Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Fresh Blueberries and Lemon Zest

This recipe calls for fresh blueberries. Fresh blueberries burst and leave little puddles of juice in the muffin as you bite into them.

Using lemon zest is a great way to incorporate that bright and sweet lemon flavor without diluting the batter with lemon juice or adding extra acidity. Adding lemon zest allows you to add the sweet lemon flavor without any of the sourness that comes from the juice. This is also a great technique for making simple citrus cakes like this Lemon Italian Olive Oil Cake.

Poppy Seeds

Poppy Seeds can be found in the ingredient section of the grocery store in a small spice bottle. Poppy seeds add color and texture to the muffins. If you’re not able to find poppy seeds, it is fine to leave them out.

Turbinado Sugar

Rather than spending a lot of time making a crumb topping (which if you have the time is certainly delicious) or lemon glaze, I use turbinado sugar. Turbinado sugar is sugar that comes in large crunchy granules and also contains a little bit of molasses similar to brown sugar. Adding turbinado sugar, sometimes called Sugar in the Raw, makes the top of the muffin just a little bit crunchy and sweet with minimal effort. You can find this type of sugar at typical grocery stores or Whole Foods.

Three Tips for Extra Tall Muffins

Here are three tips for creating extra tall muffins.

Tip 1. High Heat Blast: Preheat the oven to a high temperature of 425℉ and add the muffins. Immediately (right after adding the muffins), reduce the temperature to 350℉. This makes the baking powder (leavening) react quickly, creating a burst of steam lifting the batter, and creating a higher rise.

Many recipes will say to bake the muffins at 425℉ for 5 minutes or 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature. I think this adds extra complexity, and it might mean that you forget to reduce the temperature after 5 minutes, and the muffins will burn (which has happened to me).

If you reduce the temperature right away, you don’t have to come back later to do it, so forgetting to turn the temperature down partway through becomes irrelevant.

Also, it takes some time for the heat in the oven to come down from 425℉ to 350℉ so you’re still getting a nice blast of high heat for your muffins.

Tip 2. Fill every other muffin cup. This allows for better circulation and better heat distribution and therefore taller muffins. But if doing 2 batches is too much, just do them all at the same time.

Tip 3. Don’t Overmix: Stir as little as humanly possible to incorporate the ingredients. This will help the batter to rise and will prevent tough, dense muffins.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

• Whole milk: Use whole milk rather than skim or 1%.
• Vegetable oil: Vegetable oil in muffins and cakes creates a light fluffy texture (as opposed to butter).
• Eggs: Use large eggs.
• Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract, not vanilla flavoring.
• Granulated sugar: Only ½ cup for a not overly sweet muffin.
• Baking powder: For leavening.
• Salt: To bring out flavor and contrast sweetness.
• Poppy seeds: For texture and color.
• Lemon Zest: This is where all the lemon flavor comes from. Lemon zest is sweet, whereas lemon juice is sour. When using only lemon zest you will get a sweet lemon flavor. Be sure to zest only the bright outer part of the peel, not the lighter inner pith.
• Flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour if possible.
• Fresh blueberries: Use fresh blueberries, be sure to measure, too many or too little will alter the muffins. If you have extra fresh blueberries, try Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cake.
• Turbinado sugar: Sometimes called Sugar in the Raw, makes for an easy crunchy topping without all the work of a crumb topping or glaze. Can be found at regular grocery stores or Whole Foods.

How to Make Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Below are the step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425℉. In a large bowl combine the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Step 2. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds, lemon zest and whisk to combine.

Step 3. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Do not over-stir.

Step 4. Add the blueberries and gently stir until just incorporated.

Step 5. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups*. Fill to the top. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. 

*Note: To get muffins with a high dome top (not flat) fill every other muffin cup. This means if you have a 12 cup muffin tin you would only fill 6 cups, alternating cups. Which also means that you will need to do two rounds in the oven as this recipe makes 12 muffins. This is optional, see detailed note above.

Step 6. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place the muffin pan in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350℉. *This also helps with rising. See note further above. Bake for 20-24 minutes.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Making Muffins:

• Lemon Zest: When zesting lemons you can use either a zester, or the smallest side of a box grater. Be sure to remove only the bright yellow, outermost part of the lemon peel, not the lighter inner pith.
• Paper Liners: I've made lots of muffins with paper liners and without paper liners (buttering the muffin tin), including for this recipe. The result: it doesn't make any difference in the look or taste of the muffins. The muffins turn out the same, but using paper liners is just easier. So my recommendation is just to go the easy route and use the paper liners. It is less effort buttering and less messy.
• Fill to the Top: Fill the paper liners to the top, but not overflowing. This will ensure the largest muffins possible.
• Oven Temperature & Post-it Note: After you preheated the oven to 425℉ for the blast of heat to help create a strong rise for the muffins, remember to turn the oven down immediately after putting the muffin tin in the oven to 350℉. Write a Post-it note for yourself ahead of time if needed. And remember to turn it back up to 425℉ before the second batch, and back down again to 350℉. It's much easier to forget to turn the oven down the second time.
• Bake Time and Oven Thermometer: I've made these Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed muffins in several different ovens over the last year and the timing often has to be adjusted based on how hot the oven runs, as well as the type of muffin pan used. Adjust the time as needed for your oven, and if you're looking to be precise, purchase an oven thermometer that tells you what temperature it actually is inside the oven.
• Don't Overbake: The best way to ensure a moist muffin is to not overbake.

Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin FAQs

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