Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These lemon poppy seed muffins are bright and moist with a hint of nuttiness from the poppy seeds and almonds. Which is to say, they're so much better than what the grocery store or perhaps even your local coffee shop sells.

The icing for these muffins brings a lot of brightness, too, and it pairs particularly well with the toasty almonds on top. The zing of the lemon is only further complimented by the buttermilk and sour cream in the batter (which help make the muffin super tender, too).

Learn how to make lemon poppy seed muffins, and don't look twice at the boxed mix again.

Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 

This is everything you’ll need to make homemade lemon poppy seed muffins.

• All-purpose flour: No need to pull out the cake flour, or a sifter; regular unsifted all-purpose is all you need for this recipe. 
• Poppy seeds: You’ll find these in a jar in the spice aisle. 
• Baking powder and baking sod:- A combination of both leaveners work together to make these muffins rise.
• Kosher salt: Salt is just as important in baking as it is savory cooking, as it helps ensure that your baked goods (in this case muffins) aren’t bland. 
• Granulated sugar: For this muffin, plain granulated sugar delivers all the sweetness needed in the batter. 
• Canola oil: Instead of butter, we opt for canola oil in this recipe for a super tender muffin. 
• Sour cream and buttermilk: Sour cream offers two things: acid and fat; acid to tenderize the gluten strands and fat for moisture. It’s also not as liquid as buttermilk so it doesn’t thin the batter. The buttermilk brings a bit more acid than the sour cream but doesn’t contain quite as much fat. 
• Vanilla extract: What would any baked good be without a little vanilla to round out all the flavors? 
• Eggs: Best practice for eggs when baking is to use them at room temperature. Check out our helpful guide for what to do if you forget to pull the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time. 
• Lemon zest and juice: These two ingredients are what bring the lemon flavor to both the muffin and the glaze.
• Sliced almonds: These toast up beautifully on top of the batter while baking and add a nice crunch. 
• Powdered sugar: Forms the base of our easy two-ingredient glaze. 

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 

This is a fairly straightforward recipe. Here's a brief outline; the full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Make the batter: After preheating the oven and prepping the muffin tin, you simply combine all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, etc.), and then separately combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, before gently blending them together.
• Step 2. Bake: Divide the batter evenly into the muffin wells, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and bake.
• Step 3. Add glaze: Let them cool slightly, and then glaze before serving.
  
  

Our Tips for the Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 

Here are a few helpful hints from our Test Kitchen: 

• Be careful when folding the wet ingredients into the dry, as over mixing can lead to a less tender muffin. Fold just until the two are combined and no more. (It's not the end of the world if there are some streaks of flour or maybe a couple of lumps; they’ll bake out.) 
• Don't swap the canola oil for melted butter (we know it’s tempting). Canola oil plays a big role in keeping these muffins moist, and it helps capture gasses that are released from the baking powder and baking soda. This also slows down the gluten formation yielding a lovely tender and fluffy texture.

Do Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Need a Glaze? 

It's not strictly necessary to add a glaze to lemon poppy seed muffins, but since our glaze for these muffins is just two ingredients (powdered sugar and lemon juice) that are stirred together, it couldn’t be easier to add a beautiful and bright finishing touch. 

How To Store Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 

The best way to store these muffins is in an airtight container on the counter. Some people swear by lining the container with a paper towel or tossing in a few saltines to absorb excess moisture (it’s up to you whether you want to give that a try).

Stored on the counter they’ll last about four days, and if you’re considering refrigerating them to extend their shelf-life, we don’t recommend it. The fridge tends to dry them out.

Can You Freeze Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins? 

Yes, you can freeze lemon poppy seed muffins! But it’s best to freeze them unglazed. Before freezing make sure they are completely cool. Then, wrap each muffin in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil.

Once solid you can choose to consolidate them into a freezer bag. The muffins will last up to three months in the freezer, and can be thawed on the countertop or in the oven.