This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This is the best easy recipe for healthy lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze. Made with gluten free oat flour, Greek yogurt, maple syrup makes these bakery style muffins moist and fluffy!
I’ll never forget when my mom used to bring home the plastic cartons of mini lemon poppy seed muffins from our local grocery store once a month. She would rotate between all different flavors, like blueberry, apple cinnamon, banana walnut, and of course, my favorite lemon poppy seed.
And as funny as it is, I was never a lemon loving girl. I almost always preferred something chocolate-y or with peanut butter, but if those muffins were an option, I was picking them.
If you are a huge lemon lover, you should also bake my Lemon Ricotta Cookies next.
I remember one time in specific I was a little too aggressive and decided to each the tops off of each one, leaving only the base of the muffins left. My mom wasn’t too thrilled.
So now here I am twenty years later, making my own healthy version of my favorite lemon poppy seed muffins!
A healthy lemon poppy seed muffin that is filled with nutrient dense wholesome ingredients made from real food. One that still tastes delicious without sacrificing flavor just because it is made healthy. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
My favorite way to eat them? Warmed up in the microwave or crumbled on top of a Greek yogurt bowl. Yum.
What are the main ingredients in healthy lemon poppy seed muffins?
Oat flour – provides a soft, fluffy texture for muffins. It is absorbent and light in color. I used a gluten free variety of oat flour to ensure that these muffins were gluten free
Greek yogurt – adds the perfect moisture content! Use a Greek yogurt with a little bit of fat in it, it really makes the difference in a higher moisture content.
Maple syrup – one of my favorite natural sweeteners, maple syrup could easily be swapped with honey or agave.
Coconut oil – my favorite oil for baking! Recently have been using refined coconut oil in order to remain completely flavorless and not leave behind a coconutty taste.
Eggs – Help provide some structure to these muffins. Haven’t tried with flax egg but if you do, be sure to let me know!
and lots of fresh lemon for that delicious lemon flavor!
How to make healthy lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze:
They are actually quite easy to make and you can prepare the glaze while you are waiting for the muffins to cool, and then in less than an hour you will have beautiful muffins all ready for eating!
You just need to combine your dry ingredients like oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then in a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients like eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to wet, and stir till well combined. Then add in the lemon zest and the poppy seeds and pop them into a lined or greased muffin tin and bake!
While the muffins are baking, prepare the lemon glaze for on top.
In a bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. If you want it a little thinner or a little bit thicker, adjust to your liking.
Once the muffins have completely cooled, dunk them in the glaze or spoon a little bit right on top. I topped mine with additional lemon slices and poppy seeds for garnish.
What’s the best way to store lemon poppy seed muffins?
Since there is Greek yogurt in the icing, I stored mine in the fridge in a Tupperware container with a lid. When I wanted to eat one in the morning, I would pop it out and let it sit for about 15 minutes to get to room temperature! Or you can microwave it.
These muffins will also freeze well, so you can do that by putting them in a ziplock bag and freezing for up to six months!
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
This is the best easy recipe for healthy lemon poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze. Made with gluten free oat flour, Greek yogurt, maple syrup makes these bakery style muffins moist and fluffy!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup oat flour (certified gluten free if needed)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2% fat – muffins will be drier if you use fat free)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1.5 tbsp poppy seeds
Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Or you can also do a simple lemon glaze:
- 1.5 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with liners or spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add in maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla. Then add in yogurt.
- Fold in wet ingredients to dry until well combined, then stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds.
- Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in oven for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While baking, make glaze by whisking Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice together.
- Once muffins are completely cool, dip them in the glaze or drizzle on top.
- Store in fridge and enjoy in 5 days or freeze for later!
There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂
Maria says
Hello,
I love the taste of these muffins, however, the mix was dense. This is the second time -I try and the same issue. What I’m Doing wrong?
I tried not over mixing, but still dense.
★★★★★
Kristen C says
These are the perfect summery muffins! They’re light enough to enjoy for breakfast but also sweet enough for a dessert. Delicious and a perfect summer treat, they don’t last long in my house! ❤️
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kristen, so glad you loved them!
Julia says
These were amazing!!!! I love anything lemon so I was so excited to make a healthier version and they came out so good!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Julia so happy you enjoyed them!!
Maria says
Hi Erin
It feels like it was too much flour and the dough was dense, thus the baked ones are dense too. We still like them and will eat with pleasure. However next time will try to put 1/2 cup less flour in. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
Seemein Syed says
Has anyone made this as a loaf and how long do you cook it for? I am using 1 cup almond flour and 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Leah says
Thanks for the recipe! Came out wonderfully and I absolutely love the glaze. Will make again 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Leah! You’re welcome and so happy you enjoyed them!!
Amanda Hemberger says
Hi! Can I use Bobs Red Mill 1:1 Gluten free flour instead of oat flour?
Erin says
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried the recipe with that flour, but I’d recommend checking the ratio since not all flours are 1:1. Let me know how the muffins come out! 🙂
Darla says
So good! I don’t make healthier recipies that often so I was skeptical, but these turned out amazing! I used the food processor and quick cook oats to make the oat flower and I used the yogurt glaze and they are amazing!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Darla, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed them!
Jamie says
I was a little disappointed that mine came out dense :/ How do I make them lighter? Flavor was great!
★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jamie, it sounds like the mix might have been over mixed. Let me know how your next batch comes out!
Carina Vollmer says
These are amazing! I used plain kefir, chia seeds and 1/2 almond flour because I wanted to mix things up. Best part my kids love these!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Carina, I am so happy they love them and that you made them your own!
Madelyn says
I cant wait to try this! I dont have oat flour, I only have all purpose flour and coconut flour. Which one would you recommend I make the swap with? And will i need to change the measurements or ingredients by changing the flour at all? I’m not GF so I dont mind which flour to use I just dont have oat.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Madelyn, I haven’t tried the muffins with either flour, so feel free to try either! Just be sure to check the ratio because some flours aren’t 1:1. Let me know which one you use and how the muffins come out! 🙂
Dominique Pinzon says
I love anything lemon so when I saw this recipe while browsing your site, I knew I had to make it. They came out really good. I made a double portion because 12 muffins is just not enough for my big family. Only modifications I had to make was leaving the muffins in the oven for close to 25 minutes because they were still too moist inside. Also, when doing double the muffins, I would still only make one portion of lemon glaze. I have SO much left over and not sure what to do with it LOL.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Dominique, thanks for your kind words! I am so happy you enjoyed them!! Too much glaze doesn’t sound like a bad problem to have haha! 🙂
Carmelina says
Hi Erin,
These lemon poppy seed muffins are insanely delicious!!! The best recipe ever!! That’s not an exaggeration! They are moist and lemony with the perfect amount of poppy seeds. My family is addicted. I must DOUBLE the recipe every time I make them now because the first time I made them, 12 muffins were gone within a day. The only modification I made was I used avocado oil instead and it worked like a charm. Thank you very much for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Hannah says
I am vegan, so I replaced the eggs with one banana and one flax egg (I added the banana for lightness). Instead of Greek yogurt, I used a vanilla bean cashew based yogurt (it’s what I had in the fridge). I also cooked it as a loaf and used a lemon glaze. It turned out amazing – and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I can’t wait to make it again.
★★★★★
Erin says
All of those swaps sound amazing, Hannah! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kassandra says
What kind of Greek yogurt did you use? Was it plain? Also, what can you substitute the powdered sugar for in the glaze?
★★★★★
Erin says
Plain greek yogurt and can sub maple syrup but may be more liquidy!
Alexa says
I just made these with the yogurt glaze – they were AMAZING.
I don’t have oat flour and didn’t want to make any, so I substituted for 1 cup of almond flour and 1 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and they were perfectly moist.
★★★★★
Erin says
That makes me so happy to hear!!! Thanks for sharing and now I will let people know 🙂
Britt says
These just look FABULOUS, Erin!! So beautifully styled as well! Perfect ode to childhood for me 🙂
★★★★★
Jessi says
Can you use almond flour instead of oat flour?
Erin says
You can definitely try, but I think it will be too moist so I would take out the yogurt and add another egg.
Blair says
Hi there! These look delicious and I’m so excited to make them. I have a question – I’m learning to count my macros (w/ help from a dietician) & when I enter this recipe on a calculator, it comes out as 229 per muffin. How did you calculate Nutritional Panel? Just wondering if I am doing something wrong with your recipes!
Erin says
I just used a basic nutrition recipe plug-in for wordpress! It does the best possible but everything is different depending on brands, etc.
Emily says
What would you sub the yogurt with to make dairy free?
Erin says
Dairy free yogurt – but will be better if it has some fat in it!
Alyse says
Best lemon poppy seed muffins!! I love these and they’re so so easy to make
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Alyse, thanks for sharing!!
Tom says
There is just something about lemon poppy seed muffins and these taste like the ones I used to have from the store as a kid.
★★★★★