Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Printable)

Tangy, moist muffins combining fresh lemon zest, poppy seeds, and creamy yogurt perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 2 lemons
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
11 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it lightly.
02 - Whisk flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
03 - In a separate bowl, rub granulated sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers to release the oils.
04 - Add eggs, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth.
05 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each roughly three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • They stay impossibly moist for days, thanks to the yogurt and oil doing all the heavy lifting.
  • The flavor is bright and balanced—not aggressively sour, but genuinely lemony in a way that feels grown-up.
  • You probably have everything in your pantry already, and there's no special equipment needed.
02 -
  • Rubbing the lemon zest into sugar before mixing it with the wet ingredients is the difference between a lemon muffin and an amazing lemon muffin—don't skip this step thinking it's unnecessary.
  • Overmixing is the quickest way to ruin these; gentle stirring until the flour is just barely incorporated keeps them tender and soft.
  • Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, so it won't slosh around—if you substitute sour cream or regular yogurt, you might need to reduce it slightly or add an extra tablespoon of flour.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester instead of a box grater for the lemon zest—it gets the flavorful oils without the bitter white pith underneath.
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix together more smoothly, so take your eggs and yogurt out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you start.
  • If you want extra tang, use full-fat Greek yogurt and don't be shy with the lemon juice—you can always add an extra tablespoon without throwing off the balance.

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