Light and springy, these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are a fresh take on the classic dessert. Topped with a sweet strawberry glaze these muffins would make a great treat to bring to brunch or a casual party. Made with Greek yogurt and sweetened with maple syrup these muffins keep things on the healthier side.
Growing up my aunt always brought the poppy seed bundt cake to all the Spring gatherings, Easter, Mother’s Day, and any birthday gathering. Glazed with sugary icing it was always the perfect way to end a meal. I wanted to come up with a way to enjoy a similar dessert, but with a little less refined sugar and an easier way to control the portion sizes. Which is how I came about making this recipe into perfectly portioned muffins.
There was once a time in my life when I didn’t understand the difference between lemon zest and lemon juice. For the record it’s a huge difference. I also didn’t know what a microplane actually was. I once attempted to zest a lemon with a cheese grater and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working. My mom attempted to use it to and it just wasn’t working. So I called in help from my friend that does some professional baking work on the side. He happily informed me that it wasn’t working, because I was trying to use a cheese grater that was crazy dull. So if you have no idea what I’m talking about you can click on the link to see a picture on Amazon and be amazed!
Zest packs a huge punch of flavor and can totally change the taste of the recipe from vaguely lemony to LEMON! Be careful to not get any of the pith (the white part) as it is bitter and not pleasant. So grab your self a microplane and get to zesting!
While I do love the fresh, light taste of lemon I thought this recipe was missing something. Turns out the sweet contrast of strawberries was the perfect complement to the acidic, lemon flavor. I also love the way the pink color compliments these little muffins and gives them a little added brightness.
I would say it’s perfect for Spring, but we seem to have skipped right past Spring here in Missouri straight into a hot and humid summer. So I will just say it’s perfect for any time of year! But especially when the strawberries are ripe and fresh off the vine.
These muffins are made with Greek yogurt and maple syrup to lighten them up a bit from the sugar bombs they normally would be. If you would prefer to just use regular old sugar and sour cream I’ve included how to do that in the notes. I’ve made them both ways and honestly can’t notice any difference!
Fluffy and sweet this cute little muffins are the perfect, healthy (ish) sweet treat for summer. Made with Greek Yogurt and maple syrup their sure to hit the sweet spot without the refined sugar. A strawberry glaze tops it all off!
- 1-1/2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup or 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 Medium Egg
- 4 Tbsp Butter Melted
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Greek Yogurt (Full Fat) or Sour Cream
- 12 Strawberries Finely dice
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
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In a separate bowl mix maple syrup, egg, melted butter, vanilla, and Greek yogurt until well combined.
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Mix wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and mix until just combined and all ingredients is now wet. Do not over mix or the muffins will not be as light and fluffy!
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In a greased muffin pan or a silicon muffin pan pour an equal amount of the mixture into each cup (12). It's about 2 tbsp of batter per muffin cup.
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Bake in the oven at 350 degree for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before adding the glaze.
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Chop and finely dice the strawberries. Combine with maple syrup and Greek yogurt in a blender and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Pour glaze over cooled muffins and enjoy!
Be sure that the muffins have fully cooled before adding the glaze. If the muffins are still warm the glaze will just soak in and give you a squishy muffin!
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- A microplane zester for all that lemony goodness.
- A silicon muffin pan. Totally non-stick and a breeze to clean up!
Hello! I'm Hayley the author, recipe developer, and taste tester for this blog. I love creating simple, healthy recipes that everyday people can enjoy. I share recipes and the tips and tricks I have learned on my journey. I'm excited to share my meals with you!
Oh my goodness! Lemon & poppy seeds is one of my favorite combos! I cannot wait to make these! Especially with this strawberry glaze!
Lemon and poppy seed were just made for each other!
This looks amazing!! (I think i say that about every post). But really!! These look so incredibly delicious, I think i may actually make these as a breakfast treat! I will let you know when I do!! 🙂 Thanks for another yummy recipe. 🙂
They are the perfect sweet breakfast!
I love the Strawberry Glaze on these lemon poppy seed muffins. The muffins look absolutely delicious. Pinned. I found you on Kitchen Thyme . Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Amy! Kitchen Thyme is so great! I hope you love these muffins as much as I do!