Delicious and Easy Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.

Easy.

Moist.

DELICIOUS.

I baked these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins after my husband guilted me into making them and, somehow, they turned out even better than the first time! They were light, moist, and lemony. And GONE in 24 hours! I borrowed heavily from my vegan lemon blueberry muffins, but discovered that, without the blueberries, they needed something more to keep them from being too dry and dense. These vegan lemons are bouncy, keep a fluffy texture, and offer the perfect balance of flavors. It’s the perfect addition to your breakfast rotation or even dessert. The best part? It’s an easy recipe!

Let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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Like, I did not know this about poppy seeds.

So, apparently, people have been baking with poppy seeds for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. Back in ancient times, poppy seeds were often incorporated into honey cakes and thus these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins come from a long and old line of poppy-seeded baked goods. That said, the combination of lemon and poppyseed (to create the lemon poppyseed muffin) is relatively modern. It didn’t come into popularity until the mid-20th century.

Honestly, the only reason I decided to try making these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins was because my next door neighbor has been gifting me with the beautiful Meyer lemons from her backyard. These lovely blue bags have resulted in my Lemon Pasta and my Lemon Thyme Loaf. These vegan lemon poppyseed muffins were sort of inevitable…? It turns out that my husband was a lemon poppyseed muffin aficionado. Like, he used to pick one up from his local grocery store on the daily. So, it was a real TREAT to watch him tear into the tray I baked the other day with complete abandon.

Now, just a word to the wise: poppyseeds come from the opium poppy and thus, if you have one of these babies right before a drug test, you may get a false positive. So, plan accordingly!!

KEY INGREDIENTS AND NOTES ON SUBSTITUTIONs For These Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.

The following are the key ingredients for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins:

Lemons.

Oh hey, yup, yes, you’re going to need lemons for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins! If you would like to substitute the lemons with blueberries, you should check out other muffin recipes, like my vegan blueberry muffin recipe (just skip the lemon zest)! If you want to substitute with banana, make vegan banana muffins (I don’t have a recipe for that yet, but I will make one ASAP!)! 🤣 You’ll be using the lemon for both its juice and its zest for this recipe.

What kind of lemons? As we discussed with the lemon pepper pasta recipe and my lemon loaf recipe, Meyer lemons would be great. They tend to be sweeter and less acidic than the average lemon, thus making them a good option for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins. But, if you only have regular lemons, those will do fine. I made this recipe using both regular lemons and Meyer lemons, and they both turned out great!

Can you use bottled lemon juice? Yes, sure you can but you will absolutely be missing out on the fresh flavors of not just the fresh lemon juice, but fresh lemon zest. The lemon flavor comes mostly from the lemon zest, so you really should get your hands on an actual lemon to achieve the best flavor for this recipe.

Poppy Seeds!

So, important question: is it vegan lemon poppyseed muffins or vegan lemon poppy seed muffins? I’ve seen both! Either way, these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins will require poppy seeds for the same reason they will require lemons! You can find poppy seeds in the seasoning aisle of your local grocery store (which is where I found mine). Again, going to repeat the warning I set forth above: do not try to take a drug test right after eating these muffins! You might fail!!

Vegan Butter.

As I said, I borrowed heavily from my vegan blueberry muffin recipe for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins and thus, this recipe requires vegan butter. I just love the flavor imparted by vegan butter and the fat also helps to keep the muffins impossibly moist. If you don’t have vegan butter, you can absolutely substitute a neutral vegetable oil. You can also use extra virgin olive oil like in my lemon loaf recipe, but be aware–it will definitely impart a flavor.

Dairy Free Yogurt (Preferably Hi-Protein).

If you’ve made any of my sweet vegan recipes before, the inclusion of vegan hi-protein yogurt for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins should come as no surprise. This is my favorite vegan egg replacement for baked goods as the acidity of the yogurt will yield a tender crumb, while the protein will facilitate some structure. While you can use a regular vegan yogurt for these vegan muffins, a high-protein one will give you the best texture. I really like Silk’s line of high-protein Greek style yogurt. If you don’t have any yogurt at all, you can also substitute vegan sour cream.

Dairy Free Milk.

I originally tried to make these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins without any liquid (like my blueberry muffins), relying exclusively on the vegan yogurt and lemon juice. But they turned out rock hard and dry (hubby still loved ’em, which, I know, really calls into question his aficionado status). So, I added a non-dairy milk to the recipe and created the perfect texture–fluffy, light, and still full of flavor. I used oat milk (I always go with Chobani’s Extra Creamy Oat Milk), though soy milk would also be great given its higher protein content. But if you have neither of these, any non-dairy milk should do.

All Purpose Flour.

These vegan lemon poppyseed muffins call for all purpose flour. Can you make it gluten-free? I haven’t tested it with gluten-free flour, but you should be able to substitute in your favorite gluten-free flour mix, one-for-one. The crumb, however, may be a bit dense.

Organic Cane Sugar.

These vegan lemon poppyseed muffins require organic cane sugar. I have not tested the recipe with sugar substitutes, and given the methodology, which relies upon the coarseness of granulated cane sugar to help release the lemon oil from the lemon zest, using certain substitutes (particularly liquid ones, like maple syrup) may not work.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda.

Without eggs, these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins will need both baking powder and baking soda to provide the “lift.” Make sure yours are fresh and ready to go!

Vanilla Extract and/or Lemon Extract.

I went with vanilla extract for this recipe because, well, lemon extract is a lot harder to find. If you really want to amp up the lemony flavor of these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins, then add just a drop or two of lemon extract (a little goes a long way). If you couldn’t find any lemon extract like me, then just use a good dollop of vanilla extract!

Ground Turmeric.

This is another optional ingredient for these vegan lemon poppyseed muffins. I wanted them to come out looking yellow to make you think lemon as soon as you saw them. Don’t worry–you cannot taste the turmeric at all. On the inside, though, the muffins will be a bit pink, as the turmeric will react with the baking soda when exposed to heat. I think it’s pretty, but if you don’t have turmeric or don’t mind a much lighter color for your muffins, just skip it!

Step-by-Step Instructions For Making Vegan Lemon Poppyseed muffins.

Step 1: Release the Oils!

Preheat your oven to 350° F and prepare your muffin tin by greasing it with oil or vegan butter. To a large bowl, add your sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, massage the zest into the sugar. The sugar crystals will “cut” your zest, releasing the oils. This will help maximize the lemony flavor for these muffins. Also, make your vegan buttermilk by stirring together your lemon juice with non-dairy milk.

Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients.

Next, add vegan butter (at room temperature). Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the lemon sugar with your butter, until your butter becomes light colored. The sugar will “cut” the butter up as it creams, giving it a light and airy texture. This texture will transfer directly into your muffins. Then, add vegan yogurt, vanilla (or lemon) extract, and vegan buttermilk to the bowl. Still using your hand mixer, mix the ingredients together. It’s ok if the wet ingredients don’t look smooth (the dry ingredients will help with that).

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients.

To a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground turmeric (if using). Whisk together to remove any lumps. Then, add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined (guard against over-mixing).

Step 4: Bake and Cool.

Then, spoon the batter into your prepared muffin tin. Bake for 28 minutes for jumbo muffins (my preference) or 20 minutes for regular sized muffins, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let them cool for a few minutes before removing them from your muffin tin (they might otherwise fall apart). Then, enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions.

Recipe Card.

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