These Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are bursting with bright lemon flavor, perfect for all your Spring baking needs! With crispy golden edges and moist, fluffy insides, these muffins are undetectably gluten free and refined sugar free. This is the ultimate, allergen-friendly version of a classic flavor combo!
Now that it’s officially Spring, I knew I needed to develop a lemon poppyseed muffin recipe. Mostly because it’s my husband’s most favorite muffin flavor. Apparently he used to devour the lemon poppyseed muffins from the bakery section at Hannaford’s – it was the only way his mom could convince him to go grocery shopping with her.
And ya know, I can’t blame him. Lemon poppyseed is definitely an elite combo and a classic for a reason. So, I’m happy to report that after three tries, I’ve finally perfected my own recipe for Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.
Despite being gluten free, refined sugar free and dairy-free friendly, these muffins are unbelievably moist, fluffy, tangy and the perfect level of sweetness. Plus, they actually taste like lemon and don’t use any lemon extract. I’m kinda sad I’m done the recipe testing process because I want an excuse to make more!
Why You’ll Love these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- These muffins are undetectably gluten free and taste just like the classic!
- They are golden and crispy on the outside while being light and fluffy on the inside.
- This recipe is refined sugar free and sweetened naturally with maple syrup.
- These Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are perfect for Spring or your Easter celebrations.
What You Need to Make these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour: To keep these gluten free, we’re using my favorite GF flour blend from Bob’s Red Mill. It contains xanthan gum which is crucial!
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is double-acting which means its activated once when mixed with a liquid (this is why we let the batter rest for an hour) and then again when it is heated in the oven.
- Baking Soda: Another leavening agent to help these muffins rise and get fluffy.
- Kosher Salt: Salt is a must in baked goods too!
- Poppy Seeds: Well duh…they’re called lemon poppyseed muffins. But you can try replacing them with chia seeds as well.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs, at room temperature. I have no substitutes for this!
- Unsalted Butter: 1 stick of unsalted butter, normal or vegan, melted and then cooled down slightly.
- Greek Yogurt: You can either use full-fat plain greek yogurt or sour cream here. Both will provide tang and moisture to these muffins.
- Maple Syrup: These muffins are sweetened naturally with pure maple syrup! Honey may work as well, although I haven’t tested this yet.
- Lemons: You’ll need both lemon zest and lemon juice. I would recommend buying 3 lemons to be safe.
- Vanilla Extract: Or vanilla bean paste!
How To Make these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Whisk together the Dry Ingredients:
First, add all of your dry ingredients (GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & poppy seeds) to a large bowl. I like to sift my flour, baking powder & baking soda just to be safe but it’s not totally necessary! Although if your baking powder or soda looks clumpy, definitely sift it or else you’ll be left with sour bites in your baked goods (speaking from experience lol). Then, whisk until combined. Set the dry ingredients aside for now.
Whisk together the Wet Ingredients:
In another large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (eggs, melted butter, yogurt, milk, maple syrup, lemon juice & zest, and vanilla). At first, there may be some yogurt chunks but continue whisking for several minutes until smooth and no yogurt chunks remain.
Combine the Wet & Dry Ingredients:
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir until just combined. Don’t over-mix! It should be a relatively thin consistency, but it will thicken up a bit as it rests. Plus, we need that extra moisture when using gluten free flour!
Let the Batter Rest:
Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour. The baking powder will activate during this time and help the muffins become fluffier and taller!
Scoop into Muffin Tin & Bake:
When there’s about 15 minutes of resting time left, preheat your oven to 425F and place paper liners into your muffin tin cavities. You can try using silicone liners or simply greasing the pan instead, but I haven’t personally tested either of those options.
After the hour of resting time, gently scoop out the muffin batter and place it into the lined muffin tin. This recipe yields 12 small muffins but if you want larger ones, instead spread the batter between 10-11 muffin cavities.
Transfer to the oven to bake for 8 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350F and continue cooking for about 8 more minutes or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Finally, let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
How Can I Bring my Ingredients to Room Temperature Quickly?
It’s best to have most of your wet ingredients at room temperature before using them in these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. That’s because room temperature ingredients will help form an even, smooth batter and ultimately a fluffier muffin.
First, start by pulling your greek yogurt out of the fridge at the beginning of the recipe and let it sit while you’re zesting your lemons and measuring out all the ingredients. After you take the yogurt out of the fridge, melt the butter in the microwave and then let it sit to cool it back down a bit.
Next, to bring your eggs to room temperature quickly, you can either run them under warm water for a few minutes OR place them in a bowl and fill it with warm water. For the milk, place the required amount into a glass and then submerge it in another, larger glass or bowl that’s filled with warm water.
Lastly, if you’ve been storing your maple syrup in the fridge, you will also want to bring that to room temperature before using it. I typically just microwave it for about 30 seconds and this does the trick!
Why does the Muffin Batter have to Rest?
As you’ll see in the recipe, these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins require 1 hour of resting time before baking. You’ll just let the batter sit at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 hour.
During that hour, the baking powder will activate which will help fluff up the muffins. The difference will be noticeable when you’re scooping the batter into the muffin tins! Be gentle when scooping so you don’t get rid of all that fluffiness we just developed.
I know it’s annoying to wait, but please don’t skip this step! You’ll be grateful when your muffins come out tall and fluffy…just like the ones from a bakery 🙂
What’s with the Switch in Oven Temperature?
Yup, you’re reading that right…we are actually going to start baking these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins at 425F and then reduce the oven temperature to 350F. This method yields taller muffins with the classic domed top and golden finish.
What Brand of Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Should I Use?
The ONLY brand of gluten free 1-to-1 flour that I use is Bob’s Red Mill. This blend of gluten free flours also includes xanthan gum which is crucial to replicate the texture of gluten-filled baked goods. Without it, you’ll be left with dry, crumbly muffins that don’t hold their shape.
I wouldn’t recommend experimenting with other gluten free 1-to-1 flours unless they have xanthan gum in them. And I DEFINITELY would not recommend using other flours such as almond flour, coconut flour, etc. These perform very different and would require me to write a whole new recipe with different measurements.
Can I Use Chia Seeds instead of Poppy Seeds?
Don’t own any poppy seeds or hesitant about using them? You can try using chia seeds instead. Poppy seeds are smaller than chia seeds and they have a bit more nutty, sweet flavor. So, beware that the overall texture of these lemon poppyseed muffins will be different if you use chia seeds instead.
However, chia seeds do boast more nutrients, including twice as much fiber as poppyseeds. They’re also a great option if you’re nervous about them showing up on a drug test.
Can I Make these Dairy Free?
Yup! If you’re both gluten AND dairy free, you can definitely make a few swaps and these lemon poppyseed muffins will still turn out great. Here are my suggestions:
- Butter: Swap the regular dairy butter for vegan butter. My personal favorite is Country Crock Plant Butter, which performs and tastes very similar to the real deal.
- Milk: Swap out cow’s milk for a dairy-free milk, preferably one that is unsweetened and unflavored, although vanilla would be fine.
- Greek Yogurt: Look for a vegan yogurt that is thick like greek yogurt, such as Siggi’s Plant-Based or Cocojune coconut yogurt.
How Do these Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins Keep?
Make sure to enjoy some when they’re still warm because nothing beats a warm muffin! For the leftovers, let them cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container. You can store them at room temperature for about 3 days. If you’d like to keep them fresher for longer, store them in the refrigerator. They may dry out a bit in the fridge, so I always like to pop them in the microwave before enjoying 🙂
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by leaving a rating and review below and tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Sweet Treats?
- Lemon Protein Balls
- Paleo Almond Orange Loaf
- Gluten Free Monster Cookies
- Red Velvet Muffins (No Food Dye)
Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Equipment
- 2 large bowls
- microplane zester
- whisk
- spatula
- plastic wrap
- Muffin Tin with liners
Ingredients
For the Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour (250g)*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp poppyseeds
For the Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt at room temperature*
- ¼ cup milk of choice at room temperature
- ¾ cup maple syrup at room temperature
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Set aside.2 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp poppyseeds
- In another large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients for several minutes until smooth and no yogurt chunks remain.2 large eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt, ¼ cup milk of choice, ¾ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir until just combined. Don't over-mix!
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour. The baking powder will activate during this time and help the muffins become fluffier and taller!
- When there's about 15 minutes of resting time left, preheat your oven to 425F and place paper liners into your muffin tin cavities.
- After the hour of resting time, gently scoop out the muffin batter and place it into the lined muffin tin. This recipe yields 12 small muffins but if you want larger ones, instead spread the batter between 10-11 muffin cavities.
- Transfer to the oven to bake for 8 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350F and continue cooking for about 8 more minutes or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.
I really enjoyed these! Better than Hannafords!
Hahahahaha, I’m glad!