Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

The vibrant aroma of freshly baked lemon poppy seed muffins never fails to make breakfast a little sunnier. Bursting with zesty lemon and sweet vanilla, these muffins have all the flavors we crave in a baked good. They’re also delightfully tangy thanks to sour cream—the secret weapon in this ingredients list. Sour cream accentuates the lemon’s sourness while keeping the muffins moist, lowering the risk of baking a dried-out batch of muffins to almost zero.

This is the primo lemon poppy seed muffin recipe if you’re craving buttery, tender and tangy muffins with the tiniest bit of crunch from the poppy seeds. The muffins taste fantastic for breakfast, brunch, snack or anytime you’re craving a muffin recipe worth making again and again.

Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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• Butter: As far as I’m convinced, Kerrygold is the gold standard for baking (… and for slathering on toast, and for melting into your favorite stew recipes, but I digress). You could use any type of butter, but this high-butterfat Irish butter makes muffin recipes that much richer. And rich, buttery muffins are undeniably glorious.
• Sugar: White sugar helps aerate the dough, creating the lightest lemon poppy seed muffin recipe. Swapping in brown sugar is fine, but the muffins will be a little chewier with a hint of molasses-like flavor—definitely still delicious, but different.
• Eggs: Always use room-temperature eggs when baking. They incorporate more easily into the dough for the fluffiest treats.
• Sour cream: Sour cream keeps these muffins ultra-moist and fluffy. It also adds a tangy, creamy flavor that flawlessly underlines the muffins’ tart lemony flavor. Greek yogurt is a stellar substitute if you used the last of your sour cream to make a sour cream pound cake.
• Lemon: This lemon poppy seed muffin recipe calls for lemon extract, freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. If you’re unsure how to zest a lemon, don’t fret; you can use a microplane, box grater or vegetable peeler if you don’t have a zester.
• Vanilla extract: Playing a supporting role, vanilla extract adds a rich, sweet note that’s absolutely gorgeous with creamy lemon desserts.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins structure and creates the ideal tender texture.
• Leavening agents: Equal parts baking soda and baking powder join forces to produce the softest, airiest muffins.
• Poppy seeds: Blue poppy seeds boast a wonderful nutty, almost spicy flavor. They’re the boldest of the edible poppy seed varieties, making them a favorite for all sorts of poppy seed recipes.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a second bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 3: Make the muffin batter

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Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture just until moistened.

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Gently fold in the poppy seeds.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t overmix the batter! Mix the ingredients until just combined to prevent dense muffins.

Step 4: Bake and serve

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Grease a muffin tin. Pour the batter evenly between the wells. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, and serve warm.

Editor’s Tip: You can make a dozen regular-sized muffins as shown here or use a jumbo-sized muffin tin to make six larger muffins as directed on the recipe card.

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Recipe Variations

• Make them nutty: Add nuts like cashews or pecans to turn these lemony muffins into a hearty mid-morning snack. You can use toasted or untoasted nuts, or get fancy with orange-honey or vanilla-glazed nuts.
• Add a glaze: A lemon, almond or quick vanilla glaze introduces an extra kiss of sweetness to these lemony treats.
• Mix in fruit: Fresh or dried berries are a stunning addition to a recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins. Blueberries are a particularly good choice, but other fruits like blackberry, raspberry and strawberry also work.

How to Store Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Once the muffins have cooled, put them in an airtight container and tuck them away on your countertop. Keeping them at room temperature helps prevent the muffins from drying out.

How long do lemon poppy seed muffins last?

These homemade muffins will last up to three days when stored at room temperature.

Can you freeze lemon poppy seed muffins?

This lemon poppy seed muffin recipe is a dream to freeze. Let the muffins cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe container. Frozen lemon poppy seed muffins last for up to two months. Thaw them on the counter overnight. If you want to be good to yourself, pop them in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to warm them up.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Tips

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How do you keep a recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins moist?

There are a few tricks to making perfectly moist muffins, but using sour cream or yogurt in the batter is a key. These acidic ingredients tenderize the gluten strands, making the muffins taste more moist and tender. It’s also important to avoid overmixing the batter (an important tip for all your baking projects). Finally, don’t overbake your muffins. Keep an eye on the oven once you get to the 20-minute mark, especially if your oven runs hot.

How do you know when the muffins are done baking?

The toothpick test is the easiest way to tell when your muffins are ready to come out of the oven. Grab a toothpick and stick it in the center of a muffin. If it comes out crumb-free, you’re good to go!

How do you glaze muffins?

You can make a simple glaze (just like the one we use in our blueberry lemon muffins recipe) by whisking together 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until you have a smooth glaze, and drizzle it over the muffins while they’re still warm.

What else can you serve with lemon poppy seed muffins?

Fantastic at breakfast and even better with afternoon tea, the recipe for lemon poppy seed muffins is stunning served with a pat of Kerrygold, a drop of homemade jelly and jam, almond butter and clotted cream. Serve the muffins as part of a spread featuring scrambled eggs, overnight oats and healthy yogurt parfaits, or try one of these phenomenal frittata recipes.