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Springtime is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate the sunny season than with a batch of homemade Lemon Poppyseed Muffins! Soft, fluffy, and freshly flavored lemon muffins are made with just the right amount of crunchy little poppyseeds.

Nine glazed muffins are placed on a wooden board with two lemon slices.
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The snow on the ground is FINALLY melting away, which means one very important thing – it’s springtime. And what does springtime mean? All of the fresh, fruity baked goods are back on the menu in my kitchen!

Lemon is just one of those flavors that always makes me feel all bright and happy inside, which are the exact emotions that align with spring and summertime. In this muffin recipe, that real lemony flavor is achieved by using fresh lemon juice and zest. The freshly squeezed lemon juice is both in the muffins and glaze, adding that extra “oomph” factor.

In my opinion, a lemon muffin is never complete without the addition of poppyseeds. The tiny, crunchy little seeds just go hand in hand with a perfectly baked lemon muffin! Lemon poppyseed muffins have been a favorite breakfast treat of mine since childhood, but honestly, I enjoy them as an after dinner snack as well. They’re just too good to only enjoy once a day!

A batch of lemon poppyseed muffins are glazed and placed on a wooden serving board with whole lemons and extra muffins scattered around.

What You’ll Need:

For the muffins, you’ll need:

  • Greek Yogurt – It should be full fat, plain, and at room temperature.
  • Lemon Juice – Use FRESH lemon juice! I promise, it’s so much better (and usually cheaper) than that bottled junk.
  • Sugar – Just white granulated sugar will get the job done.
  • Lemon Zest – If you don’t have a zester, use the smaller holed side of a cheese grater.
  • Butter – It should be salted and at room temperature.
  • Eggs – These will also need to be room temperature.
  • Flour – All purpose flour is what you’ll need.
  • Poppyseeds – At the store, they’ll likely be located in the spice aisle.
  • Baking Powder – This helps make them fluffy!
  • Salt

For the glaze, you should have:

  • Powdered Sugar – For sweetness, of course!
  • Lemon Juice
  • Milk – It can be any milk you prefer.

Common ingredient questions:

Is it important for the butter, lemon juice, eggs and butter to be at room temperature? Yes, this will help the muffins to have a lighter texture. And the butter will cream smoother if it is room temperature.

Could I use oil in this recipe instead of butter? Yes, I like the flavor that butter adds, but oil will work too! Just substitute the same amount.

A baked lemon poppyseed muffin has been topped with homemade white glaze.

How to Make Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

For more detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Mix. In a small bowl, mix together the greek yogurt and lemon juice.

Combine. In another bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar.

Cream. Cream together the butter and the lemon sugar. Mix the eggs into the mixture one at a time.

Combine. Combine the yogurt mixture with the creamed egg and butter mixture. Mix well!

Whisk. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and create a well in the center of it.

Combine (again!). Combine the wet and dry mixtures, careful to not over mix.

Divide and rest. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Allow the muffins to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

Bake. Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for about 12-15 minutes.

Glaze. Whisk the glaze ingredients together, then pour the glaze over the muffins with a fork once they’ve cooled for at least 10 minutes.

A muffin has been sliced in half, revealing a perfectly baked center.

Common Questions

I don’t know if I’m over-mixing the batter; what are some tips? When you’ve added the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, you could count each big stir. Try to keep it under 12 stirs. The batter may still be lumpy and that is okay.  

I’m not sure if the muffins are baked; how can I know for sure? You want to bake them just until a toothpick, skewer, or cake tester comes out clean (or with just a few soft crumbs). The edges will be turning golden and the top will have a dome to it. I start checking a couple of minutes before I expect them to be done. So, at about 18 minutes I would check these muffins. (You really don’t want to over-bake them.) 

Can I make the batter ahead of time? Yes, the mixed batter may be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.  When you are ready to bake, just fold the batter gently, only as needed to incorporate everything again.  

I like to make a dozen muffins at a time – can I try that with this recipe? Yes, the muffins will just be smaller, and I would check them at about 15 minutes to see if they are done.

How long will lemon poppyseed muffins stay fresh? In an airtight container at room temperature, these homemade treats will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.

A glazed muffin is placed on a tea towel next to lemon slices.

Spring into the season with my favorite treats!

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Soft, fluffy, and freshly flavored lemon muffins are made with just the right amount of crunchy little poppyseeds.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting time:: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 muffins

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup (100 g) greek yogurt, room temperature
  • ½ cup (122 g) lemon juice, fresh is best (room temperature)
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest
  • ½ cup (114 g) salted butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups (250 g) flour
  • 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

  • ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
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Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix together the room temperature greek yogurt and lemon juice.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Make sure your oven rack is in the middle position.
  • Prepare your muffin pans by spraying them well with non-stick spray.
  • Place the sugar in a small bowl and add the lemon zest to it. Rub this mixture together, between your fingers, to allow the lemon oils to permeate the sugar.
  • Cream together the room temperature butter and the lemon sugar. Mix in the room temperature eggs, one at a time.
  • Add the yogurt and lemon juice mixture to this bowl and combine this well.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Make a well (hole) in the center of this dry mixture.
  • Pour the wet mixture (butter, yogurt, etc) into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir only to moisten (it is okay if there are still some small lumps). Do not over-mix, or the muffins will be tough.
  • Divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups. Smooth out the tops of the batter if desired.
  • At this point, I like to let the muffins sit on the counter for about 20 minutes before placing them in the oven. I find that they rise slightly higher if I include this step, but they will still be great without it.
  • Bake at 425 °F (218 °C) for 5 minutes. Then, turn the oven down to 350 °F (177 °C) and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes.
  • While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. Just whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice. You may adjust the amount of lemon juice depending on how thin you’d like the glaze to be.
  • Allow the muffins to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and glazing them.
  • Use a fork to drizzle the glaze back and forth across the tops of the muffins.

Notes

If you want larger, bakery style muffins you can fill only 8 of the muffin tins. (They will be very full.) Place a couple of tablespoons of water into each of the empty muffin cups. With either amount make sure not to overmix your batter and to allow the batter to rise in the muffin tins for 20 minutes before baking.
This batter will be thicker and fluffier, it won’t pour out like a boxed muffin mix.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 244mg, Potassium: 74mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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2 Comments

  1. Kasie Chandler says:

    If I wanted to make minis muffins, how long would I bake them for?

    1. Julie Chiou says:

      i haven’t tried that myself but i would try maybe 7 minutes?