Easy lemon poppy seed muffins are a zesty, fresh and slightly sweet snack that you’ll want to add to your afternoon tea or breakfast.
These homemade lemon poppy seed muffins are the perfect addition to your afternoon coffee or tea. What’s a mid-day pick-me-up without a little treat?
These muffins are light and fluffy and have the perfect balance of lemon and sweetness. They’re not only a great treat for your coffee but they’re also the perfect afternoon snack for your kids’ lunches.
Making school lunches is the bane of my existence and coming up with snack ideas that aren’t packaged goods is even harder. So it’s always nice to have these on hand.
These lemon poppy seed muffins have no yogurt but we do use dairy. Our secret ingredient is kefir which creates the perfect balance of flavours and an amazing fluffy and airy texture.
Preparing Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Fresh
Lemon: Lemons are citrus fruit loaded with vitamin C. These somewhat oval, yellow fruit are packed with flavour. They are sour and sometimes tart and add freshness to recipes. For this recipe, we are using the juice and zest of a lemon.
Egg: Eggs are laid by many different animals but chicken eggs are what we use in this recipe. Eggs provide protein, fat and many other nutrients and therefore are a healthy part of our diet. Here they are used as a binder.
Kefir: Kefir is fermented milk most commonly from cows though it is also made from goat and sheep milk as well.
Pantry
All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is a wheat flour and the most commonly used flour for baking. It is very versatile and makes anything from pizza dough to cookies and cakes. You can use whole wheat flour for this recipe to add a little bit more fibre if you’d like.
Baking soda: Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda is a leavening agent that is alkaline, and is activated by acid in recipes. It gives baked goods a fluffy and light texture.
Baking powder: A leavening agent that is used in baking to create a light texture. It creates carbon dioxide when mixed with liquids and heat which expands and lifts the dough.
Poppy seeds: These tiny seeds are harvested from the seed pods of the poppy plant. They are kidney-shaped and dark in colour and are a very popular baking ingredient in Easter European desserts.
Neutral Oil: They are called neutral because they have no flavour. These oils include sunflower oil and vegetable oil among others.
Sugar: White or granulated sugar is refined sugar made from either cane sugar or beet sugar. It is completely freed of molasses through the refining process and ground to granules smaller than salt.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
This recipe is very simple. It requires mixing wet and dry ingredients separately and then combining them. But don’t worry you’ll just need two bowls.
So start by preheating the oven to 350°F and getting your ingredients ready.
Then let’s get baking!
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients
In a small or medium bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and a pinch of salt.
Whisk everything together until evenly distributed and set aside.
Step 2: Combine wet ingredients
First, zest a whole lemon and juice it.
Now get a large bowl and add all of the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, kefir, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lastly sugar. Once again, whisk all the ingredients together making sure the eggs are well beaten and sugar incorporated.
Step 3: Make the batter
Next, it’s time to make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with wet ingredients in three parts. Stir gently in between just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
The batter may seem thick but I promise it will be perfect.
Step 4: Bake the Muffins
Now line a muffin tin with muffin cups or grease with oil. Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups filling each ¾ full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serving Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Cool the muffins in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes or until they are ready to handle.
Once cooled slightly, remove the muffins from the muffin tin and place on a wire rack to cool fully.
Serve on their own, as a side to your afternoon coffee or tea or warmed with butter.
Storing Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Store the muffin in an air-tight container for a couple of days then move to the fridge for another 5-7 days.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Easy Homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- Large bowl
- small bowl
- Whisk ((note 1))
- Juicer (optional)
- Muffin tin or silicone muffin cups
- Microplane or fine grater
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp poppy seeds
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp lemon zest
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup neutral oil
- ½ cup kefir
- ⅓ cup sugar
- Oil to grease the muffin tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Combine the dry ingredients, up to and including the poppy seeds, in a small bowl.1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp baking powder, Pinch of salt, 3 tbsp poppy seeds
- Juice and zest half a lemon then add all of the wet ingredients to a large bowl and whisk well until well combined.3 tbsp lemon juice, ¾ tsp lemon zest, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup neutral oil, ½ cup kefir, 1/3 cup sugar
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three parts whisking gently just until combined.
- Line a muffin tin with silicone or paper cups, or grease the pan. Fill each muffin cup ¾ way up and bake for 20 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin to make sure it comes out clean.Oil to grease the muffin tin
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Store in an air-tight container on the counter for up to three days or in the fridge for up to a week.
