These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are soft, fluffy and bursting with flavor. Drizzled with an easy cream cheese glaze, these muffins are perfect for a simple breakfast or dessert!
Happy 2019, friends!
Boy, does that feel weird to write, and even weirder to say! Are you back into the swing of things today?
I hope you had a wonderful holiday, filled lots of laughter, fun and food! I sure did, but I’m ready to get back at it. I’ve made it an unofficial tradition around here to share a muffin recipe with you at the start of every new year. And because it’s kinda blah and cold out there, I thought I would bring a little warmth today.
And speaking of the cold, doesn’t it feel like winter is never going to end?
At least if you live in the midwest. Although it’s been unseasonably warm in Chicago, with lots of rain, so I’ll take it! Other parts of the U.S. and countries around the world have it way worse than I do, but it’s kind of hard not too complain when we’re still stuck in the middle of winter.
But, that’s enough about the weather. I’m wishing away the freezing cold temps (and rain) by bringing you something sunshiny and bright today, these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze.
Truth be told, I’m not a huge fan of lemon desserts. Pies, cakes, and tarts don’t interest me when lemon (or lime) is involved. But, I do like lemon muffins and these mini lemon poppy seed loaves. As long as it’s in a quick bread or muffin form, sign me up!
I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll say it again, muffins are my favorite baked good to make. I just love the ease of preparation and the endless flavors and unique combos that are just so delicious. In fact, I just made a batch of these Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins last week. Perfect for an quick breakfast or snack.
But, back to these lemon poppy seed muffins with glaze. Did I mention that it’s a cream cheese glaze? This topping is so good that you’ll want to just dig in with your spoon. Go ahead, I won’t tell! With powdered sugar, a hint of vanilla and decadent cream cheese, it makes the perfect topping for these easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.
The preparation for these bakery style muffins couldn’t get any easier, but you knew that was coming, right? After all, easy recipes are the name of my game!
How to make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:
- You’ll start by mixing together your dry ingredients, followed by the wet ingredients. Stir both together, but be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Since the calls for unsalted butter, melted and cooled, it’s a good idea to make this your first step in the process. That way, by the time you need to add the butter, it will be cooled.
- The dough will be quite thick and that’s perfectly fine.
- I find that using the juice and zest of one lemon is enough to flavor these muffins. However, if you prefer a stronger flavor, use the juice and zest of two lemons.
- When you spoon the batter into the muffin tins, fill almost to the top. The muffins won’t rise too much while baking, so this will ensure they turn out big and beautiful.
- Another tip to get those bakery style muffins is to bake them at 425F for 5 minute. Then, without opening the oven door, lower temperature to 350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. This will help achieve those fluffy, tall muffins.
How to make Cream Cheese Glaze:
- Yo’ll want to first beat your softened cream cheese with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, or until creamy.
- Then add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. I like to start with 1-2 tablespoons and adjust from there if more liquid is needed.
- I like to use this vanilla bean paste in all of my recipes that call for vanilla extract. The paste gives it a stronger vanilla flavor, without causing the mix to become watered down.
How to store these Lemon Muffins:
- It’s best to store these muffins in the refrigerator, as the cream cheese glaze might tend to soften or taste sour if sitting at room temperature.
- However, if you don’t add the glaze, you can keep these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Looking for more muffin recipes? I’ve got you covered!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk any kind
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or grease well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, juice and zest of lemon, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and cooled, melted butter.
- Stir wet ingredients into the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Dough will be thick.
- Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan, filling a little over 3/4 full for each tin.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425F, then, without opening oven door, lower temperature to 375F and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Baking at 425F first helps to achieve that high, bakery style muffin.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before glazing.
- To make the cream cheese glaze, in a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Beat in powdered sugar, then add vanilla bean paste and milk. Start with 1 tablespoon and increase liquid if needed for a thinner glaze.
- Drizzle cream cheese glaze over cooled muffins.
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