Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!

When life gives you lemons… make these soft and citrusy Lemon Poppyseed Muffins!

Every now and then- I’ll write about a little recipe that holds some deep-rooted nostalgia. One that brings me right back to my childhood and being a bemused tiny spectator in my mama’s kitchen; both looking and begging to do more. If I had to pick one recipe my mom was known for- it would be her Lemon Delight Bundt Cake. If if I had to describe it in three words, I’d simply say: it was glorious. Every bit of it. Every bite of it.

Picture the perfect crumb cake; just bursting with lemony goodness and tang in every bite. Citrusy enough, yet not too overpowering. Moist, yet cakey enough without being borderline dry. Sweet, but not too sweet to deter you from a second slice. It’s that perfectly magic combo of having the right proportions of each ingredient and then have everything working in unison to get to a magical spot.

I’d proudly tag that cake along to school bake sales clearly remembering my teachers from previous school years lining up for it, because they knew. Oh yes. My mom had a rep among our circle of friends for being a little baker extraordinaire- the fairy godmother of all goodies worth biting into. Aleyda or Mama Aleyda as some call her, just had a penchant for baking and feeding people. Maybe, just maybe, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

It’s with that recipe in mind that I developed this one.. a hybrid of a cupcake meets a muffin. I wasn’t sure what to call it because they’re not dense enough to be called muffins… but they’re also not your average cupcake. You know what I mean? I was originally going to make a Lemon Poppyseed Loaf; but decided to give cupcakes or muffins a shot because let’s just agree on the fact that they’re fun to make and even more fun to eat. I seriously love a good grab ‘n go muffin, even if these days- there’s nowhere to go, really. 🙂

Here’s the thing about lemony baked goods; as much as I love lemon- they can’t be citrusy to the point of overkill. There IS such a thing: I aptly call it “lemony overkill”. They have to have the right amount of lemon to smell and taste like glorious lemony muffins- without being sour or falling on the opposite side of the spectrum and risk being bland. There’s that perfect sweet and tangy spot you have to hit to make sure the recipe works, and this one totally does.

About the poppyseeds- I just love them! Poppyseed everything bagels are one of my faves and I love adding these neutral little crunchy seeds for the kick of it and a little texture. Plus, they make the muffins look a little more interesting; and I’ve yet to hear someone say they don’t like them. PSA: just make sure to check your teeth after you’ve enjoyed one or two.

You’ll love this delish little recipe because:

they taste like airy, fluffy lemon pound cake!
you can’t beat the texture butter and yogurt give to baked goods.. feel free to sub vegan butter spread and vegan coconut yogurt; both work!
they come with my mama’s optional 2-ingredient lemon glaze! they give muffins a nice, shiny, golden top that screams lemony yes.

The recipe can be made:

gluten-free (gluten-free all purpose flour works!)
dairy-free if you sub vegan butter and if lactose intolerant you can use ghee! Bonus if you use vanilla ghee, amazing for baking!
refined-sugar free if you use the coconut sugar the recipe calls for! can’t find any? you can also use organic golden sugar!

If you make this recipe and enjoy it; don’t forget to tag me and share! Leaving a review on the post is also super helpful to other blog readers, thank you for being here!

Servings: 12 muffins
Time: 35 mins
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Ingredients

1 + 3/4 cups of regular OR gluten-free all purpose flour
3/4 cups of coconut sugar OR organic golden sugar.. coconut sugar goes so well with the lemony flavors!
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 tsp of sea salt
2 Tbsp of poppy seeds
1 cup of Greek lemon yogurt OR use vanilla yogurt mixed in with the juice of 1 lemon
1 large egg at room temp
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup of melted butter OR ghee; feel free to sub vegan butter!
2 Tbsp of grated lemon zest
2.5 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Lemon Glaze

1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of organic icing sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin cups OR do what I did and grease it with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Don’t grease the entire cup; just the bottom and halfway up the sides.
In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds and sea salt.
In a smaller bowl, add your wet ingredients: egg, vanilla, butter, yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Use a hand mixer or whisk to beat until smooth- both work fine!
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until combined; don’t over mix or stir as it takes a toll on the texture and makes them hard.
Bake for 18-20 mins or until edges are starting to turn nice and brown.
If you make the glaze, allow them to cool on a cooling rack for 10 mins before adding it. Pro tip: poke small holes with a fork at the top of each muffin so that the glaze seeps through all the way inside. Delish.

By: Aleyda / The Dish On Healthy