These Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins are soft, tender, and lemony with a light hint of almond. The crunchy-sweet almond topping finishes them off in a delicious way.
My muffin recipes are held to a high standard and must meet certain criteria before I’ll release them upon the world. I’ve been perfecting this Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffin recipe for quite some time now and I’m happy to say that these delightful muffins do not disappoint.
An important item on my list of muffin musts is that the batter results in a perfect dozen. It just bugs me when I mix up a recipe and it’s either not enough or too much for my 12-cup muffin pan. They should be sweet but not overly so. And, the process should be uncomplicated.
These muffins check off all the boxes.
How to Make Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
The process is simple but there are some important tips to remember when baking muffins for the best result.
Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined.
Add milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract, and continue to mix for a minute or two until smooth.
Don’t Overmix!
The dry ingredients are added to the wet mixture, alternately with the non-fat plain Greek yogurt and poppy seeds, and mixed just until combined. One of the most common mistakes home bakers make is overmixing the batter which will yield a tough result.
Kitchen Tip
To ensure your muffins with have a light and fluffy texture, mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just barely combined. When the dry mixture is no longer visible, stop mixing!
Prevent Over-Browning
I like to use cupcake liners with these Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins to avoid over-browning the bottoms. It’s all about keeping things light and bright with these babies. You can spray the muffin cups with non-stick spray if you prefer.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. For the crunchy-sweet topping, sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and then drop some sliced almonds over each muffin.
I like to very lightly tap the almonds to ensure they will adhere to the surface of the batter as the muffins bake.
Watch the Baking Time Closely
Watch the muffins closely and pull them out of the oven just as soon as they are lightly golden and baked through. Insert a toothpick in the center of one of the muffins. When it comes out clean it is time to get those muffins out of the oven.
Over baking is another common mistake and it is sure to result in a dry muffin.
Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes or until they’ve cooled just enough for you to safely pull them out of the pan.
Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
These Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins have joined my list of muffin recipes I will bake on a regular basis. My Spectacular Blueberry Muffins and Bran Muffins are old family favorites that are also on that list.
Soft, fluffy, lemon-almond perfection! Just as delicious first thing in the morning as they are with a hot cup of tea in the afternoon.
Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter,, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (½ lemon)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Topping
- 6 teaspoons sugar, (½ teaspoon per muffin)
- ½ cup sliced almonds, (2 teaspoons per muffin)
Instructions
- Set your oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray (I prefer to use cupcake liners to avoid over-browning the muffin bottoms).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, a beat until well combined. Add milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract, and continue to mix for a minute or two until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Add half of the Greek yogurt and mix again, just until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, Greek yogurt, and the poppy seeds, mixing just until combined and the poppy seeds are incorporated throughout the batter. Be careful not to overmix.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with ½ teaspoon sugar and then sprinkle with 2 teaspoon sliced almonds, using your fingers to very lightly tap the almonds on to the surface of the muffin batter.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
