Bakery Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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Simply the best and easiest Bakery Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Everyone’s favorite muffin from the local bakery, now made AT HOME! These sweet muffins are not only oh-so cute, quick to make, but are also just so delicious. Made in only two bowls, with pantry staples, as well as the addition of fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, plenty of poppy seeds, and a large helping of greek yogurt to make these sweet muffins healthy-ish! Every bite is tender, lemon-y, with just the right amount of crunch. Serve warm, right out of the oven, for a sweet treat the whole family is sure to love!

About The Recipe

As I’m sure you can tell, my mom and I are SO excited for summer this year. Like clockwork, around this time every year, the weather gets really warm for a few days, then really cold for a few days.

Though, this year, it seems like we’ve been getting more cold days than warm ones!

And, with no warm vacations planned anytime soon, we thought it would be fun to share not only do a brightly colored, but also brightly flavored, breakfast treat today!

Like I said in Friday’s post, we are going to be sharing some sweet breakfast treats all week long. And, with the weather being a bit cold lately, we thought it would be great to share something bright and lemon-y!

Because, I mean, who doesn’t love a freshly baked lemon poppy seed muffin?!

Though, this recipe has been in development for a long, long time.

There’s not a lot that my mom struggles with when it comes to baking. But my entire life, she has never once had a light, fluffy, tender lemon poppy seed muffin come out of her oven.

In her words, they have been the bane of her existence for 20+ years! 😂

But we were determined that 2023 would finally be our year for the perfect bakery-style lemon poppy seed muffin.

And, I won’t lie. These muffins took us about 4 recipe re-writes and test bakes to finally get them just right.

The muffins kept coming out flat, unevenly browned, and bland. This has been the issue plaguing my mom’s kitchens for 20+ years…though, not ANYMORE.

The issue? Too much lemon juice!

I know. Shocking, right? Well, as it turns out, the lemon juice was causing all sorts of issues. It was keeping the muffins from rising properly, browning properly, and just baking properly in general.

When we cut back the amount of lemon juice in the recipe, we got perfectly tall, domed, and delicious muffins every time!

This recipe is finally perfect. Every bite of one of these muffins is lemony, tender, perfectly sweet, and oh-so delicious.

Reasons You Will Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

• Made in only two bowls!!
• Uses full-fat greek yogurt to give these scrumptious muffins some extra health benefits, which means you don’t have to feel as guilty for eating a muffin for breakfast!
• No specialty tools/equipment required for this recipe.
• Ready to eat in less than an hour!
• This recipe makes 12 gorgeously domed, tall, and delicious muffins.
• Every bite is lemon-y, without being too strong, and has a pleasant crunch from the poppy seeds.
• A real crowd pleaser.
• Perfect to bake ANY time of year!

Equipment Needed

• Zester
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Muffin Pan
• Cupcake Papers
• Cake Tester

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• All-Purpose Flour – No specialty flours needed for this recipe! All-purpose gives these muffins a tender and delicious structure.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness, while also keeping these muffins moist and promoting even-browning.
• Baking Powder – Provides lift to give these muffins a light texture.
• Baking Soda – A second acting leavening to ensure the perfect rise in these muffins!
• Salt – Cuts some of the sweetness, while also enhancing the flavor of the lemon.
• Lemon Zest – Adds a bright pop of lemon flavor!
• Poppy Seeds – Adds crunch, as well as some health benefits to these muffins.
• Large Eggs – Remember to set your eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Full Fat Greek Yogurt – This is essential! Adding yogurt not only adds health benefits, but the high protein and fat content contribute to a moist and delicious muffin.
• Vegetable Oil – Keeps the muffin moist without adding flavor.
• Whole Milk – Makes these muffins oh-so tender!
• Lemon Juice – Adds just a little extra lemon flavor, keeping these muffins light and bright.
• Vanilla Extract – Balances the flavors.

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Step 1: Prepare batter

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, oil, milk, and lemon juice.

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir only to mix.

Step 2: Bake

Use a 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I zest a lemon?

The best way to zest a lemon is with a zester! Though, if you don’t have one, a very fine cheese grater will do, but it’s really worth investing in a zester, as it’s a great tool to have. From there, thoroughly wash your lemon and dry it with a towel.

Now, you’re ready to zest! Hold the zester at an angle over a plate (just in case some falls off!) and push/pull your lemon until you reach the white of the rind. Once you see white, stop zesting and rotate the lemon! Continue as you did before and repeat until the entire lemon has been zested.

Depending on the size of your lemons, you may need more than one lemon.

Why is my batter so thick?

The batter for this recipe is meant to be thick, don’t worry! This is the secret to a tender, light, and oh-so fluffy lemon muffin.

Why did my muffins stick to the paper?

This usually happens depending on the brand of cupcake paper you buy. Some are more susceptible to this than others! You can buy the same ones we use by clicking the link in the recipe card below.

How To Store

Once these muffins have cooled, you can store them in a zip top bag and keep them in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer safe zip top bag for up to 2 months!

Substitutions

• Sour cream can be used instead of greek yogurt.
• Want to make this recipe vegan? Use a plain, unsweetened plant-based greek (or simply thick) yogurt, your favorite vegan egg, and an unsweetened plant-based milk!
• This recipe can be made gluten-free with your favorite measure for measure gluten-free flour.
• Not a fan of poppy seeds? Try using hemp seeds or even flax seeds in this recipe!

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes, Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies, Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Expert Tips

• Make sure to use a full-fat greek yogurt and not regular yogurt for this recipe, as regular yogurt will not have the right protein/fat content, as well as making the batter too runny.
• Make sure to set the measured out milk, yogurt, and two eggs out ahead of time to allow the three ingredients to come to room temperature. This should only take about 30 minutes.
• Be careful to not over-mix the batter! Over-mixing could result in flat muffins.
• For even muffins, use a large cookie scoop or simply measure 3 heaping Tablespoons of batter into the muffin tins.
• Unsure if the muffins are done? Insert a cake tester or tooth pick into the center of a couple of muffins. If the tester comes out clean, the muffins are done!
• Let these muffins cool slightly before eating for the most flavor.
• If desired, you can add a lemon drizzle on top of these muffins for an extra punch of flavor. You can find a recipe for lemon drizzle by Clicking Here.

When you make these Bakery Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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