These light Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins have a tender crumb and the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. Topped with a buttery sweet streusel and drizzled with sweet lemon glaze, these lemon poppy seed muffins are bursting with flavor!
We love muffins for breakfast, brunch, snacks and of course served as dessert. Take a look at these Raspberry Muffins with streusel topping and at these Cranberry Orange Muffins!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
One of my favorite things is lemon and these luscious lemon poppy seed muffins are a lemon lover’s dream! These citrus-infused muffins are moist, buttery and soft with a slight crunch from a healthy amount of poppy seeds. The combination of tangy and sweet is absolutely delicious and the lemon streusel elevates these muffins to a new level of wonderful.
These easy lemon muffins are the best sweet treat to have for breakfast, brunch or as a snack any day of the year and specially during spring and summer.
Why Should I Make This Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe
- These lemon muffins are topped with the best streusel and drizzled with a sweet tangy glaze. This is not just a glazed muffin! The lemony streusel addition is amazing!
- This muffin recipe is easy to prepare and no mixer is required.
- This poppy seed muffin is made with basic and simple ingredients.
- Light, most and tender.
- Fresh vibrant flavor.
Lemon Muffin Recipe Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour.
- Poppy Seeds
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar.
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest
- Sour Cream: This makes the muffins so moist. You can use regular or light sour cream.
- Eggs: I use large eggs.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for baking.
- Vanilla Extract: I love vanilla extract but you can use almond extract also.
For the Streusel:
- Flour: All-purpose flour.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for baking.
- Lemon Zest: The zest adds such fresh and bright flavor to the streusel.
For the Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Juice: Using freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must!
How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins From Scratch
For detailed instructions, check the printable recipe card below.
- Prep: Preheat the oven and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray the muffin with baking spray.
- Make the Streusel: In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest and butter. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest together. Rub the two ingredients together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and moist.
- Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir to blend.
- Top with Streusel: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Top each muffin cup with the crumble topping.
- Bake: Bake until the toppings are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool: Transfer pan to a cooling rack. Remove from pan and cool completely.
- Make Glaze: Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze, and drizzle over each muffin.
What’s The Secret For Moist Muffins
These muffins are incredibly moist because of the use of butter and sour cream. Sour cream also give these lemon muffins a tangy taste that accentuates the fresh lemon flavor.
How do I Know When My Muffins Are Done Baking?
Since these muffins have a streusel topping, they only get lightly golden on top. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. The muffins are ready when the toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. The crumbs should be moist but not wet.
Storing and Freezing
You can freeze lemon poppy seed muffins with or without the glaze for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight container or in a freezer safe resealable bag or individually wrap each muffin to prevent freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature. You can warm them up in the microwave, if desired.
Store the muffins in an air tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Line the bottom of the container with a sheet of paper towel to prevent the muffins from getting soggy.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe Tips
- If you don’t have sour cream handy, you can use plain yogurt.
- After topping the muffins, lightly press the crumbs down into the batter so they stick to the muffins when they rise.
- Don’t overmix the batter to prevent dense muffins.
- Cool the muffins completely before glazing the muffins.
Take A Look At These Other Pastries:
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Streusel and Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 tablespoons butter chilled and cut into small pieces
For the Muffins
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 3/4 cup sour cream regular or light
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled (8 tablespoons)
Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice you may need more or less depending on the desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray the muffin tin with baking spray.
To Make The Streusel:
- In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest and butter. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal. The crumbs should be about the size of a pea. Keep the streusel in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To Make The Muffins:
- In large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest together. Rub the two ingredients together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and moist.
- Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir to blend. Don’t over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Top each muffin cup with the crumble topping (about 2 tablespoons of crumb topping each). Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the toppings are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Transfer pan to a cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes then remove the muffins from baking tin.
- Cool completely, then glaze with icing.
To Make The Glaze:
- Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over each muffin.
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have sour cream handy, you can use plain yogurt.
- After topping the muffins, lightly press the crumbs down into the batter so they stick to the muffins when they rise.
- Don’t overmix the batter to prevent dense muffins.
- Cool the muffins completely before glazing the muffins.
- Store the muffins in an air tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Line the bottom of the container with a sheet of paper towel to prevent the muffins from getting soggy.
- You can freeze lemon poppy seed muffins with or without the glaze for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight container or in a freezer safe resealable bag to prevent freezer burn.
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