Bright fragrant lemons with their tangy citrusy flavor are like an edible ray of sunshine. They’re a delight to the senses and add an unmistakable fresh zip of flavor to almost any dish.
Classic lemon treats are one of life’s simple pleasures and are one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh lemons. Lately, I’d been missing those big beautiful Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins that always make an appearance at brunches and afternoon teas. So I put on my apron and went to work!
Ta-da! I’m excited to unveil The Ultimate Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin – that also just so happens to be gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free. {I just love transforming familiar favorites into healthier fare that everyone can enjoy!}
Flecked with crunchy poppy seeds and bursting with sweet lemony goodness, these delightful muffins are lemon-poppy perfection! The muffin’s texture is so moist and tender, yet rich and satisfying, almost like pound cake.
The secret to achieving the perfect balance of bright lemon flavor with the subtle sweetness of pure honey is the addition of pure almond extract
Almond extract beautifully complements fresh lemon flavor, while subtly turning up the dial on the natural sweetness of almond flour. It’s a delicious combination that will make your taste buds dance with delight!
So pour a cup of tea and enjoy this scrumptious treat baked with lemons and love! These delightful lemon poppy seed muffins are certain to brighten your day with every delicious bite!
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt
- 1 Tbsp (heaping) lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp pure coconut milk
- 1/4 cup honey (mild clover honey is best)
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 315°F. (Not a typo, 315 allows muffins to cook through without burning the bottoms.) For Regular Muffins: Place 8 parchment paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. (For Jumbo Muffins: Place 4 jumbo parchment paper liners in a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin.) Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the blanched almond flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt.
- Using a microplane grater, zest 2 medium lemons and then juice them. Measure 1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Next, add the coconut milk, honey, almond extract and coconut flour. Whisk thoroughly, until well blended. Then, whisk in the eggs until well combined.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and gently whisk, just until combined. Using a spoon, evenly distribute the muffin batter into each of the lined muffin cups.
- For regular size muffins, bake 22-25 minutes, until edges are golden brown and a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. (For jumbo muffins, bake 28-30 minutes.) Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter. Enjoy with your favorite cup of tea!
These look very tasty. I need to try them for some GF,DF family members.
Thanks so much for your sweet note, Charlotte. I hope you all enjoy these as much as we do! 🙂
I’m making these this morning for Pete’s sake (my kid brother). I hope they turn out as pretty as the picture!!
Hi, HJ! I hope you all enjoyed these delightful muffins! (Cute pun about your brother!) The secret to beautiful almond flour recipes is to be sure to use fine ground blanched almond flour and to follow recipe without substitutions. If you do, your muffins should turn out just as beautifully and delicious! 🙂 With blessings, Kelly
Made these this morning and they are delicious. Thanks for a lovely recipe. Think I’ll add blueberries next time. Question: the tops of mine turned out kinda lumpy; how did you smooth yours out because the dough is a little sticky.
Thanks for your kind note, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. And I LOVE your idea of adding blueberries. YUM! As far as the tops, I wonder if it’s a difference in blanched almond flour or even possibly the coconut flour? I use Honeyville which is super fine. If the dough is lumpy, it might help to try just two teaspoons of coconut flour next time and see how that goes. You could also try lightly and evenly tapping the muffin tip tray on a kitchen towel on the counter to “pack down” the batter in the muffin cups so the batter sits in the cups more evenly before you place it in the oven. I hope this helps! 🙂 With blessings, Kelly
The almond flour I used is very fine, it’s the Blue Diamond brand. The coconut flour is Trader Joe’s house brand. The dough wasn’t lumpy, it was very fluffy and when I spooned it into the silicone cups it didn’t “settle”, so tapping the tray on the counter might help. Thanks for that suggestion. BTW, I use individual silicone cups placed inside a regular muffin tin. Once they’ve cooled for 2-3 minutes I removed them from the cups to a cooling rack so they wouldn’t “steam” inside the silicone cups.
Thanks for your kind reply. I think the light tapping should help the batter settle. I use traditional muffin tins with parchment liners when I bake so that may be a slight difference as well. But even if the tops are a little lumpy for you, I’m sure they taste just as delicious. 🙂
Kelly have you tried this recipe with an egg replacer? if so which one would you recommend?
I haven’t tied it, Veronica. But it would definitely take a little tweaking. Since the moisture is important in this, I’d recommend experimenting with a moist replacement option such as chia or flax. Here is a list of options: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2012/09/natural-egg-replacements-for-baking.html But again, I haven’t tried it with an egg replacer. If you have success, please do let us know what you did, because I’m sure others who are egg free would appreciate your tip. Thank you! 🙂
These look amazing Kelly and I just got a WHOLE bunch of lemons off a friends tree!
Thanks so much, sweet friend! I hope you are doing great! Miss seeing you! 🙂