Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Honey Butter

It’s that time of year where I just want to make EVERYTHING lemon. I think this recipe for moist lemon poppy seed muffins with honey butter is a great place to start. They have the perfect amount of that lemon tartness and are so easy to make. To add a little extra something, I threw in a simple honey butter that makes these lemon poppy seed muffins taste extra special!

How to make these easy lemon poppy seed muffins

I tested this recipe FIVE times so you know they’re perfection! That lemon flavor really shines through and with each test, I kept adding more and more. They toe the line between moist cupcake and dense muffin which is why I absolutely love this recipe.

Plus, they’re so easy to make! Start by zesting and then juicing your lemons. This recipe takes a total of about 3-4 large lemons. Make sure to use FRESH lemon juice, not the bottled stuff.

Next, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and zest in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together all of your wet ingredients:

• Melted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• Lemon juice
• Eggs

Once combined, dump it into your dry mixture and fold everything together, careful not to over mix. It might be a little tough to combine but it will eventually come together, just keep folding!

Prepping and baking your lemon poppy seed muffins

The beauty of muffins is that you can fill the liners all the way up to the top when baking. For this recipe, you can use a standard cupcake tin with cupcake liners. It will make 12-15 muffins depending on the size of your tin.

Because muffin batter is much thicker than cupcake batter, and contains more leaveners, your muffins will grow UP rather than out. If you’ve ever over filled a cupcake tin, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Your cupcakes just end up looking like mushrooms!

So, for this recipe, fill your liners almost all the way to the top. Then bake at a higher temperature to help the muffins puff up in the oven. You’ll also get a few golden brown bits on top. That’s when you know they’re done.

How to make honey butter

It’s honestly the easiest thing you’ll ever make. Yet, you’ll want to smother it on everything!

All you need is unsalted butter, honey, and a tiny pinch of salt. With the butter at room temperature, mix all three ingredients together and just like that, you have honey butter!

You could also mix in more lemon zest or poppy seeds to up the flavor. I like mine all on its own.

Spread it on your warm muffins to make them even MORE moist. The combo of honey + lemon is SO freakin’ good. Store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.

When you want to use it again, either warm it up in the microwave or spread it on top of something that’s already hot enough to melt it.

How long do lemon poppy seed muffins keep?

For BEST flavor and texture, consume these the day you make them. Otherwise, store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

If you need to eat them later, warm them up and spread on the honey butter. They’ll taste like new!

Although, muffins do dry out pretty fast so these should be consumed within 3 days of making them. Luckily they won’t last long because they’re just that good!

For more of my favorite brunch dessert recipes:

• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Cookies and Cream Homemade Pop Tarts
• Chai Spiced Old Fashioned Donuts

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make these lemon poppy seed muffins with honey butter. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

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