Description
Jammy blueberries and the tartness of lemon elevate classic poppy seed muffins into something special. These are great for making ahead and freeze well–perfect for busy back to school mornings!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) salted buter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (226 grams) plain yogurt (not Greek)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400º and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a muffin tin with parchment liners or grease each cup.
In a medium mixing bowl, place the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Beat them together for a couple of minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and smooth.
Beat in one egg thoroughly, then the other. Stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
Place the flour, salt, baking soda, and poppy seeds in a small bowl and stir until all of the dry ingredients are well-distributed.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a rubber spatula to fold them in until they’re almost completely incorporated. Gently stir in the blueberries until they’re evenly distributed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake them for 18-20 minutes. The edges should be a light golden brown and the centers should bounce back when you tap them and not feel soft or doughy.
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool before removing them from the pan. They can be served warm or at room temperature.
Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container or bag at room temperature. They are best if eaten within 3 days, but can be frozen.
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the dry ingredients! If you do, the gluten in the flour will be activated, and the muffins will be less delicate and more dense.
- When you’re filling the muffin tins, fill them in a lattice pattern, skipping every other cup. This allows more heat to surround each muffin as it bakes, which creates a fluffier, rounder top on each muffin.
- If you only have Greek yogurt on hand, replace 2-3 tablespoons of the cup of yogurt with milk or your batter and muffins will be dry.
- It may seem like 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda isn’t going to be enough leavener, but I promise it really is. It reacts with the yogurt and lemon to make the muffins rise to the perfect consistency–not too fluffy, but not at all dense.
- I’m not a medical professional, but it’s good to know that poppy seeds can cause a positive on a drug test. So if you have to test frequently for work (or other) reasons, you can completely skip the poppy seeds in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes