Small Batch Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This small batch lemon poppy seed muffin recipe makes just 6 muffins that are extra moist and bursting with citrus flavor. They have those beautiful bakery-style muffin tops and take less than an hour to make from start to finish!

Lemon poppy seed muffins arranged on a wire rack with crinkled parchment paper

I think I need some muffin therapy because I've been burned by lemon poppy seed muffins too many times before. 10% of them taste amazing but the other 90% are as dry as the Sahara desert. Luckily these muffins are the exception- they are sooo moist!

I should also mention that these are the easiest muffins ever. No fancy ingredients (who tf owns lemon extract?!? not me!!), no electric mixer, and just 20 minutes of prep time. With that in mind you really have no excuse to not go bake them right now!!

For more muffin recipes, try my small batch banana muffins and small batch chocolate chip muffins.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
FAQ
Expert Baking Tips
Storing and Freezing Instructions
More Muffin Recipes You'll Love
Small Batch Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Close up shot of muffins, with one in center with glaze drizzled on top

Ingredients

Sugar: You need granulated sugar for the batter and powdered sugar for the glaze.
Lemon zest: This recipes calls for 1 and ½ tablespoons of lemon zest, which is from about 1-2 lemons depending on their size. No lemon extract is needed for the citrus flavor to come through because we use so much lemon zest.
Flour
Poppy seeds: Makes the muffins look cute (lets be real they have no flavor).
Baking powder & baking soda
Sour cream or buttermilk: An acidic dairy product is key to make your muffins super moist. The next best substitute would be plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
Oil: Oil creates softer, moister muffins than butter does because it is 100% fat and is liquid at room temperature, while butter is 80% fat and solid at room temp. You won't miss the butter flavor because lemon would overpower it anyway.
Lemon juice
Egg
Vanilla & salt

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Rub lemon zest and sugar. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl and rub the two together with your fingers until the mixture is combined and fragrant. This brings out the oils in the zest, improving the lemon flavor in the muffins.

STEP 2: Whisk dry ingredients. To the lemon sugar, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until combined.

Lemon and sugar mixture mixed together and shown close-up

Dry ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl over a gray surface

STEP 3: Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, oil, egg, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined.

Sour cream, oil, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla in a glass bowl, being whisked but not yet fully combined

The wet ingredients being whisked in a large glass bowl

STEP 4: Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. The batter will be lumpy and that's okay!

The dry ingredients added on top of the wet ingredients but not mixed in yet

Close-up shot of thick lemon poppy seed batter in a glass bowl

STEP 5: Rest the batter. Set aside the batter for 10-15 minutes to rest. This helps the muffins rise taller. Start cleaning up in the meantime!

STEP 6: Scoop the batter. Divide the batter between 6 paper liners, filling all the way to the top, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. A large cookie scoop makes this easy. For even taller muffins, use alternating spaces in the muffin pan- meaning that no liners are directly next to each other.

STEP 7: Bake. Start at 425˚F (218˚C) and bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350˚F (177˚C) for the remaining 14-17 minutes. Starting at a higher temperature helps the muffins quickly dome up.

STEP 8: Make the glaze. While the muffins are cooling, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add more lemon juice for a thinner glaze as needed.

STEP 9: Decorate and serve. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and serve warm. You can drizzle the glaze using a spoon but my favorite way to do it is using a ziploc bag and cutting off the corner.

Muffins arranged on a wire rack with the one in the center bitten into

FAQ

Can I add fruit to the batter?

Try my small batch lemon blueberry muffins instead. You can swap the blueberries for any other fruit like strawberries, raspberries, etc. Adding fruit to this batter would add too much moisture but that muffin batter has a tad less liquid so it's okay.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes! If you don't want a small batch double this recipe for 12 muffins.

How do I make moister muffins?

Use an acidic dairy product (sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt), oil instead of butter, and don't over bake. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick is okay.

Expert Baking Tips

Don't over mix. The batter should be pretty lumpy and that's okay!
Line every other muffin tin. Spacing them out helps the muffins rise higher.
Use sour cream or buttermilk. This creates more moisture compared to regular milk.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

These muffins taste best warm, but if there are any left, store them in an airtight container once completely cooled. Keep at room temperature for a few days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving.