Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Printable)

Moist, zesty muffins with fresh lemon and poppy seed crunch—ideal for breakfast or tea.

# What You'll 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

# Directions:

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 evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy—avoid overmixing to prevent tough muffins.
05 - Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
06 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and tops are golden brown.
07 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of tart lemon and nutty poppy seeds creates this perfect balance that wakes up your taste buds
  • These muffins stay incredibly moist for days making them ideal for meal prep or surprise guests
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender muffins so stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears into the batter
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly creating a more uniform texture in the final muffin
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the lightest most aromatic zest without any bitter white pith
  • Measure your flour by spooning it into the measuring cup rather than dipping directly into the bag

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