Name: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons poppy seeds; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (full fat); 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest; 2 large eggs; 8 tablespoons butter (unsalted, melted and cooled slightly); 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

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A lemon lovers favorite, these moist, fluffy lemon poppy seed muffins are easy to make with simple ingredients and topped with a wonderful sweet lemon glaze for that extra lemon flavor.

I have many yummy muffin recipes here so be sure to try these others too! These peach muffins are so delicious, these zucchini oatmeal muffins are perfect for breakfast, apple cinnamon muffins are so quick to make!

A lemon poppyseed muffin on a white plate.

Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Glaze

These homemade lemon poppy seed muffins are perfect year-round, however, there’s something extra delightful about bright citrus flavor in the spring. Almost like a way to welcome back the sunshine and warmth after the winter.

They’re made with a handful of baking staples and a few extras like full-fat yogurt for extra moisture. Using fresh lemon juice and zest works perfectly with the crunchy poppy seeds and the syrup brushed on top gives them that special touch of bakery-style muffins.

Enjoy them for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, pack them up for road trips, or share them with friends and neighbors.

Can I make the simple lemon glaze with powdered sugar instead?

Absolutely! The original recipe uses granulated sugar which will come out clear and syrupy. Using powdered sugar will be a bit thicker and have more of a cloudy glaze look. Both are delicious.

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A lemon poppyseed muffin on a white plate. with a bite taken.

Ingredients

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card with amounts.

Ingredients for lemon poppyseed muffins syrup coating - lemon juice, granulated sugar and course sugar. — For the Muffins

Flour: To measure your flour accurately (which is super important when baking), use a kitchen scale, or the spoon and level method.
Baking staples: You’ll need sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and eggs.
Poppy Seeds: These give the lemon poppy seed muffins the signature flecks throughout and that crunchiness on top!
Yogurt – Use full-fat, plain yogurt to help deliver moist and tender muffins with a subtle tangy flavor. Greek yogurt works too. The acid will also help the leavening agents do their thing, which leads to ultra-fluffy muffins.
Fresh lemons: You’ll need both freshly squeezed lemon juice and the zest for that zesty lemon flavor.
Unsalted butter: You’ll need melted butter, but let it cool slightly first. If it’s too hot it’ll start cooking the eggs!
For the syrup: Lemon juice and sugar combined. Then, you’ll sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.

Will I get the same results using lemon juice from a bottle?

There’s no substitute for using freshly squeezed Meyer lemons, however in a pinch, you can use lemon juice from a bottle. In fact, if you’ve got lemon extract you can use that too.

Variations

1. Toss in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries. As showcased in my lemon blueberry muffin recipe, lemon and blueberry pair so well together.
2. You can also do this with other berries. Strawberries, raspberries, and even cherries (ok, not a berry, but still works).
3. Chocolate chips are always a fun addition!
4. Make these gluten free by using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
5. Substitute sour cream for the yogurt.
6. Swap the poppy seeds with chia seeds. You won’t notice a difference at all!

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This recipe is as easy to bake as a boxed muffin mix, but the lemon flavors are so much more pronounced.

A large clear glass bowl of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, flour and poppyseeds.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

A glass bowl consisting of plain yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs.

Wet ingredients mixed together with a whisk.

Step 2: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, and the eggs.

Wet ingredients mixed into the dry ingredients.

Muffin batter mixed together in a large glass bowl.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir until just combined. Do not overmix!

Melted butter poured into muffin batter.

Lemon poppyseed muffin batter mixed together in a large glass bowl.

Step 5: Then fold in the melted butter. Again, do this gently without overmixing.

A muffin tray filled of lemon poppyseed muffin batter.

Step 4: Scoop out even amounts of muffin batter into the muffin tin lined with paper liners.

Step 5: Bake the muffins in a preheated 375° F oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. In the meantime make the glaze.

A pan with the syrup for the lemon poppyseed muffins.

Step 6: Heat the sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Lemon poppyseed muffins in a muffin tray.

Step 7: Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle some of that delicious glaze over top of each cooled muffin. Then sprinkle of coarse sugar and lemon zest if you’d like as well.

Lemon recipes made with fresh lemon juice tend to brighten up everyone’s day! From lemon meringues to light lemon shortbread cookies, these recipes are zesty and vibrant, have have the same delicate flavors as these muffins.

Tips

Do not overmix the batter. You don’t want to release too much of the trapped air that makes them light and fluffy. This is a fast way to get dense muffins!
Let the batter rest. For best results, once you’ve mixed the batter let it sit for a bit. You’ll notice it starts to bubble slightly. This is the leavening agents putting in the work.
Use a large cookie scoop to divide batter equally and evenly into each cup.
For even baking, start with room temperature ingredients. Since the butter is warm, it’s a good idea to bring the yogurt and eggs out too. This will help with even baking.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for about two or three days.

You can freeze the muffins, too. Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or parchment paper and then place the muffins in a freezer bag. The frozen muffins will stay fresh for about 3 months.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins