Description
Delight in these bakery-quality Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins featuring super tall muffin tops, a moist texture, and bright fresh lemon flavor enhanced by a homemade lemon simple syrup brushed on top. Perfectly fluffy and bursting with zesty notes, these muffins are an ideal treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (320g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (65g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (or lemon extract)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 cup (255ml) milk, room temperature
Lemon Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup (118ml) fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- Lemon peel from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until thoroughly combined to create the dry base for the muffins.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix melted unsalted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, almond or lemon extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk until smooth and well incorporated to form the wet mixture.
- Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain a light texture.
- Rest Batter: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This resting period helps the batter fluff up and ensures taller muffin tops.
- Prepare Lemon Simple Syrup: While the batter rests, add fresh lemon juice and sugar to a saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes allowing the sugar to dissolve fully and flavors to meld.
- Infuse Zest: Carefully peel the zest from one lemon using a paring knife, avoiding too much pith. Place the zest in a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot lemon syrup over it. Let this cool at room temperature to infuse the syrup with bright lemon flavor.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Close to the end of the batter rest time, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. For taller muffin tops, use 6 liners spaced evenly (every other cup). Otherwise, line all 11 cups.
- Scoop Batter: Using a large 2-ounce scoop or about 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill each muffin liner generously to the top and slightly over to achieve a high rise. Handle the batter gently to preserve its fluffiness from resting.
- Bake Muffins: Bake initially at 425°F for 8 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If baking in two batches, remember to reset the oven to 425°F for the first 8 minutes for the second batch.
- Apply Lemon Syrup: When muffins come out of the oven, generously brush them with the cooled lemon simple syrup to add moisture and a citrus glaze.
- Cool and Serve: Let muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Optionally, sprinkle more poppy seeds on top before serving. Enjoy warm for the best experience.
Notes
- These muffins have bakery-quality texture with super tall, fluffy tops and a moist crumb.
- The 1-hour batter rest at room temperature is essential for fluffiness and rise.
- The homemade lemon simple syrup brushed on after baking adds a bright, moist citrus glaze.
- Spacing muffins in every other cup leads to taller muffin tops if you have a single cupcake tin.
- Carefully peeling the lemon zest without getting pith improves the flavor of the syrup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
