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Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins {gluten-free option}

Overhead view of four muffins on a plate, surrounded by fresh lemons and poppy seeds.
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5 from 8 reviews

Fluffy, bakery-style muffins with a big burst of lemon flavor, tons of poppy seeds, and a sweet lemon glaze drizzled on top. These can easily be made gluten-free!

  • Author: Alexandra
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 37 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x
  • Category: muffins
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

  • 2 3/4 cups, spoon and level (11 5/8 ounces) all-purpose flour (or use a gluten-free blend with xanthan gum)
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) salted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-grated lemon zest
  • 1 1/4 cups (10 5/8 ounces) sour cream
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature*
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioner’s sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) salted butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-grated lemon zest

Instructions

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400ºF and grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), cream together the sugar, butter, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed. Beat in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated, again scraping down as needed. Beat in the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla until smoothly incorporated.
  4. Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in on lowest speed until mostly incorporated. Finish folding together by hand just until all ingredients are evenly combined - the batter will be thick.
  5. Fill the muffin tin: Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups (note they will be very full and mounded in centers). Smooth out tops with a fingertip if needed.
  6. Bake: Bake muffins at 400ºF for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350ºF and bake another 7-10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Lemon Glaze

  1. Prep the glaze: Combine confectioner's sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. The glaze should be thick and opaque, but still fluid - add more confectioner's sugar or lemon juice as needed to achieve the correct consistency.
  2. Drizzle: Spoon glaze onto muffins and allow to drizzle down sides. Let set before serving. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container, and should be kept refrigerated if glazed.

Equipment

Notes

*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit 5-10 minutes before using.