Lemon poppyseed muffins are a classic breakfast treat that are easy to make and super delicious. I’ve loved these muffins since I was young and wanted to recreate the perfect texture and flavor I remembered but vegan of course! These are those muffins. Tender, packed with lemon flavor and the earthy crunch of poppyseeds.
These are great plain as-is or frosted or glazed. My glaze is of more of a thin frosting but it could be thinned out even more to be more of a glaze. It’s optional as these muffins are amazing plain as-is but recommended if you like a sweeter vibe. Using fresh lemon zest is key in these muffins and the glaze so avoid using an extract as it just doesn’t impart the right flavor. Fresh is best!
What do I need to make these?
- Lemons! Seems silly to mention for lemon poppyseed muffins but fresh lemons are needed for their zest and juice.
- Poppy seeds. Again, obvious but some don’t keep these on hand and check an older jar as the oils in them can sometimes turn them rancid.
- Vegan yogurt or sour cream. I prefer vegan yogurt for these but vegan sour cream will also work. If your sour cream is very thick, you can thin it out a bit with vegan milk or cream. Ideally, it should have some give and wiggle to it like yogurt.
This recipe makes 12 standard sized muffins. You fill up to the top in the tin and they will hang over the edge a bit giving them that classic muffin top crown shape so make sure to grease the top of your tin if it isn’t non-stick (I do even if it is just to be safe)! You can also bake these as mini muffins or even jumbo sized but baking times will vary. Enjoy!
Classic Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
12
servings15
minutes24
minutesDelicious classic lemon poppyseed muffins that also happen to be vegan!
Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄4 cups vegan cane sugar
- Wet Ingredients
3⁄4 cup vegan sour cream plain or vanilla vegan yogurt (use your favorite)
1⁄2 cup plain vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from one large lemon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2⁄3 cup vegan milk (use your favorite)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- Glaze
1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons vegan milk or cream
1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cup liners or grease with cooking spray or use vegan butter or shortening. If not using a non-stick pan, make sure to spray the top too as the muffins will “crown” and stick otherwise.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Add the vegan yogurt or sour cream with the oil to the dry ingredients and mix well until all the dry ingredients are well coated. Mixture will be thick. We’re coating the flour with fat to prevent moisture from forming gluten to keep the muffins tender.
- Add the lemon juice and zest to the milk and whisk to combine. Let it sit for a minute then add it with the poppyseeds to the bowl and mix well. At this point it’s hard to over-mix but mix until just combined and batter looks evenly smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin to the top and then tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 24-27 minutes (depending on your oven, remember, convection will bake faster) and test with a cake tester or toothpick and make sure it comes out clean after being inserted into the center of a muffin in the middle of the pan. Don’t overbake!
- Make the glaze by whisking all of the ingredients together until it’s pourable but not too thin. If too thick, add a little more liquid until it thins out. If you added too much at first and it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Spoon over completely cooled muffins, top with additional poppyseeds if using, and serve! These can be frozen or kept covered for a few days on the counter or even longer in the fridge.
Recipe Video
Notes
- I prefer plain vegan yogurt for this recipe. If you use vegan sour cream and it’s too thick, you can loosen it up a bit with some plain vegan milk or vegan cream until it’s the consistency of yogurt before measuring.
- Use lemon zest for this recipe and be careful when zesting that you don’t get too much of the white pith under the yellow layer of skin. It’s bitter and best avoided. I use a rasp for zesting but the fine side of a box grater works well too.
- All ovens vary and the type of bakeware you use contributes to varied baking times as well. Nonstick pans will bake quicker as will convection ovens. I prefer aluminum steel pans for more even baking and use cupcake liners when making muffins. Always test sooner than later for doneness as you don’t want to over-bake these.
- I prefer Diamond Crystal kosher salt for baking and cooking as it’s softer in flavor. You can use regular salt as well but consider investing in a good kosher salt. I feel it does make a difference.
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