These moist lemon poppy seed muffins are bursting with a tangy lemon flavor. It makes a great morning or afternoon treat.
why this recipe works?
These lemony, buttery, moist and fluffy muffins are coming straight out of the heaven. No - I am not kidding. How else would you describe individual cakes bursting with tangy lemon flavor, packed with poppy seeds and brushed with sugary lemon syrup. You call them small pieces from heaven, made with a few ingredients and a simple recipe.
Table of Contents
tangy lemon flavor
These muffins get the tanginess of lemon through lemon zest and lemon juice. Furthermore, the lemon syrup enhances the taste of this muffins more by infusing more lemon taste in the muffins.
poppy seeds
Poppy seeds are small oilseeds that come out of opium poppy flowery plant. These tiny seeds have been harvested and eaten since thousands of years. They are still largely and legally cultivated and used in many European countries and South Asia. These seeds have a ‘pleasant nutty taste and aroma’ that make them suitable for baked goods.
The whole poppy seeds are used in various cuisines such as muffins, buns, cookies, bagels, cakes and fragrant yeast breads.
sour cream
There is not much butter used in this recipe and instead these muffins get their airy structure from sour cream. I suggest you use the full-fat sour cream to get the best results. If you want to substitute the sour cream with yogurt, make sure to stain the regular yogurt as it can be runny and will affect the raise of the bake.
ingredients for lemon poppy seed muffins
Pro Tip # 1
Always use room temperature ingredients for baking (unless otherwise specified) as they incorporate better and give perfect baked treats.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sour Cream
- Poppy Seeds
Pro Tip # 2
Always use a digital scale to measure all-purpose flour and other dry ingredients for perfect results. Scooping it out directly using cups may result in uneven amount of dry ingredients and dense bakes.
common questions
I prefer fresh lemon juice for these muffins. Peel out the zest of the lemons before squeezing out the juice. You may use the bottled lemon juice, but you will not get the same taste.
For the lemon zest, just make sure to have the yellow zest and avoid the white layer beneath the zest. The white layer is bitter, and you want to avoid the bitter taste in the muffins.
The batter for these muffins is very thick which will help with domed and puffy muffins. The batter will make moist and fluffy muffins.
how to store
- On the Counter: These muffins will stay fresh on the counter for 2 - 3 days.
- In the Fridge: The muffins will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
- In the Freezer: These muffins can be stashed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap and add a layer of foil to it before stashing it in the freezer.
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Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Equipment
- 1 muffins tray (12)
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:
- ½ cup butter (115 grams) room temperature
- 1 cup castor sugar (220 grams)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract (8.67 grams)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of one large lemon) (14.4 grams) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon zest of lemon (2 grams) see notes
- 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (245 grams) strained
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (300 grams)
- 2 eggs (large) room temperature
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder (12 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (2.4 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (1.5 grams)
- 2 - 3 tablespoon poppy seeds (30 grams)
Lemon Syrup:
- ¾ cup water (180 ml)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (58 ml)
- 1 cup sugar (220 grams)
Instructions
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Then add sugar and mix again until it is creamy. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and yogurt and give it a mix until incorporated well.
- In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds. Whisk together.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix or the muffins will be tough in texture.
- Using a big ice-cream scoop, scoop out a generous amount of batter and pour into the muffin liners. This will make 12-14muffins.
- Bake in the middle rack for 14 – 17 minutes until the muffins are golden brown on the edges and an inserted tooth-pick or wooden skewer comes out cleaner.
Lemon Syrup
- Take a heavy sauce pan and simmer water. Add sugar and lemon juice and keep stirring for 5-6 minutes. Cool it well before using.
- Brush the baked warm muffins with 2-3 times with the syrup to infuse the lemon syrup into the muffins. Let it cool for about 5 –10 minutes.
