Not Too Sweet Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
You're going to love every bite of these tangy-sweet and moist lemon poppy seed muffins. These tender muffins are super soft and moist and just the right amount of texture from crunchy poppy seeds! They're finished off with a simple lemon glaze that adds some sweetness and packs even more lemon flavor into every bite. The best part? You can whip up a batch in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest (two lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup lemon juice (3 lemons)
- ½ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º. Place cupcake liners into a muffin pan and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. Add vanilla, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just just combined, Don’t overmix. Use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup and scoop into prepared cupcake liners.
- Bake for 5 minutes then turn down the oven to 350º, do not open the oven door. Cook an additional 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking, combine ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove muffins from the oven and pour the warm syrup over the top or use a pastry brush to spread it across the top of each muffin. Let them sit in the muffin pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- For an even stronger lemon flavor, poke small holes into the top of each muffin before adding the glaze. This will help the syrup melt into the center of the muffins!
- Don't fill your muffin cups all the way! Leaving space for them to rise means there will be more air in the crumb and your muffins will have a much fluffier texture.
- Don't overwork the batter! Only mix the ingredients together until just combined, otherwise, the batter can become tough.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg
