You’ll love every bite of these tangy-sweet and moist lemon poppy seed muffins. It’s a classic flavor, and the same base recipe I use for many other fan-favorite muffin flavors including blueberry muffins and apple cinnamon muffins. Topped with a sweet lemon icing, these citrus-centered muffins make for a special breakfast treat.
Have you ever tried my go-to muffin recipe before? It’s a standard muffin base I use for a variety of flavors, and with a couple simple tweaks, you can go from spiced peach streusel muffins to fresh lemon poppy seed muffins. When you have a solid and forgiving baking recipe, the possibilities are endless.
A healthy dose of poppy seeds give today’s sunshine-sweet muffins a slight crunch. That’s the best part about poppy seed muffins! The poppy seeds are a perfect contrast to the muffin’s soft interior.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Simple to make with basic baking ingredients
- Loads of sweet-tart fresh lemon flavor
- Soft, tender, and cakey, with the added texture of poppy seeds
- Top with lemon icing or a sprinkling of coarse sparkling sugar for a sweet finish
- As good or better than any lemon poppy seed muffin from a bakery
Why You Need the Following Ingredients
I use this combo of ingredients in many of my muffin recipes:
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this muffin recipe.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leaveners lift the muffins up, making them soft and fluffy. I’m generous with the baking soda because I want extra lift; there’s enough acid in the batter to neutralize it.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer.
- Poppy Seeds: These itty-bitty seeds add a mild nutty flavor and slight crunch to baked goods. I love them on bagels, too!
- Butter: Creamed butter gives these muffins a cake-like texture; plus, it adds deliciously buttery flavor.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins, balancing out the tart lemon. Brown sugar adds a kiss of flavor, plus extra moisture.
- Eggs: Eggs work to bind the ingredients together.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: You can use either. I typically use full-fat sour cream or low-fat Greek yogurt—both are very creamy.
- Lemon Zest + Juice: Zest the lemon first, before you cut it open and juice it. Much easier than the other way around!
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor profile of these muffins. I reduce the amount just a bit to make up for the extra liquid from the lemon juice. If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, you can replace half of the vanilla with lemon extract.
- Milk: You can use pretty much any kind here: whole milk, low-fat, nondairy, or even buttermilk. For the best taste and texture, steer clear of nonfat milk.
Yes. Replace the same amount of poppy seeds in the batter with chia seeds. There is really no taste or texture difference at all.
Yes. You can fold about 1 and 1/2 cups (about 200–250g) of fresh or frozen berries (do not thaw) into the batter before spooning into the pan and baking. I actually have a recipe for blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins which is very similar to today’s recipe, as well as a lemon blueberry muffins recipe. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
Expect a Thick Batter
The instructions are pretty basic here, and you’ll find them in the printable recipe card below. One important thing to note, however, is to expect a thick and airy batter. Don’t be tempted to add more liquid; you want a nice thick batter so the muffins hold shape.
There aren’t any add-ins like chocolate chips or berries, so there’s less volume than my other muffin recipes using this same base. As a result, I don’t fill the muffin cups quite as full. You don’t want to fill the muffin pan too high (and yield fewer muffins). Why? Because these muffin tops spread out into mushroom-looking tops when overfilled.
Just divide the batter between 12 cups, using a standard 12-count muffin pan.
The High-Top Muffin Trick
I’ve been using this muffin trick for years and SWEAR by it.
Bake the muffins for just 5 minutes at a high temperature, 425°F (218°C). Then reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C) for the remaining bake time. This initial burst of heat lifts the muffin straight up, creating a solid dome. Baking at a lower temperature for the rest of the time cooks the center of the muffin.
Plain or Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Topping your lemon poppy seed muffins with icing is optional, but it definitely adds some extra lemon flavor. I always add it. This deliciously creamy lemon icing is made from just 3 ingredients, and it’s the same icing I use to top my strawberry lemon poppy seed scones and lemon pound cake. You need confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Two of these ingredients are also used in the muffin batter.
Just whisk everything together in a bowl and drizzle over the baked muffins. If you don’t want to top these with icing, you can sprinkle some coarse sparkling sugar on top before baking.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tangy-sweet and tender, lemon poppy seed muffins topped with a sweet lemon icing make for a special breakfast treat that tastes like it came from a bakery.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (see Note about adding lemon extract)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (any kind), at room temperature
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, then turn up to high speed and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Mixture may look a little chunky and curded; that’s ok.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain.
- Spoon the batter evenly into each muffin cup or liner. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 15–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 20–22 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm or cooled muffins.
- Cover and store leftover muffins for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: For longer storage, freeze muffins (with or without icing) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Cooling Rack
- For a jumbo muffin pan: 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F for 22–25 minutes for a total of 27–30 minutes. Makes about 6. For mini muffins: 350°F (whole time) for 12–14 minutes. Makes about 36–40.
- Can I Use Chia Seeds Instead of Poppy Seeds? Yes. Replace the same amount of poppy seeds in the batter with chia seeds.
- Vanilla & Lemon Extracts: If you prefer a stronger lemon flavor, you can replace half of the vanilla with lemon extract. (So, use 3/4 teaspoon each vanilla and lemon extracts.)
- Milk: You can use any milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly.
- Can I Add Berries? Yes. You can fold about 1 and 1/2 cups (about 200g-250g) of fresh or frozen berries (do not thaw) into the batter before spooning into the pan and baking. I actually have a recipe for blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins which is very similar to today’s recipe, as well as a lemon blueberry muffins recipe. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
- Can I Make This Into a Bread? I find the best success when using this slightly different recipe for lemon poppy seed quick bread. I also have a recipe for a slightly denser lemon pound cake loaf. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired.
Didn’t taste like lemon, despite having a whole 3 tablespoons of juice. I usually love Sally’s recipes, but this one wasn’t a hit unfortunately.
Whenever I want to make muffins I come to this recipe and it’s delicious! Perfect muffins for any day.
I would like to make these for Easter Brunch but would prefer to make mini’s, could you please advise how long to bake and what temperature. Thanks
Hi Anne, happy to help. You’ll want to bake at 350°F (for the whole time) for 12–14 minutes. It should make about 36–40. See the recipe notes for this and additional options!
I was excited to try this recipe. Muffins turned out beautiful. Will be proud to serve them to guests at Bridal shower I am hosting.
These are great! I made mini muffins which took about 20 minutes for me. I did increase the lemon zest and juice a bit. Also used whole wheat flour and didn’t notice any negative effect on the flavor or texture.
I just reviewed these & said I couldn’t taste any lemon in the muffin. However, my husband had one a few minutes ago & he said he could taste the lemon. There was no icing on that muffin.
So I guess those of us who can’t taste the lemon have defective taste buds. ; )
Muffins were almost burnt when I took them out of the oven at 15 minutes, but they still taste good. Next time I’ll just bake them at 350 the whole time & see if that makes a difference
I, like some others, couldn’t taste the lemon at all. Although I hadn’t planned to frost them, I will do so now, as shown in the picture & will make sure the frosting IS lemony tasting.
Also, I did bake them at the higher temperature for 5 mins. & then turned the oven down to 350. However when I tested them at 14 mins. they were done & the temperature had only gone down to close to 375.
Good thing I checked at 14 mins. because they were done…& then some.
Needless to say, I won’t be making them again. They weren’t bad, just not lemony tasting.
These could have been more lemony. I think using lemon extract rather than vanilla would make a difference. Also I added 1 1/2 c of frozen blueberries which was too much. I also had to increase the baking time as a result of the frozen berries.
Just made these tonight and they’re a hit with the whole family. We made mini muffins, used greek yogurt and chia seeds and realized at the last minute that I was out of vanilla extract and bean paste. The batter was good but I could tell it was missing the vanilla so I added the same amount of Cointreau and it was just the little something that helped bring it all together. I also added extra lemon juice to the icing because we like it tangy. Consistently delicious recipes from Sally. It makes it so easy knowing anything i pick from this website will come out tasting great! Thank you Sally!
Just made these again for a spring party and they were a hit! My only issue both times I’ve made them has been the icing coming out too runny. I’ve had this issue with other icing recipes too and I can’t figure it out. I can’t seem to get icing that sits on top of the muffin it always soaks in. I add more sugar but too much and the lemon flavor is gone and it becomes sickly sweet. Should I add cornstarch? Any ideas would be so appreciated! I think the muffins will really be top notch once I figure this out
Hi Elise, we’re happy to help. Adding more confectioners’ sugar, as you mention, is the best way to thicken it up. You can also let the icing sit for a few minutes before icing the muffins. This will help it to thicken a bit and not run down the muffins as much. Hope this helps for your next batch!
The recipe makes a great poppyseed muffin, but no matter what I do I get 0 lemon taste. I have even switched to using lemon oil plus juice to no avail.
Overall, excellent muffins and they work with gluten free flour.
I have always loved your blueberry muffins from this recipe and these are just as fantastic. Great flavor and quick to make, Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I thank you so much for this recipe. The muffins came out so delicious and I am almost embarrassed to say, “i can’t stop eating them” and am looking forward to baking another pan.
Truly a blessing and thanks for sharing Sally.
Mmmmmh! Sowas von lecker. Wir lieben sie. Ich war etwas skeptisch, aber jetzt gehören sie definitiv zu meinen Top Favoriten. Viele Grüße aus Deutschland
I loved the batter, but had a hard time with the baking since I had a black non stick muffin pan. The muffins rose quickly and browned on the edges, then the middle rose a little wonky. Like an outie bellybutton. Next time I think I will start at 400 then lower to 350. Sally, any ideas? Maybe it’s my oven.
Hi Lynne! A dark pan can cause uneven baking, but also make sure that your oven isn’t running too hot. We always recommend using an in-oven thermometer for most accurate results!
I made these scrumptious muffins. Let’s just say they were probably the best thing I have ever put inside my mouth! These muffins were light and fluffy, and mixed with the lemony flavour OMG!! #BEST.MUFFINS.EVERRRRR!!
What if anything have you tried to use as a vegan egg replacer?
Hi Gary, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes but let us know if you do!
These didn’t come out as I’d hoped they would. The oven “trick” led to dry, almost wafery, flat things. The ratio of the icing was also out… Such a pity, because I was so looking forward to them!
Hi Clinton, I wonder if you over-filled the muffin liners, and then they flattened out on top? And was there too much icing, or not enough? Happy to help troubleshoot from here.
I found that the icing was too thin, so I just added more sugar.
I do love the texture of these muffins! 5 star. My only wish is the bread portion of muffin was a bit more lemony.
Can I make this recipe into a cake instead of cupcakes?
Hi Patti, for a 9×5-inch loaf pan, we find the best success when using this slightly different recipe for lemon poppy seed quick bread. We also have a recipe for a slightly denser lemon pound cake loaf. You can add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds to that batter if desired. Or, here is our lemon cake recipe if you’re looking for a layered cake option.
This recipe turned out great. I made it tonight. I followed the directions as it said. I maybe turned it down a touch early and then only cooked for 15 minutes more. I think I could’ve cooked it for 14 minutes. I like that the batter isn’t too sweet. I just lightly did icing.
Sally, could I leave out the poppy seeds? I love lemon but not the texture of the seeds.
Absolutely!
Can almond flour or coconut flour be used? Can sugars be replaced with honey or maple syrup?
Hi Michelle! For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for those ingredients.
This turned out delicious, I baked at 425 for 5 minutes and 15 minutes at 350 and they were slightly overcooked. I will try it again at 4 minutes at 425, then 14 minutes at 350
Sally, how could I use lemon curd in this recipe instead of lemon zest and juice? I need to use it up and thought I could add it somehow.
Hi Jordan, it would take some testing to flavor lemon muffins with lemon curd. What we would try instead is coring these muffins after they cool and adding lemon curd to the centers – yum!
This recipe is AMAZING! Thank you so much for providing such tested recipes. I always know I can depend on your recipes to be faultless. ❤️
This looks yummy! Is there a way to make this dairy-free?
Hi RC, you could use nondairy milk + yogurt, and try a vegan butter substitute or even coconut oil. (In solid form, to cream it.)
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter ? White whole wheat flour instead of all our paper white flour ? Maple syrup or honey instead of sugar ? What would the proportions be with all these changes ? Trying to make it bit healthier if possible
Lmk thanks !!
Hi Jen, I’m unsure. I haven’t tested these changes. You may enjoy these apple muffins or these whole wheat banana muffins instead. But let me know if you try these changes and how they turn out.
Maple syrup and honey are no healthier than sugar, just less processed.
Excited to try this recipe! Do you think they can be baked as jumbo muffins?
Hi Jamie, absolutely. See recipe Note.
Of course! Thank you 🙂
Hi Sally-these look delicious and will certainly give them a try. If I wanted to make these into almond poppy seed muffins what would be the ratio of almond extract I would need to use? Thanks!
Hi Sue! I would simply leave out the lemon zest, replace the lemon juice with more milk, and add 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract when you add the vanilla. You could top with sliced almonds before baking. For the icing, replace the lemon juice with more milk and add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. (Or almond extract if you’d like.)
Can’t wait to try these! They look delicious. Love this website, Sally!