Vegan Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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Cutting board of Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins topped with glaze

Sometimes a recipe asks you to make it. Such was the case with these 30-minute, lemony-glazed beauties.

Colander of fresh meyer lemons for making delicious poppyseed muffins

I was strolling innocently through Trader Joe’s when I noticed a new type of lemon right beside my old standbys: Meyer lemons!

When things come into season (where I live) it excites me and I must experiment. One look at this juicy bunch of lemons and I couldn’t shake my head from one thing: Meyer lemon poppy seed muffins.

And so it began…

Bowl of Vegan Meyer Lemon Muffin batter topped with chia seeds

This batter is made in ONE bowl to save you time and energy. It’s also whole grain, vegan and incredibly easy! Not to mention, it’s extremely versatile in that you could sub or omit the poppy seeds for fruit, nuts, or seeds.

Batch of our Vegan Meyer Lemon Muffins recipe resting on a cooling rack
Cutting board with a batch of our Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Oh man, one bite into these gems and I was in love. The 2-ingredient lemon glaze didn’t hurt…

Drizzling icing onto a batch of our Easy 1-Bowl Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Meyer lemons and Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins with glaze

These lemon muffins are beckoning to be made! They’re

Tender
Perfectly tart
Not too sweet
Wholesome
Flecked with poppy seeds
Frosted with citrusy glaze
Satisfying
Shareable
& Absolutely irresistible

Parchment paper liner pulled down to reveal the texture of our Vegan Meyer Lemon Muffins

Make them for brunches and bridal showers and snacks and parties and friends and thank-yous and I’m-sorrys and everything in between. Your recipients are going to love them. Cheers!

Top down shot of a Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffin with glaze
Showing the center of a Vegan Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Muffin with Lemon Glaze

NOTE: Recipe retested and updated 07/11/19 to improve texture, flavor, and address muffins sticking to liners.

Vegan Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

1-bowl, 30-minute vegan Meyer lemon poppy seed muffins with a 2-ingredient lemon glaze. So moist, wholesome, perfectly tart-sweet, and delicious.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Cutting board with Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins topped with icing
4.52 from 92 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 (muffins)
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

For the Muffins:

  • 2 batches flax eggs
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 heaping Tbsp Meyer lemon zest (or regular lemons)
  • 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract (optional)
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
  • 1/3 cup natural cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional // or sub chia seeds)
  • 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (or sub unbleached all-purpose)*
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats*
  • 1/2 cup almond meal*

For the Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar* (sifted)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard muffin tin with 12 paper liners, or lightly grease (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
  • Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl and let rest for a few minutes. Zest lemon(s) at this time.
  • Add applesauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla or lemon extract (optional), oil, almond milk, maple syrup or agave, cane sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk. It will foam up because the lemon juice will react with the baking soda.
  • Add flour, almond meal and oats and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be quite thick and NOT pourable – rather, scoopable. Add the poppy seeds and gently stir once more.
  • Divide batter evenly between muffin tins (should be enough for between 11-12 as original recipe is written (adjust if altering batch size).
  • Bake for 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove from tins and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
  • If glazing, whisk the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until a thin, pourable glaze is formed and brush or drizzle on the muffins.
  • Will keep covered for several days at room temperature. Freeze for long-term storage (up to 1 month).

Notes

*To make this recipe gluten-free, use GF rolled oats and sub a gluten free flour blend for the whole-wheat pastry flour.
*If you don’t have almond meal on hand, just replace it with more whole-wheat pastry flour.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with glaze.
*If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, sub turbinado sugar blitzed into “powdered sugar” in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 muffins Calories: 180 Carbohydrates: 26 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 7.6 g Saturated Fat: 4.3 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 90 mg Fiber: 1.8 g Sugar: 14 g

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  1. Maaike says

    Delicious and fluffy! Thank you.
    I used spelt flour and coconut sugar in stead of cane sugar, so they turned out a bit darker than on the picture but they taste so good!

  2. Rachel says

    I adore Y’all and have been using your recipes for years! For this recipe the batter is really liquidy and this is the first time making something that the instructions didn’t match the outcome. I added more of all the flours but if diluted the flavors (not bad just not ideal). Figured I’d try again but the same thing happened, liquid batter. Figured I’d leave a comment for the first time and let y’all know!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! We’re so sorry this one is giving you trouble, Rachel. Would you mind sharing which flour you’re using? And whether you use the US customary or metric measurements?

  3. Cindy luhu says

    Delish!! I made these yesterday & they are even better after a night in the fridge; more lemony, if that’s possible. I used regular lemons, vanilla extract (not lemon), King Authur 1:1 GF flour, agave, subbed rice flour for the almond flour, & left off the glaze. After these modifications, I estimate 134 cal per muffin. A great & very flexible recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad they turned out well! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Cindy! xo

  4. Alyssa Praechter says

    Wow these are SO GOOD!! I used regular lemons and used white whole wheat flour as a 1:1 replacement. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. Definitely will make again!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Haley, we think that should work if you double the recipe! We’d suggest lightly greasing the bundt pan and baking for about 25 minutes. Then check every 5 minutes thereafter until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. We’d guess it would take closer to 30-40 minutes. Let us know if you try it!

  5. Kathy says

    Good tip about the wet ingredients foaming up – boy did they ever. I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour and GF oats and the muffins turned out just fine. Loving the lemon selection because I purchased a big bag of lemons from Costco :)

  6. Rose says

    Great muffins, turned out really well even though I forogt to add in the coconut oil – so potentially a good option if you’re looking to avoid oil or don’t have anything on hand. Subbed half of the almond milk for coconut yoghurt, did 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup wholemeal spelt (in place of whole wheat pastry flour), added coconut sugar in place of the regular sugar and didn’t have applesauce so used a grated pear. So quite a few substitutions but great overall result, really happy.

  7. Natalie says

    This recipe says the batter should be thick. It isn’t. I’ve waited 15 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid. It didn’t help. I added more than a cup of flour until it seemed the right consistency. They came out dense but good. Maybe I added a little too much flour.

    Anyway, I’m using gluten free flour. And I’ve made them twice. Any comments would be appreciated.

    • Natalie says

      I’m sorry. I just noticed i commented 2 years ago and you kindly responded. I’m copying the diy flour directions into my copy so I can try it next time. I used oat flour when I made them before. Hopefully they will come out better with your flour mixture.
      ❤️

  8. Karina says

    Hi – love all your recipes so far. I want to make these lemon poppy seed muffins but need your advice:

    1. What do I do if I want to use yogurt as a sub? Do I sub it in the same amount as the almond milk 1/4 cup?

    2. If I want to make it GF, can I sub the whole wheat flour for 1 cup oat flour or 1 cup almond flour or half/half? I don’t have the GF flour blend handy. I know there is already oats and almond meal but wondering what to do with the flour if I don’t have the GF mix.

    3. Is there a way to incorporate a nut butter into this? How? Would it be a mix between a nut butter and the avocado oil? What ratio?

    Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try these!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Karina! If you want to sub yogurt for the milk, we’d say the same amount should be good, but you may need a splash of milk or water if the batter is too thick. For the flour, we don’t know if this recipe will work gluten-free, but it’s possible that a 50/50 almond/oat mixture would work, or better yet some potato starch along with the almond flour. For the nut butter, we don’t know if the flavor would work, but you could try subbing it for the oil. Of course we haven’t tried any of these substitutions and we cannot guarantee results! Let us know how it goes!

  9. Calli says

    I liked the flavor and the glaze, but the ratios for the batter felt off to me. I ended up adding a whole extra 1.5c of all purpose and some additional baking soda in order to get the batter to a scoop-able density. Once baked and cooled, the texture was gummy/rubbery, while still not being fully cooked. I would hesitate giving these another go — I’d choose the lemon loaf recipe over this for sure, but maybe with some more tweaking could get this recipe to a place where I’d be comfortable with it.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! So sorry these didn’t work well for you, Calli. Did you happen to make any other modifications to the ingredients? Thanks so much for sharing your honest feedback and experience!

  10. Nikki says

    Love this recipe! We used regular eggs & all-purpose flour with a bit of regular whole wheat because that’s what we had on hand. My kids loves making these & it was something even my 5-year-old could mix all by herself.

    Perfect mix of tang + sweet. Feels like a bit of sweet sunshine in the middle of a cold winter!

    Thank you!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ooh, possibly! We’d suggest baking longer (maybe an extra 10-15 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean. Let us know how it goes!

  11. Eden says

    These muffins are one of my favorite recipes. They have an amazing flavor and are the perfect amount of moist. Everyone in my family loves these muffins.

  12. sasha says

    Just found this recipe. I needed to make some changes to what I have on hand. It is currently in my Zojirushi bread machine. I used the cake setting.
    I used 1 banana instead of applesauce, I used only maple syrup instead of the sugar, I used vanilla powder instead of extract, I did not use any oil, I only used one turn of the salt, used just half wheat flour, half unbleached all purpose flour.

    I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you

  13. Emily says

    Hi! I love this! I am wondering if there is any alternative to the flour used – would coconut work? Almond? I have some sensitivity to work around right now and don’t do great with whole wheat or all purpose! Any insights so appreciated!

  14. Jane says

    I made these tonight after picking up some Meyer lemons, and oh my god, they are INCREDIBLE! I subbed coconut sugar for cane sugar, and a grated apple for the applesauce. I also added some fresh vanilla bean (1/4 tsp) in addition to the vanilla extract. I skipped the glaze altogether to make them a tad “healthier”. Thanks for yet another amazing recipe Dana!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yummm, thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Jane. So happy you enjoyed! xo

  15. Samantha says

    This is our staple vegan, gf, low-histamine recipe. My husband has a histamine intolerance, so we just leave out the citrus and have subbed with other fruits (blueberry, passion fruit). I have commented on this recipe before and am so impressed with its simplicity. No need for high-tech baking gear or labor-intensive techniques, and it comes together in minutes. I have used this recipe successfully in metal muffin tins and ceramic muffin tins. Lined with paper muffin liners or unlined–it never disappoints! My husband can enjoy baked goods again. We cannot thank you enough!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, yay! We’re so glad you both enjoy it, Samantha! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo

  16. Theresa L says

    These muffins just came out of my oven—the entire house smells heavenly! I have made so many of your vegan muffin recipes. I TOTALLY appreciate the one-bowl concept. My husband and I are going away for a few days to stay at a very posh resort… and I am taking these beauties with us to nosh in the room!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Theresa. We are so glad you enjoy our recipes! Enjoy your vacation!!

  17. Annabelle says

    I substituted a bit — I didn’t have a lemon, so I went without the zest but used some organic lemon juice; brown sugar instead of cane; and chia instead of poppy seeds (and I chose not to use a glaze). The batter was scoopable and the resulting texture was fine, but the muffins themselves lacked any real flavor and were a little more savory than I expected (perhaps I over-salted? under-sugared? maybe the glaze is the key?). I’ll probably try these again with some zest and fresh lemon juice and real poppy seeds (and maybe AP flour) to see if I can get a stronger lemon flavor.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Annabelle! Sounds like your modifications may have caused some issue. Lemon zest definitely adds a lot of flavor. Let us know if you try again!

  18. Lanie says

    I assume that the vanilla extract is added in with the other liquids? Just wondering if you forgot to add it to the directions or if you omitted from the recipe all together.

  19. Belinda says

    Love these, although both times I have made them it has been too runny and I find I burn the top trying to cook them through. This time I added an extra 1/2 cup flour and extra 1/2 cup oats and they were perfect after 22mins :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Belinda! We’ll take another look! Did you use unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hm, we haven’t experimented with sweet potato flour, but think it might be too dense. Let us know if try it!

  20. Amy says

    Made these muffins for my vegan daughter. They are delicious! Tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. Making them again today. Will wait until the muffins are cool before adding the icing this time. Didn’t do that last time and it soaked into the muffins.

  21. Vanessa says

    Hello,
    I don’t have any applesauce, what’s the sub for it? I’m assuming more sugar?
    Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Vanessa, You can sub a grated apple or pear! Otherwise, perhaps carrot purée? Although it will change the color.

  22. Alana says

    Mmm…these are good! I didn’t have almond milk, so I used soy, and I didn’t realize the flax egg was mixed in the beginning, so I added that at the very end, but my batter was thick and scoopable. I know others said theirs were really runny; mine was as described in the recipe. Its soft/moist with a nice little texture from the oats and strong lemon flavor from the glaze. Definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe as is except for the soy, OH and I used regular lemons (3) instead of meyers, baked 12 muffins (2 tins) for 23 minutes at 375F. I was going to gift them to a friend, but I already ate 2, so maybe these will stay with me ;p

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Alana! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!

  23. LG says

    So I tried this recipe using a loaf pan without tweaking anything. The batter was very wet, a tad runny. But instead of experimenting with the texture by adding more flour or baking powder, I decided to play with the baking time. At 55 mins, it was set. And when cooled completely this was perfectly moist and absolutely delicious. Great recipe!

  24. Ava says

    These are the best muffins I have ever made. They are so fluffy, flavourful and absolutely delicious. I used maple syrup, coconut oil and regular lemons and they turned out great. Next time, I’m doubling it for sure!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ava! Thanks so much for the lovely review!

  25. Darby Sward says

    I’ve made these muffins for years now, to the point where all my friends and family request these anytime they are given the chance. The recipe is super easy to follow, the ingredients are commonplace in a vegan pantry, and they literally have never failed or disappointed me or my non vegan friends! I cannot recommend this recipe and this blog enough!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, we’re so glad to hear it, Darby! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo

  26. Natalie says

    I used a gluten free flour blend. It has almond meal in it so I just used it for the flour and almond meal both.

    I admit I could have erred, but I really don’t think so.

    I have to say that they did eventually turn out great. I posted photos on Instagram and hashtagged you.
    Natalie

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re glad they ended up turning out well! It could be that the flour blend just wasn’t as absorbent as our DIY blend. Thanks for sharing!

  27. Diane says

    Just popped this baby out of the oven. I made a loaf and it took about 40 minutes. The lemon aroma is just wafting through my house. I have to control myself from cutting into it. I will make your lemon glaze and share a photo on IG. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Diane! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xo

  28. Grace says

    This recipe turned out absolutely delicious!! My family (all not vegan) loved them and my neighbor said they tasted better than the bakery’s muffin near my house. I am about to make another batch for my friends since they were all jealous they did not get any the first time I made them. The muffins are so fluffy and light on their own but with a thin spread of glaze the muffins are taken to a new level! I just used powdered sugar and almond milk as a recipe calls for. 10/10 recommend this recipe!!

      • Ayshe says

        I made lemon poppy seed cakes before with success and I bake often, and this time I wanted to try a vegan version. Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work for me. I read all the reviews before attempting and was prepared in case things would go wrong. The only thing I changed is the substitution of coconut oil with cold-pressed extra virgin rapeseed oil as I wanted to reduce the amount of saturated fat. Like someone else who also experienced, my batter was runny so I had to add extra 1.5 cups of almond flour to make it scoupable. I also added a teaspoon of baking powder to help with rise. Just when I thought it was going perfect, when I took the muffins out to check if they were done after 22 minutes, they all collapsed making a well in the middle. After baking for 28 minutes in the end, I took them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Unfortunately things carried on going wrong when I tried to remove the paper liners as quite few of them got stuck to the paper and fell apart into crumbles. To save the presentation, I persevered to make the icing but the volume of lemon juice relative to the amount of sugar wasn’t sufficient to make it thin and spreadable so I had to add a bit more lemon juice. Overall, the taste was good but presentation was awful and the texture just didn’t hold. With regret, I won’t be using this recipe again.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Ayshe, so sorry to hear that was your experience! We’ll take another look at this recipe and see if modifications need to be made.

  29. Simon says

    Super tasty!
    I’ve replaced the almond meal with finely grounded hemp press cake, which is the byproduct from pressing oil from hemp seeds.
    I’ve thought it works really well, since all of my family say hemp tastes similar to poppy seed, and it really does!
    Also I’ve used fresh cashew milk and replaced the maple syrup with a little more milk, because we do not like it too sweet.

    I can confirm too, that this can also be done as a loaf.

    • Natalie says

      I have these in the oven now and am worried. I had the same problem is Ayshe. I was done mixing, saw where it said add milk if bater is too thick. It was runny and watery almost.
      I added another cup of flour (about) and 2 tsp of chia seeds and waited a few minutes. It didn’t help. Finally I had an inspiration and added 1/4 cup coconut flour. And just scooped them in anyway. Wish me luck.
      Are you sure there isn’t a typo somewhere? I hope that doesn’t seem rude.
      Natalie

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Natalie, so strange! We retested recently to make sure the measurements were correct. Did you use all purpose or whole wheat flour? Did you make any modifications?

  30. Christina says

    These are great! I substituted Coyo brand Mixed Berry Coconut Yogurt for the Apple sauce, spelt flour for the all-purpose flour and almond meal, and coconut sugar for cane sugar. I also added about 1.5 cups of frozen blueberries to the batter at the very end so they wouldn’t have time to defrost and turn the batter a different color. They came out perfectly moist and tasty. I would love to experiment with how to up the lemon flavor in the future, but these were a great first batch. Anyone have ideas on how to modify the recipe to make this a loaf?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad they turned out well, Christina! Thanks for sharing! Maybe shoot for 30 minutes, then check every 5 minutes thereafter for doneness. Let us know if you try it!

  31. Cynthia Dorantes says

    Hi I’m gluten free, can I substitute the pastry flour for your gluten free flour mix in this?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Cynthia, we haven’t tried it, but we think it would work! Let us know if you try it!

      • Ayshe says

        Hello, Can I substitute almond meal with almond flour instead? As the flour is finer in texture, I wonder if this may cause the batter to be runny? Also, as I have sweetened applesauce and want to avoid the taste being too sweet, should I better reduce the amount of sugar or maple syrup (and by how much) so this doesn’t affect the consistency of the batter?
        Thank you for your feedback.
        Ayshe

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Ayshe, We haven’t tried almond flour in this recipe, but we think it would work well. We’d suggest reducing the sugar instead of the maple. Let us know how it goes!

  32. Manon says

    Hello Dana/ Minimalist team,

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. I wanna make it for a friend who loves those flavours but I’d prefer making it into a loaf. What would you recommend I change?

    Thanks for being here and sharing such exciting content! ?

    Manon

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Manon! Maybe shoot for 30 minutes, then check every 5 minutes thereafter for doneness. Let us know if you try it! xo

  33. Claire says

    Made this in mini-muffin tins last night! I followed the recipe exactly and baked for about 18 min. Perfect, thank you!

  34. Marcella says

    I just made these, and they’re pretty good! My version would be 4 stars, but I think if I had followed the recipe exactly they’d be even better (hence the 5-star review).

    I had to make a lot of substitutions because I am currently home bound during the covid-19 quarantine, and didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. I’m also a vegetarian who is eating mostly vegan (I have been eating honey) because my breast-fed daughter is allergic to dairy, soy, and possibly eggs.

    My adjustments:
    In place of the flax egg I just added another 2 tablespoons of applesauce. Instead of whole wheat and almond flours, I used regular all-purpose flour. Instead of fresh lemon zest I reconstituted dried lemon zest from my spice drawer. Instead of almond milk I used oat milk. And instead of cane sugar I used brown sugar. This recipe is highly adaptable to substitutions, so I encourage anyone who doesn’t have a stocked pantry to give this a shot anyway.

    I baked for 24 minutes; it probably could have stayed in a min or two longer, because the muffins stuck to the liners. The lemon flavor in the muffin itself is mild (perhaps because of my reconstituted zest), so I perhaps could have added a bit more (although the glaze drizzle jazzes things up). I have a sweet tooth, so I probably could have added a bit more sugar or maple syrup to the mix, as well. These will be a nice treat for breakfast, more so than dessert in my opinion (they have that healthy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet-for-breakast quality about them). This recipe also helped me step out of my comfort zone and be creative while homebound, so I appreciate it!

  35. Kari Matadobra says

    These muffins are delicious, maybe too delicious! I am so sad to see that only one muffin has 14 grams of sugar and I am realizing that I have eaten more sugar today than possibly in the past week. My husband gave them a big thumbs up, and I will try them on my daughter when she wakes up. Next time, I plan to make them with date paste instead. I also subbed orange zest for some of the lemon as I have a lot of oranges right now.

  36. Jaclyn says

    Love these!

    I only had quick oats and more subbed flour for the almond meal, so the muffins were a little more dense. Both my husband and I thought the flavor was great. Will definitely make these again (:

  37. Anna says

    I substituted an additional 1/4 cup of maple syrup for the sugar, and did 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the oil to make them oil-free and refined-sugar free. Also only added one lemon, zested everything I could get off of it and all the juice— turned out perfectly lemony! Didn’t add the glaze and they are perfectly sweet. Also, I forgot the baking soda in the first batch— I can confirm, do NOT do this, they are stodgy as heck! Haha

    Delicious recipe! Definitely going to be a staple!

  38. Samantha says

    Made the following substitutions with excellent results:

    -tangerine juice for lemon juice
    -tangerine zest for lemon zest
    -Pillsbury GF flour blend for whole wheat flour
    -canned coconut milk for almond milk
    -chia egg for flax egg
    -honey for maple syrup
    -brown sugar for cane sugar

    Muffins were phenomenal, and did not fall! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Samantha. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  39. Stacey says

    Hello, would you be able to recommend a substitute for applesauce? Not easy to find in Australia, but very eager to try the recipe! Thank you

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      You can sub a grated apple or pear! Otherwise, perhaps carrot purée? Although it will change the color.

    • Dee says

      Hi Stacey, you can find apple sauce easily in Australia – usually called apple puree and you find it with the sauces/condiments in the supermarket. You also just put chopped peeled apples and a splash of water into a saucepan and cook until the apple is soft and then puree it (the way you do for baby food).

  40. Sher says

    Oh my gosh!! I just made these muffins and they came out fantastic! I followed the recipe except I didn’t have rolled oats or almond flour and so instead just used more flour – a total of 2 cups flour. I also made them into mini muffins and baked for 12 minutes. I greased my pans (yes, I needed 2 pans with a total bake of 28 mini muffins) with Pam baking spray (an oil and flour mix) – the muffins came out very easy. I brushed the glaze on lightly to the tops. The muffins had good height and were very moist.
    My only complaint was that the muffins themselves did not have a strong distinct lemon flavor, which I prefer. But, the lemon glaze helped with this. :)
    I would definitely make this again!!

  41. Kelsey says

    I have been craving muffins ever since I switched over to plant based foods only. I made these and everyone loved them! I used two cups of oat flour and it came out delicious :) also it is was super easy to just throw my rolled oats into the ninja and make flour! I’m not a glaze person for muffins so I didn’t make it. I also didn’t use any melted coconut oil or avocado oil. Next time I think I will add more lemon because I just love the flavor of it!

  42. Meagan says

    This may be a dumb question … but when measuring the coconut oil do you measure when it is solid AND THEN melt, or measure it melted?

    Thanks !

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Meagan, we typically measure when it is solid, but it doesn’t make much difference.

  43. Rhianna Thurber says

    YUM! These are delicious!! I followed the recipe pretty much as is aside from a few minor tweaks. I used 1/3 cup medjool date paste instead of sugar, opted for chia seeds and gluten free flour, and added a cup of blueberries! My batter turned out perfect as did the final product out of the oven. Very moist and full of flavor. I use silicon baking cups sprayed with coconut oil. After cooling they practically slid out of the baking cup and I didn’t have a problem at all with them sticking. They were a huge hit. Another great muffin recipe Dana! These will definitely make their way into my baking rotation!

  44. Ann Laidlaw says

    Very disappointing outcome. I made the classic mistake and made these muffins for the first time with company coming. Should have tested them one time first. This recipe needs a major overhaul. I followed it exactly as stated, except when it came to final mixing, the batter was extremely runny and with the instructions saying it should not be runny, but “scoopable” (not pourable) I knew it needed more flour- I added some and a bit more baking soda to compensate. I mixed carefully as per instructions. Terrible outcome. Basically did not rise, stuck to the muffin cups, gooey spots in some places. I am an experienced baker and fortunately my guests have tasted my baking before and told me the recipe was to blame..lol. The lemon glaze was the only good part about this recipe. My advice..find another recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ann, we’re so sorry to hear these didn’t turn out as expected! It sounds like something definitely went wrong as others have had success with this recipe. Was your baking soda fresh? It does sound like it may have needed more dry ingredients. For the sticking, these are best if you let cool COMPLETELY. AS in, the next day almost. They won’t stick once cooled. But we’ll revisit this recipe and make modifications, if needed!

      • Ann Laidlaw says

        Hello, Thanks for your response. Yes, my baking soda was fresh and I followed all your instructions exactly so I am not sure why my batter was so runny. For the sticking part, the muffins cooled for several hours and still stuck. I honestly don’t think a recipe that needs to be cooled overnight is a great idea. I read your reviews prior to making them and I did see that some people had success but several people had similar outcomes to mine. I am a baker of many decades and have never had such a bad outcome for muffins. Muffins are usually an easy undertaking with a predictable outcome . I can see that your recipes are good overall and I enjoy your website, but I think this recipe seems a bit too tricky to always have great results.

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi, Ann! Just wanted to let you know we retested the recipe today and made a few improvements. As for the texture, I’m not sure exactly how your batter go so thin because we measured to a T and it was perfectly scooable. In any case, if too thin next time, adding more almond meal or flour should help. We increased the amount of lemon zest for more lemon flavor, and increased baking time to ensure doneness. If you give these another try please let us know how it goes. We’re grateful for the feedback!

  45. Haley says

    Love love LOVED this recipe. The lemon aroma fresh out of the oven was simply amazing. I made a double batch and did 50:50 chia and poppy seeds, and was low on cane sugar so subbed about 1/3 C with brown sugar (sucre vergeoise). I made a glaze as well but to be honest these muffins are so flavorful it wasn’t needed. Will certainly be making these again. :)

  46. Lissa says

    I tried this recipe last week and it was amazing! So moist, soft and delicious. I didn’t have enough apple sauce I took 2 tablespoon of apricot jam and added some almond milk to it and it worked. You just have to mix it and make it smooth like apple sauce.

    My husband, family and friends all loved it and keep asking me to make more. It’s on demand! haha.

    Thank you! Love all your recipes.

  47. Paris says

    I love this recipe! I don’t think my lemons were Meyer lemons, but it tastes delish! I used at least 3 teaspoons of poppy seeds, and I altered the recipe so that I could use what I had. I used all purpose flour, and I subbed the almond meal and rolled oats, for regular oats. I only had brown sugar, so that’s what I used! I didn’t time them, but they are wonderfully moist and delicious!

  48. Kayla says

    I tried this recipe in a jumbo muffin tin (6 large muffins) and baked it for around 24 minutes. I absolutely adore the flavor of lemon and poppyseed, and these muffins were nonetheless delicious. HOWEVER, they are rather flat, and I feel that they may benefit from a bit of baking powder – will be testing this out shortly!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing! We haven’t tested them in a larger muffin tin. Let us know if how adding baking powder goes!

  49. Cyclamen says

    Hi Dana, I was wondering if you tried to make these muffins without oil. I am on a plant based lifestyle, trying not to add oils. Should I increase the apple sauce as a substitusion? Also, If I make it as a loaf, how long would I bake it for? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried it without oil, but don’t think it would work very well. If you give it a try, let us know!

      • cyclamen says

        I just made them tonight without any oil. I used soy milk instead of almond milk and the muffins turned out fantastic, very moist!

        • Kalley M. says

          I would love to try this recipe without oil as well! Did you replace the oil with extra applesauce? Or did you just skip out on the oil completely without a substitute?

          • cyclamen says

            No, I simply skipped the oil as the recipe already called for apple sauce. It truly turned out great!

  50. Vidya says

    Hi Dana …. I am a big fan of your recepies. I have made many cakes…banana bread is one of our favorites. In this one why did you use baking soda and not baking powder.

  51. st says

    Hi There. I made these last night and while they taste very good, all but one came out flat, bordering on sunken. The one that did rise nicely was the one in the middle of the dozen. Do you have any idea what I could have done wrong??? Thanks!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm I’m wondering if you may have over-beat the batter? By doing so, that can cause too much air to get into the batter. The air then collapses, along with your cupcakes.

      • Stephanie says

        That could be a possibility. The taste is delicious though (and I even used a little less sugar than was recommended). I’m gonna try it again!!

  52. Jessica says

    OMG these are amazing. Like I’m going to have to freeze most of them so I don’t end up eating a lemon-poppy-seed-muffin entree for dinner tonight.
    I love love love lemon so the super lemony-ness of this recipe was ideal for me.
    My icing turned out funny so I ended up using 2 tbsp of lemon juice for the 1 cup of powdered sugar but other than that everything was perfecto. And extra lemon in the icing is a win in my book so it all worked out =)

  53. Michelle Chang says

    Just made these and followed directions exactly and yummy! Just a couple of questions – I used cupcake liners and lots of the muffin stuck to the liner. :( Hated to lose so much of each yummy muffin. Suggestions? Also, I used melted coconut oil but by the time I mixed in all the other ingredients, the coconut oil had solidified resulting in chunks of white globs in the batter. Again, suggestions? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      1) let these cool COMPLETELY. AS in, the next day almost. They won’t stick once cooled.
      2) Just pop in the microwave until it melts again!

  54. Leyla says

    I just made these muffins and they are soooo good!!! Perfectly fluffy and sweet. I’ve been searching for a healthier muffin recipe for so long and finally found the perfect one! But i changed is the recipe a bit based on what i had at home: I used regular eggs, all purpse and buckwheat flour instead of the whole wheat(because I didn’t have any), and honey instead of maple syrup and olive oil. I would like to THANK YOU very much for the brilliant recipes and quality content!! Greetings from Moldova and Azerbaijan!))

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear they stuck, Caitlan! Next time, try just greasing your pan and see if that helps. Good luck!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Caitlan, we have updated the recipe to address issues with sticking to the liners and not rising fully. Wishing you better luck next time!

  55. Diane says

    Hi Dana,
    Love the V+GF chocolate peppermint muffins and wanted to try this one *GF. They are delicious and I have made the adjustments you suggested a couple of times but it’s still coming out soupy. Any further suggestions?

    Love your recipes and beautiful photography.

  56. Lisa says

    Goodday! I am a real fan of your one-bowl carrotcake, now I really want to try your recipe for these lemon poppyseed cakes, yummy. I want to make them in the same amount as the carrot cakes (two 8 inch pans). What do you suggest for adjusting the amounts? Thank you very much! Hope to hear from you, so I can start baking ?

  57. Liliya says

    Amazing, so yummy! So quick and easy to make and very healthy. They just melt in the mouth. I baked for the 17 minutes and they turned out beautifully. Thank you very much for the recipe :D

  58. Martha Courtney says

    Do you have any suggestions on how to alter time and temperature to make these into mini muffins? Thanks!

    Martha

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Martha! Each oven is going to be different but you can keep the temperature but bake them for 10-12 mins. I would use a toothpick to check! Hope this helps!

  59. Lauren says

    I love all of your recipes (omg smokey beet burgers), and these look especially yummy! I am hoping to modify from muffins to a bundt cake. Do you think doubling the recipe will work? Or would you suggest any other modifications, as far as leavening, to ensure it doesn’t flop? :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes I think you should be able to double the recipe to make a cake without any difficulties! Just lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish and bake for about, 20 minutes. Then check every few minutes thereafter until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Hope that helps!

  60. Ally says

    Made these muffins with a few substitutions and they were amazing! Perfectly moist, lemony, loved the texture. Subbed in EVOO (though, I personally enjoy that flavor with citrusy desserts), cornmeal instead of almond meal, and added 1/2 cup of sliced almonds. Yum!

    Thanks for the easy, delicious recipe! :)

  61. Melissa says

    These were so fabulous!! I used organic whole wheat pastry flour for the 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup almond meal. The texture came out perfect!! I also used organic cane sugar and lemon juice for the glaze. Simply incredible. Thank you :)

  62. Patty Espino says

    Hi! this looks yummy. I want to know if I can substitute the flax egg for regular eggs and how many eggs I would need to do this muffins. Thank you!

  63. Be says

    I love your recipes! I’m going to try this one and hope to use the lemon curd recipe to fill a little pocket of curd inside the muffin. Has anyone tried this?

  64. isis says

    made these this afternoon. muffins were pretty yummy. the glaze, not so much. super sweet. inedible, almost. are the measurements correct? one whole cup of powdered sugar with just a small amount of lemon juice or almond milk? i kept having to add liquid. even then, it did not compliment the muffin-at all.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! You can try adjusting the measurements to your taste preference such as using almond milk instead of the lemon juice. You could also try adding vanilla to the glaze.

  65. audrey says

    HI there, thanks for this recipe. Is it possible to leave the applesauce out? Or can it be substituted? I have no idea what it is :P