• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches
      • Drinks/Cocktails
      • Sauces & Dressings
    • Method
      • Crockpot
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pot
      • Air Fryer
      • Casseroles
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Italian
      • Mexican
      • European
      • Indian
      • Romanian
      • Mediterranean
      • Middle Eastern
      • American
    • Ingredient
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Beef
      • Seafood
      • Lamb
      • Vegetarian
      • Pasta
      • Spices
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Game Day
      • Valentine's Day
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Mother's Day
      • Memorial Day
      • Father's Day
      • 4th Of July
      • Labor Day
      • Halloween
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • Shop
  • About Jo
FREE recipe eBook!
Search...
All Recipes
Instant Pot
30 Minute
One Pot Meals
Soups
Dips & Dressings
Baking
Pasta
Sandwiches
Sides
Breakfast Muffins
4.6 from 51 votes

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Jump to RecipePrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •8/30/22 35 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins come complete with a simple 2 ingredient lemon glaze and are so delicious they could rival any bakery muffin. It’s a super simple recipe and an easy breakfast your whole family will love!

lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze on a cooling rack
Table of Contents Open
  • Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
  • Why You’ll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • Muffins
    • Lemon glaze
  • How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Muffins
    • Lemon Glaze
  • How Do I Know If My Muffins Are Done Baking?
  • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
  • Freezing
  • Other Drool Worthy Muffins To Try
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

What’s the easiest thing to make when you have a sweet tooth? Well for me it’s either muffins or cookies, like these lemon poppy seed muffins which are a sure way to brighten your day.

The lemon glaze is a must, in my opinion, because it truly adds more lemon flavor to these muffins, especially if you love lemon as much as I do. Just 15 minutes to make and 20 minutes to bake and you’ve got a super delicious muffin that’s perfect for on-the-go breakfasts or anytime you want indulge in a little treat with your cup of coffee.

Why You’ll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

  • Bursting With Lemon Deliciousness! These muffins are bursting with fresh lemon flavor and a rich nutty flavor from the poppy seeds.
  • Easy To Make! This recipe is super easy even for the most beginner bakers. No special equipment needed and just a few simple steps.
  • Pantry Staple Ingredients! Everything you need to make the lemon poppy seed muffins is likely already in your pantry.

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of all ingredients needed to make lemon poppy seed muffins

Muffins

  • Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is all you need.
  • Sugar – I used granulated white sugar, but you can also use cane sugar.
  • Baking Powder – Used as a leavening agent.
  • Salt – Balances the sweetness of the muffins as well as enhances the flavor of the lemon zest.
  • Eggs – You’ll need 2 large eggs to add structure, leavening and richness to our muffins.
  • Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract if you can to add another layer of flavor.
  • Lemon Juice And Zest – I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice.
  • Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking.
  • Sour Cream – To add moistness to our delicious muffins. Can be substituted with plain yogurt.
  • Milk – To make our muffins nice and moist and add lots of great flavor to our muffins.
  • Poppy seeds – The other star ingredient in this lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.

Lemon glaze

  • Icing sugar – This is the same as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar.
  • Lemon juice – You can use milk as well but if you’re going for that lemon flavor, I strongly recommend using lemon juice, freshly squeezed.

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

process shots showing how to make lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze

Muffins

  1. Prep the oven and muffin pan: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 12 mold regular-size muffin pan with cooking spray.
  2. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl whisk the sugar with the lemon zest together. Add the butter, milk, lemon juice, and continue mixing. Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and whisk until well blended.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.
  5. Spoon batter into muffin pan: Spoon the batter in each muffin cup, there should be enough batter for 12 muffins. I find it easier to use an ice cream scoop to scoop muffin batter into the pan.
  6. Bake: Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
  7. Cool: Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.

Lemon Glaze

  1. Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  2. Drizzle lemon glaze over cooled muffins and enjoy.
overhead shot of lemon muffins cooling on a cooling rack

How Do I Know If My Muffins Are Done Baking?

There are  a couple ways to check if the lemon poppy seed muffins are baked through.

  1. Touch the muffin top lightly and if it springs back, they are done.
  2. Insert a toothpick in the center of the muffin and when you pull it out, the toothpick should be free of the batter when baked through.

Expert Tips

  1. To test doneness without piercing your muffin, poke the top of the dome. If it springs back the muffin is done!
  2. Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
  3. Use as much lemon juice or lemon zest as you wish. If you love the flavor of lemon as much as I do, the lemon glaze is a must.
lemon muffins in a muffin pan fresh out of the oven

Leftovers

As with any quick breads or other muffins, place them in a plastic bag, seal, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also individually wrap them in plastic wrap.

Freezing

To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap individually, heavy foil or place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat them, I usually place them frozen in the microwave for a minute until heated through.

Do you love lemon poppy seed combination? Try my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake!

overhead shot of lemon poppy seed muffins drizzled with lemon glaze on a cooling rack

Other Drool Worthy Muffins To Try

  • The Perfect Banana Muffins
  • Apple Coffee Cake Muffins
  • Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Carrot Cake Muffins
  • Blueberry Muffins
  • Morning Glory Muffins

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

side view shot of lemon poppy seed muffins covered in a glaze
Print
4.61 from 51 votes

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Rate Recipe
These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins come complete with a simple 2 ingredient lemon glaze and are so delicious they could rival any bakery muffin. It's a super simple recipe and an easy breakfast your whole family will love!
12

Ingredients

Muffins

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup butter (melted)
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoon sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Lemon glaze

  • 1 cup icing sugar (same as powdered sugar or confectioner sugar)
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

Muffins

  • Prep the oven and muffin pan: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 12 mold regular-size muffin pan with cooking spray.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt together.
  • Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl whisk the sugar with the lemon zest together. Add the butter, milk, lemon juice, and continue mixing. Add the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and whisk until well blended.
  • Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.
  • Spoon batter into muffin pan: Spoon the batter in each muffin cup, there should be enough batter for 12 muffins. I find it easier to use an ice cream scoop to scoop muffin batter into the pan.
  • Bake: Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
  • Cool: Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and finish cooling completely.

Lemon Glaze

  • Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled muffins and enjoy.

Equipment

  • Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3 piece)
  • Keep Calm And Bake On Spatula
  • 6-Inch Stainless Steel Whisk
  • 12-Cup Muffin Pan
  • Black Cooling Rack

Notes

  1. As with any quick breads or other muffins, place them in a plastic bag, seal, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also individually wrap them in plastic wrap.
  2. To freeze, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap individually, heavy foil or place them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat them, I usually place them frozen in the microwave for a minute until heated through.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1muffinCalories: 264kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 40g (13%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 58mg (19%)Sodium: 121mg (5%)Potassium: 132mg (4%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 23g (26%)Vitamin A: 325IU (7%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 70mg (7%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

side view shot of lemon poppy seed muffins covered in a glaze

Did You Make This?

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @jocooks or hashtag #jocooks so we can see your creations!

Rate Recipe
Add Your Photo!
  • 130
Home Recipes
Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
iPad showing title of ebook 30 recipes from around the world
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Loading

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

35 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Tiffany
Tiffany
Posted: 6 months ago

Can you sub GF flour?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Tiffany
Posted: 6 months ago

Probably but I haven’t tried myself. However, make sure to use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that has xanthan gum in it, which acts as a replacement for the gluten that is naturally in all-purpose flour.

0
Reply
Sarah S
Sarah S
Posted: 9 months ago

Jo, I’m normally a big fan of your recipes and use some of them regularly. However, sorry, but these muffins were not lemony enough (or quite sweet enough) for me. Also, how do you whisk sugar and lemon zest? And why would you? I’m afraid Step 3 makes no sense to me as one is instructed to add lemon zest twice!

I’ll have to tweak the quantities and see what happens – after all, we’re all individuals!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Sarah S
Posted: 9 months ago

Hi Sarah! Sorry to hear you didn’t like this recipe. You only need to mix the lemon zest with the sugar, the other one was a typo which I’ve fixed. If you’re looking for more of a lemony flavor you could always add more lemon juice to the muffin batter. Yes, you are correct, all recipes could be and are meant to be tweaked to your preferences.

0
Reply
Lynn
Lynn
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
Delicious and very easy to make. I did make some minor changes:
1. Browned the butter
2. Added lemon extract to both the batter and glaze.
I really loved it!

0
Reply
Colleen Bilinsky
Colleen Bilinsky
Posted: 2 years ago

These are amazing with and without the lemon icing!!! They are moist and substantial. We loved them!!!

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Colleen Bilinsky
Posted: 2 years ago

Great to hear! 🙂

0
Reply
Sarah B
Sarah B
Reply to  Jo Cooks Team
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
Loved this recipe. Super simple and tastes great. I added some extra poppyseed and baked at 350 for a little longer as I don’t like crunchy tops. I also just mixed all the dry and all the wet separately, and then folded wet into dry, so I didn’t quite follow all the steps but still turned out wonderful.

0
Reply
Mallory
Mallory
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is now my favourite muffin recipe… also my husband’s! Comes out perfect every time and I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for sharing!!!

0
Reply
Sue
Sue
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
This is the best muffin recipe I have ever made and I make a lot. The texture is amazing, these are so much better than shop bought. Thanks Jo x

0
Reply
Dominique
Dominique
Posted: 2 years ago

I loved your poppyseed bread recipe (I made it twice!). Just wondering why that one uses oil, but you use butter for the muffins. Can I use oil in the muffins?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Dominique
Posted: 2 years ago

You can use either! We just wanted a buttery flavor for the muffins.

0
Reply
Kerrie
Kerrie
Posted: 2 years ago

Could you substitute yoghurt for sour cream? Thanks.

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Kerrie
Posted: 2 years ago

Yes you can!

0
Reply
Catherine
Catherine
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
I loved this recipe so much!!!! MMMM LEMON

0
Reply
Deborah
Deborah
Posted: 3 years ago

Jo, I tried your recipe here, but I had to leave the poppy seeds out, as I have diverticula. They turned out great, and tasted even better. However, there is an oops in your #3 directions. You mention adding both the milk and lemon juice twice, where they should only be added once.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Deborah
Posted: 3 years ago

Glad they turned out for you. Thanks for that catch, fixed it! Enjoy the muffins.

0
Reply
Dawn
Dawn
Posted: 3 years ago

4 stars
#3. Didnt make sense for wet ingredients. When do I use butter

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Dawn
Posted: 3 years ago

In step 3, make sure it’s melted.

0
Reply
Gina
Gina
Posted: 3 years ago

Jo, WHEN DO YOU ADD THE MELTED BUTTER ?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team 2
Jo Cooks Team 2
Reply to  Gina
Posted: 3 years ago

It should be added to your wet ingredient mixture – thanks for catching that!

0
Reply
jackie Bourdeaux
jackie Bourdeaux
Posted: 3 years ago

Do these turn out as well making the jumbo muffin size? Are there any different directions ie cook times etc….

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  jackie Bourdeaux
Posted: 3 years ago

You can make them jumbo size. Yes, the baking time might take a bit longer, best to do the toothpick test to check for when they’re done.

0
Reply
Jane
Jane
Posted: 10 years ago

Jo, I just love your muffin pan! I have been trying to find a muffin pan with cups that are straight up and down like this, versus angled the way most muffin cups are. Where did you get it??

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Jane
Posted: 10 years ago

Hi Jane,
I got it at IKEA. 🙂

0
Reply
Arantza Garcia
Arantza Garcia
Posted: 11 years ago

Hi Jo!! I’ve been reading your blog for the last couple of months or so and I have to say I love it! I love not only the recipes themselves but also the way you explain them! I’m a Spanish girl, a teacher of English and a lover of cooking but specially baking! Yesterday I baked your lemon and poppy seed muffins and I love them! My family loves them! I’d like to know if I could put a link in my blog (that is completely new and yours would be the first proper post!) to your recipe! Thank you very much for everything! Love from Spain! Arantza

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Arantza Garcia
Posted: 11 years ago

Hi Arantza! Absolutely!
I’m glad you and your family enjoyed them. 🙂

0
Reply
Arantza Garcia
Arantza Garcia
Reply to  Joanna Cismaru
Posted: 11 years ago

Thank you, thank you very much!!! It means a lot to me! 🙂
I’ll keep reading you! Take care!

0
Reply

sidebar

Headshot of Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
Collage of recipe ebooks
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Loading

Pasta Favorites

baked mac and cheese in a black cast iron skillet.
45 mins

Baked Mac And Cheese

freshly made crack chicken penne with a wooden spoon in a skillet.
40 mins

Crack Chicken Penne

chicken pot pie pasta in a white serving bowl with a wooden serving spoon.
50 mins

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

freshly made one pot pasta in a dutch oven.
20 mins

One Pot Pasta

tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl.
30 mins

Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.
30 mins

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

baked feta pasta in a white bowl garnished with fresh basil.
50 mins

Baked Feta Pasta (Tik Tok Pasta)

sideview shot of chicken fajita pasta in a white bowl with a fork inside
45 mins

Chicken Fajita Pasta

side close up shot of swedish meatball pasta in a beige braised garnished with parsley
30 mins

Swedish Meatball Pasta

overhead shot of a bowl of haluski
40 mins

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)

A stack of cookbooks
Grab a copy!

My Cookbooks

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Dinner Favorites

smothered pork chops in a skillet garnished with parsley.
1 hr 15 mins

Smothered Pork Chops

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet
30 mins

Salisbury Steak

beef lo mein in a black wok.
30 mins

Beef Lo Mein

side shot of beef and broccoli in a skillet
15 mins

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

skillet shepherd's pie in a cast iron skillet with a portion taken out.
1 hr 25 mins

Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

a serving spoon inside a skillet with chicken broccoli rice casserole.
30 mins

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

side view shot of two italian stuffed peppers in a bowl
2 hrs 30 mins

Italian Stuffed Peppers

side view shot of a bowl with a scoop of spaghetti bolognese in it
40 mins

Spaghetti Bolognese

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok
Visit our Other Site: Craving Home Cooked

Explore

Recipes
Cookbooks
About Jo
Contact

Legal

Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
© 2023 Jo Cooks
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
wpDiscuz