Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins have to take the award for the most cheerful muffin. They are like summer in a muffin cup. This recipe, from Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster’s Market Cookbook, includes a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting which almost gives it the look of a cupcake, but the texture is unmistakenably muffin-like.

Using the grated zest and juice of 2 lemons seems like a whole lot of lemoniness, but trust me, it’s not overdoing it. If you use less than the suggested amount, not only will the muffins be lacking in lemon flavor, but they run the risk of being dry since the lemon juice is a major part of the liquid ingredients.

My favorite part of the recipe is the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s phenomenal. Sweet and Tart and oh so refreshing. Breakfast never tasted so good.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12

SaveSaved Pin Print

Save this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save

Ingredients

Muffins

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup poppy seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter,, softened
• ▢ 3/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• ▢ grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• ▢ 3 ounces cream cheese,, softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ grated zest of 1 lemon
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice,, or to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 large muffin cups with liners and spray with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Add liquid ingredients to mixing bowl, alternating with flour mixture. Stir just until flour is incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
• Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, filling just below the top of the liner. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched. Cool muffins completely before frosting.
• For frosting, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream together the sugar and cream cheese until well mixed and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and enough lemon juice to make the frosting a spreadable consistency.
• Spread frosting on muffins.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag us @spicysouthernkitchen on social media!

Disclosure: Spicy Southern Kitchen is an amazon.com affiliate.