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Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

The Best Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Summer Breakfast

Lemon poppy seed muffins occupy a very specific spot in the breakfast hall of fame. They're not too sweet, they have a brightness that wakes you up with the first bite, and that combination of citrus-fragrant crumb with the gentle crunch of poppy seeds is one of those flavour profiles that feels genuinely timeless
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Breakfast, Gluten-free
Cuisine: American
Calories: 207
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ⅔ cup cane sugar organic for vegan-friendly
  • ⅓ cup softened vegan butter Miyoko's works brilliantly
  • 3 tablespoons lemon zest from 4–5 lemons
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ½ cup dairy-free milk plain and unsweetened (almond milk works well)
  • 1¼ cup gluten-free 1:1 flour blend or all-purpose flour if not gluten-free
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Equipment

  • A standard 12-cup muffin tin — the right-sized tin for this recipe. Using a jumbo muffin tin will change the baking time significantly. Using a mini muffin tin will reduce the bake time by about half.
  • Muffin liners or non-stick spray — liners make removal clean and easy. If greasing instead, be generous to prevent sticking.
  • An electric stand mixer or handheld electric mixer — the creaming step (beating butter, sugar, and zest together) really benefits from an electric mixer. Doing it by hand with a wooden spoon can work but you won't get the same light, fluffy result. A stand mixer makes the whole process almost effortless.
  • A medium mixing bowl — if using a handheld mixer rather than a stand mixer
  • A zester or fine grater — for the 3 tablespoons of lemon zest. You'll need 4–5 lemons to get that amount — zest all of them before juicing.
  • A citrus juicer — for the fresh lemon juice. Manual or electric both work.
  • Measuring cups and measuring spoons — baking is a precision activity, and the ratios here matter for the right texture
  • A toothpick — for testing doneness
  • The electric mixer is the one piece of kit worth having for this recipe. The creaming step that combines butter, sugar, and lemon zest is what introduces air into the batter and creates the light, fluffy crumb — and that step works significantly better with an electric mixer than it does by hand.

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or lightly grease each cup.
  2. Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cane sugar, softened vegan butter, and lemon zest. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high for about 2 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and fragrant. The lemon zest will infuse into the butter and sugar during this step — it's where most of the lemon flavour comes from.
  3. Step 3: Add the applesauce, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium until well combined and slightly fluffy. The mixture may look curdled at this point — that's completely fine and expected. It will sort itself out in the next step.
  4. Step 4: Add the almond flour and beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Add the dairy-free milk and mix on low until combined. Finally, add the gluten-free flour blend (or all-purpose flour), baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and poppy seeds. Mix on medium until the batter is light and fluffy with the poppy seeds evenly distributed throughout.
  5. Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin liners. Each one should be about ¾ full.
  6. Step 6: Bake for 30–34 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with just a crumb or two. Don't pull them out too early — underbaked vegan muffins tend to be gummy in the centre.
  7. Step 7: Let the muffins cool completely before eating for the best texture. I know this is hard. Do it anyway.

Notes

Calorie & Nutrition Breakdown (Per Muffin — 1 of 12)

Nutrient
 Per Muffin
Calories
 207 kcal
Carbohydrates
 27.9g
Protein
 3.5g
Total Fat
 10g
Saturated Fat
 4g
Fibre
 1.9g
Sugar
 12.6g
Sodium
 177mg
Calcium
 95mg
Iron
 0.8mg
Vitamin C
 4mg