Incredibly delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins—soft, citrusy, and finished with a sweet glaze drizzle! Plus, you only need one bowl!
Next time, try these Healthy Banana Muffins or Apple Muffins!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
When I need a quick fix, these lemon poppy seed muffins are my go-to—just mix, bake, and enjoy! No stand mixer, no extra steps—just one bowl, a whisk, and a spatula.
They’re bakery-style, tall, sweet, and ultra-moist.
The secret? Greek yogurt keeps them soft while lemon extract adds a bold citrus punch. If you’ve baked my lemon recipes before, you probably have it on hand—perfect for these muffins, my Magnolia copycat lemon pie, and my favorite lemon cookies!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Ingredients
- Eggs: Use room temp eggs—cold ones can harden fats, causing uneven baking.
- Greek Yogurt: I love Greek Gods’ full-fat honey-vanilla yogurt! Full-fat sour cream works too.
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps muffins moist with a tender crumb. Canola oil works too.
- White Sugar: Sweetens and helps with browning.
- Lemon Extract: Intensifies lemon flavor! If unavailable, add extra zest.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Fresh is best! Zest before juicing.
- Whole Milk: Creates a rich batter. Plant-based milk works but won’t be as rich.
- Flour: Provides structure—stick to all-purpose flour.
- Cornstarch: Softens flour proteins for a finer crumb.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Make muffins rise—ensure they’re fresh.
- Poppy Seeds: Add crunch and a fun pop of color to your muffins.
How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Prep: Let eggs, yogurt, and milk reach room temp.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisking well here helps create a light, fluffy texture.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Overmixing can make the muffins dense—stop once no dry streaks remain.
- Stir in Milk: Pour in milk and stir until smooth.
- Fill Muffin Pan: Use a ¼ cup measure for evenly sized muffins.
- Bake: Ovens vary—start checking at 18 mins.
- Cool: Cooling prevents soggy bottoms and helps flavors develop.
- Make & Add Glaze: Glaze only what you’ll eat that day.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Mix until just combined to keep muffins soft and fluffy.
- Check early—ovens vary, so test a few mins before time’s up. They should bounce back when lightly touched.
- Take muffins out of the tin soon after baking so the bottoms don’t get soggy; cool on a rack.
Quick Tip
How do you know when lemon poppy seed muffins are done? Insert a toothpick in the center—if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re done! If wet, bake a bit longer.
Storage
Storing And Freezing Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Store lemon poppy seed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week; for longer storage, freeze and consume within 1-3 months.
More Muffin Recipes:
- Mini Muffins with 4 different ways to make them!
- Pumpkin Muffins high-rise, bakery-style muffins
- Chocolate Muffins a reader favorite recipe!
- Pistachio Muffins made without flour or refined sugars
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins made with Greek yogurt
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Incredibly delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins—soft, citrusy, and finished with a sweet glaze drizzle! Plus, you only need one bowl!
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Zester
- Juicer
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt at room temperature; or use sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons milk at room temperature; I use whole
Dry Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Coarse sparkling sugar optional
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. Measure and set out your eggs, yogurt, and milk to reach room temperature (see note 1). Zest the lemons with a zester to get 1 tablespoon lemon zest and juice with a citrus juicer to get 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
- In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients except the milk. Whisk until smooth and well-blended.
- Over the wet ingredients, evenly sprinkle the flour, then layer on the other dry ingredients. Gently mix everything together with a spatula until just combined, ensuring there are no dry streaks.
- Pour in the milk and mix until smooth and incorporated.
- Spoon batter into a 1/4 cup measuring cup to perfectly fill it to the top. Then scoop that batter out into each muffin cavity. This should yield about 14 muffins. Optional: sprinkle 1/4 up to 1/2 tsp coarse sparkling sugar atop each muffin. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Once baked, remove the muffins from the oven. Allow them to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. After that, gently remove the muffins and place them on a cooling rack. Let them cool for an additional 10–15 minutes.
- Glaze: Whisk together glaze ingredients, adding lemon juice gradually until you have a thick glaze. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal. Cut off the tip and pipe over the muffins. Glaze only the muffins you want to enjoy the same day!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Ensuring the wet ingredients are all at room temperature ensures even mixing and better texture, as they blend more smoothly and help achieve a consistent batter.
Storage: Store lemon poppy seed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for 1–3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.5g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 26.7mg | Sodium: 103.8mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would this work in a loaf pan?
Not this recipe, sorry Monica!
Lovely muffins!
Thanks so much Chelsey! 🙂
I love this recipe. Everything about it!
Thank you so much Carlos! 🙂
hey girl-love these muffins
Thank you Shawnna! 🙂