Zesty lemon poppy seed muffins with a moist crumb, perfect for a sunny start or a sweet afternoon snack.
Brighten up your morning with these delightful lemon poppy seed muffins! Bursting with zesty lemon flavour and crunchy poppy seeds, these muffins strike the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. The addition of sour cream gives them a moist, tender crumb, while a hint of lemon zest adds a fresh, citrusy punch.

These muffins are a deliciously uplifting treat that will bring a touch of sunshine to your day. Enjoy them fresh out of the oven or at room temperature – either way, they’re sure to brighten your day!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy30
minutes15
minutes45
minutesIngredients
- Sponge
2¼ cups (280gm) AP flour
2 tbsp black poppy seeds
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup (100gm) sugar
¼ cup (50gm) light brown sugar
2 tbsp (heaped) lemon zest
⅔ cup milk (room temp)
½ cup (113gm) butter (melted and cooled)
2 tbsp oil
2 large eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup sour cream / Greek yogurt (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
- Glaze
1 cup icing sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- Prepare the sponge
- In a medium bowl, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to massage the zest into the sugar for about 30 seconds. This helps to release the oils from the zest into the sugar which makes for an extra lemony muffin once baked. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix all the wet ingredients (milk, butter, oil, eggs, lemon juice, Greek yogurt/sour cream, and vanilla extract).
- Mix dry ingredients in another bowl (flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold together. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
- Cover the bowl with a dry dish towel and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Bake at 215C for 5 minutes and then reduce oven temp to 175C and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze
- Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice to get a smooth consistency. The glaze should be pourable but not too thin. If it’s too runny, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk.




