Lemon Poppy Muffins

By Samantha Seneviratne

Lemon Poppy Muffins
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,341)
Comments
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From supermarket aisles to those backlight bakery cases in every diner across the country, lemon poppy-seed muffins are ubiquitous, and easy to love. Buttery and soft, tart and sweet, they are soothing in their simplicity, while seeds add just a bit of crunch. This version gets a healthy dose of lemony tang thanks to an ample amount of grated zest and a zippy lemon-juice glaze. It’s important to spring for fresh fruit here, as opposed to anything that comes in a plastic bottle. The bright flavor of real lemon goes a long way.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Muffins

    • 2½cups all-purpose flour
    • 1½teaspoons baking powder
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¾cup granulated sugar
    • ½cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly
    • ½cup whole milk
    • ½cup sour cream
    • 2large eggs
    • 2tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
    • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 4teaspoons poppy seeds

    For the Glaze

    • 1cup confectioners’ sugar
    • 2 to 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

294 calories; 11 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 23 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 198 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and poppy seeds until well combined.

  3. Step 3

    With a large rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cups and bake until puffed and set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the muffins, in the tin, to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and let cool completely on the rack before glazing. (Alternatively, if you'd like, glaze the muffins while they are still warm. The glaze will run more, giving you an all-over glazed look.)

  4. Step 4

    Prepare the glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add a little more lemon juice if necessary to make a thin but pourable glaze. Drizzle some of the glaze over each muffin. Let stand at room temperature until the glaze is set.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,341 user ratings
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Comments

Leslie Macmillan

I've been making a version of this for years, but with half the sugar, butter and eggs (1/2 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 egg), lowfat milk and no glaze. I also use a tablespoon of baking powder. The lemon flavor shines through and they're not too dense and dessert-y.

Josh

Tastes better if you double the amount of lemon zest. Makes the lemon flavor a lot stronger without being overbearing or overly sweet.

Eric

I followed the suggestions of some of the top reviews here and halved the sugar, butter and eggs, and I would definitely not recommend doing that. The muffins turned out with too much of a flour taste, and not enough flavor (to be expected given the modifications, but not ideal). I will be making these to the recipe next time, as these adjustments make them taste more like scones.

Sarah

I made have not made them well - but they were kind of dense. Not great.

Salomé

Delicious muffins! I added the zest of an extra lemon and “massaged” it into the granulated with my sugar with my hands before adding the other wet ingredients. A lovely little trick that enhances the lemon flavour. I didn’t have milk so used half and half and the crumb was lovely.

Yangyang

Made with extra zest, came out a bit dense.

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