Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

5 from 2 votes

These bakery-style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are tall and glazed for a fantastic quick breakfast or afternoon snack with bright lemon flavor and delicate crunch from the poppy seeds. They are an easy recipe to make and ready in less than 30 minutes!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: large muffins

Calories: 452kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Muffins

½ cup salted butter room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling on top
Zest of 3-4 lemons
¼ cup lemon juice
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup sour cream room temperature
¼ cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray with baking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light.
Add lemon zest and eggs. Beat well, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract and mix again to combine.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Stir by hand just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling them all the way to the top. Sprinkle each muffin with ½ teaspoon of sugar.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove and cool completely.
While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to get a consistency you like. Dunk the tops of each muffin in the glaze or use a pastry brush to brush it on, then let the glaze set before serving.

Notes

Freezing: These muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight ziploc bag in the freezer. Thaw on the counter or reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds before enjoying.
Zesting lemons: Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing so the skin is still taut rather than trying to zest a lemon that has had all the juice squeezed out of it.
Almond Poppy Seed Muffins: Leave out the lemon zest and juice and use 2 teaspoons of almond extract in the muffin batter and another ½ teaspoon in the glaze with 2-3 tablespoons of milk instead.
Mini muffins: If making mini muffins, bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until done.

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