These are the best lemon poppy seed muffins! They’re super moist, filled with zesty lemon flavor and poppy seeds and topped with crunchy lemon streusel and tangy lemony glaze. Pair these muffins with a cup of coffee for ultimate breakfast or snack bliss.
If you’re looking for other muffin recipes, check out my double chocolate muffins, blueberry muffins, pumpkin streusel muffins or chocolate chip banana muffins!
Why These are The Best Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
They're super tender muffins. Sour cream keeps these delicious muffins extra moist, resulting in a perfectly tender muffin.
They’re full of fresh lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds. Each muffin is packed full of lemon zest and lots of poppy seeds for the best flavor.
They’ve got signature large domed muffin tops with crunchy streusel. The muffin batter is rested for one hour before baking. This allows the baking powder to start activating ahead of time, resulting in extra fluffy muffins! They're topped with the best lemon streusel too that makes these muffins the BEST. Add a drizzle of lemon icing to complete the final product: the perfect lemon poppy seed muffin.
Simple Ingredients for Homemade Muffins
- Flour- all-purpose flour gives these muffins the best, tender crumb
- Baking Powder- gives these muffins their fluffy texture
- Salt- brings out all the flavors in the muffins
- Fresh Lemons- fresh lemon zest adds the best, most concentrated lemon flavor to the muffins, and fresh lemon juice is used to make the lemon icing
- Poppy Seeds- adds the best little bit of crunch to the muffins
- Butter- unsalted butter gives the muffins the best flavor that really can’t be replicated with vegetable oil
- Sugar- granulated white sugar sweetens and adds moisture to the muffins
- Eggs- make sure they’re room temperature
- Vanilla- adds a sweet note to the batter
- Sour Cream- gives these muffins a super moist crumb, make sure it’s at room temperature
- Milk- I recommend using whole milk for the best muffins, make sure it’s at room temperature
- Powdered Sugar- used for the sweet lemon glaze
Step by Step Instructions
Please see recipe card below for complete measurements!
STEP ONE: In a small bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside the flour mixture.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated white sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.
STEP THREE: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
STEP FOUR: Add in the poppy seeds and lemon zest and gently fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.
STEP FIVE: Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
STEP SIX: While the batter rests make the streusel by whisking together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the cold butter and lemon zest and smush everything together with your fingers, or a fork, until large clumps form. Place the streusel in the fridge while waiting for the batter.
STEP SEVEN: Line 2 muffin pans with 12 liners, lining every other cup so that they are spaced out. After one hour, scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups. Be careful not to mix the batter around after it has rested, just scoop into each liner. Sprinkle streusel on top of the muffins. (There will be a little left over, but I just put as much as could fit on top of each one.)
STEP EIGHT: Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool. (If you choose not to space out the muffins and instead bake them all in one 12 cup muffin tin, keep in mind that the muffins will need about 5 extra minutes longer to bake.)
STEP NINE: While the muffins cool make the lemon glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Once the muffins are cool, drizzle glaze over each and serve!
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
Chill the streusel before topping the muffins with it. This helps to keep the streusel better in tact while it bakes.
Make sure all the wet ingredients are room temperature. This will ensure that the muffins have the best fluffy texture. Cold wet ingredients can lead to dense muffins.
FAQs
Can I use greek yogurt instead of sour cream? I have not tested this swap so I would suggest sticking to sour cream for best results.
Do I really need to let the batter rest for 1 hour? You don’t have to but letting the batter rest before scooping it into the cupcake liners allows the baking powder to get a head start resulting in extra fluffy muffins with a taller muffin top. If you don’t want to wait the hour the muffins will still be great, they’ll just have a smaller muffin top.
How do I store these lemon muffins? Store leftovers in an airtight container for three days.
Other Recipes to Try Next Time
Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
If you make these muffins please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest about 4 large lemons zested
Lemon Streusel
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter, cold
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest about ½ large lemon zested
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoon lemon juice about ½ a large lemon juiced
Instructions
For the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- In a small bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside the flour mixture.2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated white sugar, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted, 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar, 2 eggs, at room temperature, ½ cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature, ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
- Add in the poppy seeds and lemon zest and gently fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds, 2 tablespoon (20 g) lemon zest
- Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
For the Lemon Streusel
- While the batter rests make the streusel by whisking together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the cold butter and lemon zest and smush everything together with your fingers, or a fork, until large clumps form. Place the streusel in the fridge while waiting for the batter.1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ¾ cup (150 g) sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter, cold, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Baking the Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 2 muffin pans with 12 liners, lining every other cup so that they are spaced out. After one hour, scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups. Be careful not to mix the batter around after it has rested, just scoop into each liner. Sprinkle streusel on top of the muffins. (There will be a little left over, but I just put as much as could fit on top of each one.)
- Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool. (If you choose not to space out the muffins and instead bake them all in one 12 cup muffin tin, keep in mind that the muffins will need about 5 extra minutes longer to bake.)
For the Lemon Glaze
- While the muffins cool make the lemon glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Once the muffins are cool, drizzle glaze over each and serve!1 cup (130 g) powdered sugar, 4 teaspoon lemon juice
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