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Moist and Fluffy Bakery-Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

A lemon poppy seed muffin cut in half showing the moist crumb texture, topped with white glaze and poppy seeds.
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Follow this simple recipe to make soft, moist lemon poppy seed muffins with tall tops and a zesty lemon glaze. This recipe delivers bakery-quality results perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Ingredients

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  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water (for simple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until just combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to mix until just combined. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough.
  5. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  7. While the muffins bake, prepare the simple syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar (taken from the main sugar amount if you prefer, or use 1 tablespoon of extra sugar) until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
  8. Immediately after removing the muffins from the oven, brush the tops generously with the warm simple syrup. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Prepare the zesty lemon glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar with 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice until you reach a thick, pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.

Notes

  • For extra tall muffin tops, fill the liners almost completely full and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 5 minutes before reducing the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for the remaining bake time.
  • Using room temperature ingredients helps create a smoother batter and a more uniform rise.
  • You can substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt if needed for a similar moist texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://littlekitchendiary.com/lemon-poppy-seed-muffins-recipe/