frosting, use less cream. So easy!
Don’t these muffins look gorgeous? I could eat them all day, every day!
Recipe FAQs
Sour cream works just as well as Greek yogurt in today’s lemon poppy seed recipe. Use whichever you prefer, or have on hand.
Absolutely. Heavy cream gives the glaze a slightly richer taste, but I have used both and the difference is barely noticeable.
Yes, this glaze will hold up fine to freezing. If you prefer, you can also freeze the muffins unglazed and add the glaze fresh before serving.
I recommend enjoying most homemade muffins, like these lemon ones, within 3 months of freezing. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator and they’ll taste fresh and delicious even months later.
Yes, you can use a mini muffin tin. Just adjust the baking time accordingly. Smaller muffins bake faster!
Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Waffles Recipe
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Mocha Latte
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Swedish Cake
- Apple Cider Donuts
More Easy Muffin Recipes
See all Muffins recipes
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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
FOR THE MUFFINS:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 7 lemons zested and juiced (save the juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
FOR THE SIMPLE SYRUP:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup reserved lemon juice from your fresh lemons above
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup reserved lemon juice from your fresh lemons above
- 2-4 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Zest and juice all the lemons first. You should have approximately 1 cup juice from your lemons. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine your flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Using a wooden spoon at this point, mix in flour mixture and yogurt alternatively until fully combined (in about 3 additions). Do not over-beat, just mix until incorporated. Fold in poppy seeds.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins that have been greased with baking spray. Fill each tin about 2/3 full. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 16-18 minutes (if making mini muffins, bake for about 11 minutes).
- Remove from oven. Place muffins on a wire rack (with wax paper or parchment paper under the rack to catch any of the syrup/glaze). In a small saucepan, whisk together the simple syrup ingredients over low heat. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Spoon warm syrup over muffins (they don’t have to be cooled).
- For the glaze, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream. Add more or less cream to get desired consistency. Pour over cooled muffins. Allow to set (about 15 minutes). Enjoy. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. ENJOY!
Notes
- If you want to freeze the muffins, do so before adding the glaze. Place the cooled muffins (with the simple syrup on them) in ziploc freezer bags. Once ready to enjoy, thaw completely then add the glaze. ENJOY.
- Zest and juice all of your lemons first. Check out my tips for how to zest a lemon to get the most from your citrus!
- Remember to grease the muffin tin before adding the batter! Baking spray works too.
- While the muffins cool, make your lemon simple syrup. Dissolve sugar in lemon juice over medium heat. Spoon the syrup over the baked muffins. This adds a delicious touch of sweetness and even more moisture!
- The lemon glaze in this recipe is pourable, but thick. For a thinner glaze, simply add more heavy cream. If you want a glaze that’s thicker, like a frosting, use less cream. So easy!
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Brighten up your day with a batch of these moist, fluffy Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!
I made this into a bundt cake and baked for 55 minutes. Turned out great. I halved the glaze ingredients. I put in 2 tablespoons of milk but should have used 1. The glaze was a little thin when I poured it on. All in all it was delicious!!!
Oooh thanks so much for letting me know!!! I’m going to try it!
These sound yummy. Can’t wait to make them. When do I add the poppy seeds, after everything else has been incorporated? Thanks.
Yes, at the end of making the batter, fold in the poppy seeds. ENJOY 🙂
So bright and fresh! I can see why these are a popular muffins in your house!
Hi, can I make this a bundt cake?
Thank You
I have not tested that out, but if you do, let me know how it works!
WOW!! These look so deliciously moist. It makes 1 cup lemon juice but the muffins have 1/4 cup, the syrup 1/4 cup, and the glaze 1/4 cup. So you have 1/4 left. Just wondered why juice 7 if all of it wasn’t needed?
Every lemon gives different amounts! You’ll definitely want 7 lemons worth of zest. For that reason I juiced all my lemons. The first time I got 3/4 cup juice, the second time I got a full cup juice. So I made the recipe with the lowest number in case others don’t get as much lemon juice from their lemons. Hope that makes sense!
I love poppy seed muffins – they look so delicate! Great recipe. Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day weekend.
Lemon on lemon on lemon! I can get into a really dangerous binge around lemon poppy seed cake. Good thing these are cupcakes, I’ll just have one and share the rest. It’s harder to do that with a loaf. you know…a little sliver….just one more sliver…..just one more…
note to self: I need to experiment more with using soaks in my baked goods.
Lemon on lemon on lemon. Yes. I guess I did do that 🙂
I think these look perfect for any time of day, breakfast or snack I would not care. Lovely!
These muffins are stunning! Love that glaze, especially- these remind me of the lemon loaves at Starbucks, but in muffin form and with delicious poppyseeds 🙂 Pinning!
Ohhhh these look terrific! Love that glaze on top. I wish I had a few to go with my coffee this morning!
It’s been dreary here, too. I’m staring out at freezing rain right now. What a bummer. That’s why citrus is a life-saver! You eat these muffins and feel like summer has a chance of coming back! They look so lovely. And that glaze…yeah!!!
I’m into a muffin craze spree and that’s the best ammo I’ve seen today 🙂