Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Swing into spring with these bright and tangy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!

With all the beautiful things that spring has to offer — why is the rain still lingering? And what’s up with the wind?

Oh well, I guess the rain and wind are just part of the season changing! But I wish it would just be bright and sunny every day!

So, in honor of spring, and all the things I love about this time of year, especially the sunshine, I thought I would delight you with these pretty and pleasing Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

Funny story about these sweet, spring muffins — you see, my teen son has been obsessed with Dutch Bros coffee lately. Don’t you know, EVERY ONE goes there? We have two of these shops close to our home and when my husband is traveling, and I have to take my son to school, he begs me to take him to the “IN” coffee shop. I usually give in (sucker!), as it’s much easier for me to drive through to get my coffee, then make it at home (long story here — see this post).

So, one morning while waiting in the line of (1,000) cars to order, my son happened to spy the menu. He immediately asked, “What are muffin tops?” I quickly looked over to make sure I understood his question, just confirming he was talking about food, not someone’s figure (LOL)! And sure enough this special coffee place was selling the tops of muffins! And, as you know, the best part of the muffin is the TOP! Ingenious!

As I explained a “muffin top” to him, he was intrigued, and asked if he could get one for his breakfast. He scarfed it down immediately and told me it was incredible. Oh no, going to this place on a regular basis could cost me a small fortune!

Well, that got me to thinking…I told him that I could make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and he could have them for breakfast. He thought that was a good idea, considering it’s a miracle if I can get that boy to eat anything in the morning. The following weekend, I gathered all my ingredients, lemons, poppy seeds, and the basics of flour, sugar and butter and I was happily on my way to bake!

I also decided to double the batch; that way my son could have them for his breakfast, I could take some to work for breakfast or a snack, and I could also give some to my traveling husband — everyone would get a special treat in the morning. And who wouldn’t want sweets for breakfast? No arguments in this family!

These poppy seed scattered muffins hve a dense yet fluffy texture and the combination of sweetness from the sugar and tang from the lemons is perfect! They also have a nice crunch from sugar sprinkled tops! Now, I did not make my muffins as large as the coffee place, but I did get “two thumbs up” from the kiddo! (mom smiling here!)

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS

Servings: 12-18
Difficulty: easy
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By: Sheila | Sweet Baked Life

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups and set aside.

Into a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – whisk until incorporated. In another medium bowl, add the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk and whisk until smooth; then whisk in butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Then fold in the poppy seeds.

Fill muffin cups about 1/2-3/4 full and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until slightly golden on the top. Cool for about 5 minutes then transfer to a rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter (depending on your muffin tin, this recipe will either yield 12-18 muffins).

(Note, this recipe can be easily doubled.)

If you are in need to of a quick and easy breakfast, whip up a batch of these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins — they’re delicious and will satisfy you and your family without having to wait in a long line at the hot coffee spot!

Happy Spring!