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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!
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
I’m wishing away the freezing cold temps (and rain) by bringing you something sunshiny and bright today, these easy 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 glazed lemon poppy seed muffins. 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.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Ingredients
This is actually a lemon yogurt muffin recipe. The Greek yogurt adds moisture and tanginess to the muffin batter and enhances the lemon flavor. I used plain Greek yogurt, but I’m tempted to try this recipe with lemon-flavored yogurt some time!
To make this lemon poppy seed muffin recipe, you’ll need the following:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Poppy seeds
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Lemon juice and zest
- Eggs
- Vanilla bean paste
- Unsalted butter
And to make the muffin glaze, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla bean paste
- Milk
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
The preparation for these bakery-style lemon poppy muffins couldn’t get any easier, but you knew that was coming, right? After all, easy recipes are the name of my game!
Here’s a look at how the muffins are made:
- You’ll start by mixing together your dry ingredients, followed by the wet ingredients. Stir both together, but be careful not to overmix the batter.
- 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.
- Bake them at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, lower temperature to 375°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. This will help achieve those fluffy, tall muffins.
- Once the muffins have cooled, make the cream cheese glaze and spoon over the muffins.
How to Store Muffins
The best way to store muffins with glaze is 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 lemon poppy seed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Muffins?
Yes, very easily! Simply seal the lemon poppy seed muffins inside a freezer bag and freeze. Just note that these muffins freeze best without the glaze on top.
Can the Glaze Be Omitted?
If you don’t have the time or patience to make the muffin glaze, feel free to omit it. The lemon poppy muffins taste just as delicious without it.
Can I Make Mini Muffins?
Yes, of course! If you plan on making lemon poppy seed mini muffins, you’ll need to reduce the bake time significantly.
I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I can’t advise you on the exact bake time needed for mini muffins.
Tips for the Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- 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.
- Note that the batter 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.
- 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.
Looking for more easy muffin recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Healthier Banana Honey Muffins
- Strawberry Banana Muffins
- Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated 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
Make the muffins:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. 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 ¾ full for each tin.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, 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 425°F first helps to achieve that high, bakery style muffin.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before glazing.
Make the glaze:
- 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.
Notes
- Store muffins with cream cheese glaze in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Store muffins without glaze in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Lightly adapted from my Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Loaves
Rachel says
Looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Gayle says
Hope you love it, Rachel!
Christine says
Hi there, does the glaze harden? Just curious about storage if not. Can’t wait to try these! Thanks 😊
Gayle says
Hi Christine! It hardens slightly but will remain a little sticky. Hope you enjoy!
Candace says
These look delicious, when I read the blog post it says 425 the. Lower to 359. But in the recipe card it says lower to 375. Which one should I go with?
Gayle says
Hi Candace! You should lower the temperature from 425 to 375, as written in the instructions I will update the post. Thanks for letting me know and hope you enjoy!