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If there’s one bake to brighten any day, it’s a batch of freshly baked lemon and poppy seed muffins. They have a deliciously light and moist texture, with a little bit of crunch from the poppy seeds. I scoop out the top of the muffins and fill with a dollop of zesty lemon curd, plus a drizzle of bright, tangy lemon frosting. They are so delicious!
Table of Contents
Bright, zesty, and with just the right crunch from poppy seeds, these muffins are light, fluffy, and tangy. I love this recipe so much, as it has a surprise spoonful of lemon curd in the center, and an optional drizzle of lemon glaze. They’re quick to whip up, easy to scale, and freezer-friendly – you will be making these on repeat!
Why you will love this recipe
- They are super simple and take less than 45 minutes to make.
- They are full of flavor and texture. Imagine soft, moist muffins filled with zesty lemon curd and a drizzle of tangy lemon glaze.
- They are perfect any time of day – for breakfast, a coffee morning or teatime treat, or an on-the-go snack.
Ingredients
- Lemon – Since we are using zest in these lemon and poppy seed muffins, I would buy unwaxed lemons for the best flavor.
- Superfine sugar (caster) – Use granulated sugar if needed in these lemon and poppy seed muffins.
- All-purpose (plain) flour – The foundation of this muffin recipe.
- Greek yogurt – You want the thick, full-fat variety here for the best texture in these muffins.
Substitutions and variations
Greek yogurt – Swap for sour cream if you prefer.
Citrus – If you prefer and fancy a little twist, you could swap the lemon zest and juice for orange, grapefruit, or lime zest and juice.
Lemon curd – I often just use store-bought lemon curd, but homemade lemon curd is great, too.
How to make easy lemon and poppy seed muffins
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F. In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant.
TWO: In a large bowl, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until light and fluffy.
THREE: Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until smooth. Add the milk, yogurt, and lemon juice until combined (the mixture may look a little curdled at this stage; don’t worry).
FOUR: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold into the batter.
FIVE: Gently fold the poppy seeds into the batter until just combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter among the muffin cases. Bake for 20–25 minutes
SIX: If you want to fill the muffins with a dollop of lemon curd, use an apple corer or knife to remove a small circle from the top of the muffin.
SEVEN: Fill with 1/2-1 tsp of lemon curd and then place the small circle back on top of the muffin.
EIGHT: For the glaze, stir together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add sour cream if you prefer a creamier texture. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Don’t overmix: You want to mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined. If you overmix, your lemon muffins may be a little tough and dense.
- Mixing the sugar and lemon zest: This extracts the lemon oils in the zest, which then infuses through the muffin. It makes the lemon flavor punchier in these muffins.
Frequently asked questions
Swap Greek yogurt for sour cream in a 1:1 ratio if you would rather in these lemon poppy seed muffins.
Yes, but wrap tightly to avoid sogginess. Freeze muffins with no glaze, then when ready, defrost in the fridge overnight and add the glaze.
Muffin cases are, of course, the easiest way to make muffins, but if you don’t have any, you can either grease the pan well or use parchment paper.
– Cut parchment paper into squares or circles, depending on the size of your pan. Each square should be large enough to fit into the muffin cups and have some overhang for easy removal after baking.
– After cutting these squares, press the parchment paper squares into the muffin tin cups, molding them to fit the shape.
– Use your fingers to press the paper against the sides and bottom of each cup, folding and gathering the edges of the parchment as you go around.
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you love lemon and poppy seed muffins, you will love the rest of my lemon bakes. I have a great recipe for zingy lemon meringues, lemon meringue cheesecake, or my simple lemon curd cake with whipped mascarpone.
Easy Baking Recipes
Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake
Easy Dessert Recipes
Lemon Meringue Tart
Pancake Recipes
Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes with Whipped Honey Butter
Recipes
Buttery Lemon Pasta
If you tried this recipe for Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Moist Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (180 g) superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, or a generous pinch of fine salt
- Scant 1/2 cup (100 ml) milk
- Scant 1/4 cup (50 g) Greek yogurt
- 1 heaping tbsp poppy seeds
- 8-12 tsp lemon curd, for filling – optional
For the optional lemon glaze:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
- 1-1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sour cream, optional, for a thicker glaze
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan). Line a muffin pan with 12 standard paper cases, or you can make 8 larger muffins if that is the size tin you have.
- In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant. This helps release the oils from the zest.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until smooth. Add the milk, yogurt, and lemon juice, then mix until combined (the mixture may look a little curdled at this stage, don’t worry).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold into the batter. Gently fold the poppy seeds into the batter until just combined.
- Divide the batter among the muffin cases. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the muffin (avoiding the curd) comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Optional filling and glaze:
- If you want to fill the muffins with a dollop of lemon curd, use an apple corer or a knife to remove a small circle from the top of the muffin. Fill with a 1/2-1 tsp of lemon curd and then place the small circle back on top of the muffin.
- For the glaze, stir together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add sour cream if you prefer a creamier texture. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To store: These muffins last for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To freeze: Place in a sealed tupperware and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature until fully defrosted. Make ahead: The muffins do keep well, but are best enjoyed on the day of baking (as with most baked goods). I like to make them the night before if needed for the following day, for ease.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
