The BEST Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (2024)

These Jumbo Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up: tender, fluffy muffins with a golden, crunchy top and a vibrant citrus flavor. Bonus? They’re so easy, the kids can help make them!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe

I don’t hang out in coffeeshops much anymore now that I’m a work at home mom, but that shouldn’t mean that I can’t enjoy a fluffy and tart coffeeshop-sized lemon poppy seed muffin with my daily caffeine fix!

I can never make a normal-sized muffin last for a full cup of coffee, especially now that I have at least one little person requesting bite after bite (becausewhatever I’m eating always looks tastier than what they’re eating – even if it came out of the exact same batch).I was so excited to spot this jumbo-sized muffin pan and knew immediately which recipe we were going to try first.

(Of course, we’re going to have to make every kind of muffin under the sun in jumbo-sized because I have to get the full value out of my new pan…)

These lemon poppyseed muffins are moist and hit that perfect tart note without going over the top into sour-ville. They taste great with a bit of butter or jam, but thanks to the sour cream and melted butter in the batter – you don’t actually needanything on them. They have the perfect crunchy golden outside and fluffy tender inside.

This lemon poppyseed muffin recipe is pure muffin indulgence and the kids can help with every step of the process – from grating the lemon, to rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar (my daughter’s favorite), juicing the lemon, measuring out the ingredients, and of course – whisking it all together!

I love making muffin recipes with kids because the recipes are pretty fail-proof, and you don’t need a mixer– lumps are actually fine in the batter (and will get cooked out in the oven). Even with the occasional ingredient spill or adding the ingredients out of order, these muffins will still turn out delicious. (We’ve even forgotten the occasional ingredient and all that happens is the muffins turn out a bit denser or something else that isn’t a big deal.)

Are poppy seeds good for you? Poppy seeds have high levels of dietary fiber, B vitamins and several important minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium and zinc, all of which have been linked to digestive, heart and immune health. (You can read a few more of their benefits here and here.)

Can these lemon poppy seed muffins be frozen? Yes! You can freeze the baked muffins for 2-3 months in your favorite freezer containers or ziptop freezer bags. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) Allow the muffins to come to room temperature before enjoying.

How do I get domed muffin tops? There are two things that allow these muffins to puff up and look just like your favorite coffee-shop muffins. 1/ we are filling the liners almost to the top, and 2/ the higher baking temperature causes the muffins tops to “puff up” and brown quickly, keeping the inside of the muffin moist and fluffy without risking overbaking.

Can I add fruit to these lemon poppy seed muffins? Yes, I think blueberries or raspberries would be a delicious addition to complement the tartness of the lemon and would add a nice texture. My trick for adding berries to a muffin recipe is to coat the berries in flour and then just stir them in at the last minute. This prevents them from breaking or dying the rest of the muffin batter.

Can I use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar in this recipe? Liquid sweeteners will actually inhibit the lemon taste and make these muffins spongy rather than fluffy. Personally, I would swap in an equal amount of coconut sugar if you are just trying to lower the glycemic index of these muffins.

If you’re looking for more yummy lemon desserts, check out:

• Our No Bake Lemon Lush dessert
• Our Lemon Sticky Rolls
• Lemon Magic Cake from Jo Cooks
• Our Glazed Mini Lemon Loaves
• Our No Bake Raspberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes
• Baked Lemon Blueberry Donuts from The Soccer Mom Blog
• Our Lemon Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
• Our Sugar-free Lemonade Recipe
• Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake from Kylee Cooks

Watch our quick recipe video to see just how easy these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are to make, and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe:

Ingredients for Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

• White sugar <– can be swapped for an equal amount of coconut sugar
• All-purpose flour <– these muffins can be made gluten-free by swapping a C4C gluten-free flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Sour cream <– can use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Butter, melted and cooled <– we’re using melted butter to make a denser muffin that doesn’t just fall to pieces, and it keeps the muffins moist without added oil
• Poppy seeds
• One lemon – juiced and zested <– see note about using lemon extract instead

Makes 8-10 jumbo muffins.

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: if you really love your lemon flavor, add 1 teaspoon lemon extract.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful:

• Large muffin tray
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Large muffin cups
• Zester/microplane grater
• Citrus juicer

How to Make Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

First, assemble your ingredients.

Let the eggs get to room temperature and the melted butter cool as you prepare your baking pan. I used a jumbo muffin pan and simply use the jumbo liners (you can also buy jumbo silicone liners if you’d prefer something reusable.)

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Place the sugar in a large bowl and zest the lemon over it. Set lemon aside.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and fragrant from the lemon. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir well.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the wet ingredients. First incorporate the wet ingredients together, and then whisk in the dry ingredients until it forms a batter (a few lumps are okay as long ash the baking powder and baking soda were fully mixed into the dry ingredients earlier).

Add the poppyseeds and then portion out the batter into the muffin liners.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Pin this delicious jumbo lemon poppyseed muffin recipe:

Grab your free printable recipe for these copycat lemon poppyseed muffins here:

What’s your favourite coffeeshop indulgence? If you’re a fan of lemon poppyseed muffins or lemon poppy loaf, you have to give this recipe a try!

For more delicious muffin recipes, be sure to check out our apple vanilla muffinsor ourblueberry muffin recipe.

Check out our other Breakfast Recipes here:

Original picture from 2016: