Instantly Upgrade Basic Muffin Mix with Lemon and Poppy Seeds

updated May 1, 2019
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(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

I’m going to let you in on a secret: You don’t actually need a dedicated recipe to revel in the tart, sweet comfort of freshly baked lemon poppy muffins. If you start with our basic, built-for-customizing recipe for muffins, a lemon poppy seed variation is practically a piece of cake to make.

Why Your Muffin Mix Deserves This Upgrade

We’re starting with our basic muffin recipe and giving it a boost of the bright flavor of lemon with a generous hit of lemon zest. Lemon zest gives you all the flavor of lemon, thanks to the oil, without the tartness of its juice. To bring in some delicate crunch, poppy seeds are folded into the batter. Together, this classic duo brings texture and flavor to each bite.

How to Do It

Prepare the batter for basic muffins. Stir in the zest of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds. For a sweeter version, rub the zest with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Spoon the batter into muffin tins, and top with additional zest and poppy seeds, if you like. Bake according to the recipe instructions.

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