Bright, zesty, and irresistibly tender—these Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Streusel are everything you love about bakery-style muffins but made right at home. Bursting with fresh lemon flavor, speckled with crunchy poppy seeds, and topped with a buttery crumb topping, they’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
If you love lemon recipes, you should try my Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies and this Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf!
Recipe in a Glance
- Texture: Soft, fluffy, and moist inside with a slightly crunchy streusel topping.
- Flavor: Bright and citrusy with a perfect balance of sweetness and tangy lemon flavor.
- Ease: Simple and beginner-friendly—no mixer required!
- Time: Ready in about 30 minutes, including prep and baking time.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Shop efficiently (treat this as your grocery list) and gather your ingredients at home without running circles in your kitchen. (i.e. One trip to the fridge to get all your dairy needs.) You can still find the full printable recipe at the end of this post.
REFRIGERATED:
- egg. 100g (2 large eggs if you’re in North America ), at room temperature.
- sour cream. 230g (1 cup ) sour cream, at room temperature.
- butter. 85g (6 tablespoons ) of unsalted butter, melted.
PRODUCE:
- lemon. You need a total of 2 tbsps + 1tsp of lemon zest and 45g (3 tablespoons) of fresh lemon juice. That’s about 5-6 lemons depending on the size.
PANTRY:
- flour. You need a total of 344g of all purpose flour/plain flour (for the streusel and the muffin batter combined). I always recommended weighing your flour for accuracy, but if you’re using cups, please use the scoop and level method. To do that, use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Then, level off the top with the back of a knife so the flour is level with the top of the measuring cup.
- baking soda. You need ¼ teaspoon. Note that baking soda do expire so make sure yours is still good. To test, you can add a small amount of baking soda to a bowl and then add a few drops of an acidic liquid, like vinegar or lemon juice. If the baking soda fizzes immediately, it’s still good to use. If there’s little to no reaction, the baking soda has lost its effectiveness and should be replaced.
- baking powder. You need 2 teaspoons baking powder. To test if your baking powder is still good, add a half teaspoon to a small bowl, pour in a quarter cup of hot water, and watch for a vigorous bubbling reaction; if it bubbles, it’s still active, otherwise, it’s time to replace it.
- salt. You need a total of 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt – a ½ teaspoon for the streusel and another half for the muffin batter . Table salt is ok to use as well.
- sugar. A total of 225g (¾ cup + 6 tbsps) granulated white sugar for both the streusel and muffin batter. Caster sugar is ok as substitute as long as you’re measuring by weight as caster sugar has finer crystals.
- poppy seeds. 20g (2 tablespoons) of poppy seeds.
- vanilla extract. 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract for added flavor.
How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Step-by-Step
These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are so quick and easy to make – you just need 2 bowls, a spatual, and a whisk!
STEP 2. Make the lemon streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and use a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no bits of white flour left, and the streusel forms clumps. Set it aside.
STEP 3. Mix dry ingredients. Place the sugar in another medium bowl, then zest the lemons into the same bowl on top of the sugar until you have about 2 tablespoons. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar, until they’re combined well and has a sandy texture.
PRO TIP: Rubbing lemon zest and sugar together with fingers helps release the flavorful oils from the zest, intensifying the citrus flavor and fragrance, and infusing the sugar with a bright, zesty taste.
STEP 4. To the same bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the poppy seeds. Whisk until well-combined.
STEP 5. Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients: melted butter, egg, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla.
STEP 6. Combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold it with a silicone spatula until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
STEP 7. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The batter should be lumpy.
STEP 8. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (about 70 grams per muffin hole). The muffin cups would be almost full. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of lemon streusel over each muffin and every so gently press them down so they will stay in place.
PRO TIP: For taller muffins, I bake them in every other hole in the muffin tin. This trick helps to circulate hot air around each muffin helping ensure you get the perfectly risen, domed top!
STEP 9. Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes and then without opening the oven door reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake the muffins for another 12-14 minutes until the internal temperature registers at about 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.
How To Know If My Muffins Are Done?
All ovens are different so always treat the baking time stated in the recipe as a guide. Start checking for doneness at the low-end of the provided time scale, i.e. at 12 minutes on a recipe that says 12–15 minutes.
1. Toothpick Test
The most common method is inserting a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, yourmuffin is likely done.
2. Internal Temperature Check
The most accurate way to check if your muffins are fully cooked is by measuring its internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer. well. For a well-baked muffin, aim for an internal temperature of 200–205°F (93–96°C).
3. Visual Cues
If the edges are dark but the middle feels soft and sinks in when touched, it’s a sign it needs a bit more time.
Tips for the Best Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor—bottled juice won’t give the same brightness.
- Don’t overmix the batter; a few lumps are okay! Overmixing leads to dense muffins.
- Want extra lemon flavor? Drizzle with a simple lemon glaze (120g powdered sugar + 60-70g of lemon juice) after baking.
- Store properly: These muffins stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Streusel
Ingredients
Lemon Streusel
- 125g (1 cup) all-purpose flour/ plain flour If using cups for measuring flour, use the scoop and level method; don't scoop the flour directly from the container.
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 75g (6 tbsps) granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 85g (6 tbsps) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Batter
- 150g (¾ cup) granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsps lemon zest about 4-5 lemons depending on size
- 219g (1¾cup) all purpose flour/ plain flour If using cups for measuring flour, use the scoop and level method; don't scoop the flour directly from the container.
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 20g (2 tbsps) poppy seeds
- 100g eggs (weight is without shell), at room temperature (about 2 large eggs in North America)
- 230g (1 cup) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 45g (3 tbsps) lemon juice from fresh lemon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients and use a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no bits of white flour left, and the streusel forms clumps.125g (1 cup) all-purpose flour/ plain flour½ tsp fine sea salt75g (6 tbsps) granulated white sugar1 tsp lemon zest85g (6 tbsps) unsalted butter, melted
- Mix dry ingredients. Place the sugar in another medium bowl, then zest the lemons into the same bowl on top of the sugar until you have about 2 tablespoons. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar, until they’re combined well and has a sandy texture.PRO TIP: Rubbing lemon zest and sugar together with fingers helps release the flavorful oils from the zest, intensifying the citrus flavor and fragrance, and infusing the sugar with a bright, zesty taste.150g (¾ cup) granulated white sugar2 tbsps lemon zest
- Into the same bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the poppy seeds. Whisk until well-combined.219g (1¾cup) all purpose flour/ plain flour2 tsps baking powder¼ tsp baking soda20g (2 tbsps) poppy seeds½ tsp fine sea salt
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients: egg, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and melted butter.100g eggs (weight is without shell), at room temperature230g (1 cup) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature45g (3 tbsps) lemon juice from fresh lemon1 tsp pure vanilla extract113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- Combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold it with a silicone spatula until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not overmix!
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The batter should be lumpy.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (about 70 grams per muffin hole). The muffin cups would be almost full. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of lemon streusel over each muffin and every so gently press them down so they will stay in place.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5 minutes and then without opening the oven door reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake the muffins for another 12-14 minutes until the internal temperature registers at about 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.
