Description
These Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are light, moist, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, perfect for a nutritious breakfast or snack. Made with whole wheat pastry flour and natural sweeteners like honey, these muffins incorporate wholesome ingredients along with a tangy lemon glaze and optional fresh blueberries for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (170g) whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- Zest from 2 large lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup (168g) honey
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (113g) plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (whole milk or 2%)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- ⅓ cup (67g) extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter
Optional Mix-In
- ¾ cup (113g) fresh blueberries
For the Glaze
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon low sugar blueberry preserves or jam of choice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 9 muffin liners and generously spray the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour), poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and almond extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Then, slowly stir in the olive oil with a wooden spoon until a smooth batter forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender. If using, fold in the fresh blueberries carefully.
- Fill Muffin Cups and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 9 prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Prepare the Glaze: Once the muffins have completely cooled, prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, blueberry jam, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding lemon juice a teaspoon at a time if the glaze is too thick.
- Glaze the Muffins: Dip each muffin into the glaze or spoon one to two teaspoons of glaze over the top. Place the glazed muffins on a wire rack lined with parchment paper and allow the glaze to set before serving.
Notes
- To make these muffins gluten free, substitute the flour with a gluten free all purpose flour blend.
- To make these muffins dairy-free, use a dairy-free yogurt such as a plant-based or coconut-based yogurt like Siggi’s plant based yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
