Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Printable)

Moist, zesty muffins with fresh lemon and crunchy poppy seeds. Perfect breakfast treat ready in 35 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
04 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
06 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - ¾ cup whole milk
09 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
11 - Zest of 2 lemons
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until combined—do not overmix. Small lumps are acceptable.
05 - Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The fresh lemon zest and juice create an incredibly moist crumb that stays tender for days
  • Poppy seeds add the most delightful subtle crunch throughout every bite
  • These come together in under 40 minutes from start to finish
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender muffins, so stop folding as soon as the flour is incorporated
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more easily and create a more uniform texture
  • These actually taste better on day two when the lemon flavor has had time to deepen throughout
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them, as it is much easier to zest a whole lemon
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate more easily into the batter for a uniform texture
  • For the most intense lemon flavor, use both the zest and juice from the same lemons

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