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Overhead view of glazed lemon poppy seed muffin.
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5 from 1 vote

Bakery-Style Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

A bright and citrusy lemon poppy seed muffin recipe featuring sour cream for extra moisture and a simple 2-ingredient lemon glaze finish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

  • 2 cups flour scooped; use 2-½ cups if you spoon and level OR weigh out 325g
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1-½ cups sour cream OR whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 to 2 lemons zest and juice (~ 1-½ tablespoons (not packed) zest + 3 tablespoons juice)

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Prep:

    Preheat oven to 425°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment (this is just to catch any potential spills to keep your oven clean!)
  • Dry ingredients:

    Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-large mixing bowl, set aside.
    2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Wet ingredients:

    Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate large measuring jug.
    1-½ cups sour cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup oil, 2 large eggs, 1 to 2 lemons
  • Make batter:

    Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until combined - do not overmix. You shouldn’t see any dry flour, but a couple of lumps in the batter is fine.
  • Fill muffin cups:

    Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups (this is easiest with a cookie or ice cream scoop.) Cups will be FULL!
  • Bake:

    Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Place the muffin pan on the lined baking sheet and place them on the middle rack in your oven. Bake at 400°F for 6 minutes, then WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR reduce the temperature to 350°F and finish baking for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out without raw batter clinging to it (crumbs are fine.)
  • Cool:

    Cool muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Glaze:
    
Combine the glaze ingredients (start with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, only add more as needed - it should be spreadable and thick), spread over the cooled muffins. Allow to set before serving.
    1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Notes

  • This batter is on the thick side, but it shouldn't be like bread dough. If you think you accidentally added too much flour, you can thin out the batter with 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
  • Don't use a whisk when combining the wet and dry ingredients - use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to avoid overmixing.
  • An ice cream or cookie scoop makes it pretty much mess-free to transfer the batter into the muffin cups.
  • For the perfect domed muffins, stick to the oven temperature instructions in the recipe. The initial boost of heat quickly activates the baking powder and causes the muffins to rise very nicely.