Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Each bite of these sourdough lemon poppyseed muffins is full of flavor! You get pieces of lemon zest and poppyseeds in every bite. They’ll quickly become a spring and summer favorite on your table!
This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information.
If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
My love of lemon poppyseed comes from my grandma. She loved anything with this combo! My mom also loves these flavors, so it’s kind of a family thing haha.
I’ve developed this recipe after my sourdough lemon poppyseed scones were a hit. I’m so excited to share this recipe with you. It’s simple and easy to make. You’ll be craving these muffins all year long.
Whether it’s a cold wintery day that needs some sunshine or a warm spring morning. These muffins will put a smile on your face!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- sourdough discard (unfed starter) (but fed works good too)
- baking powder
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- avocado oil (or melted butter)
- a large egg
- cane sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- milk
- lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
- lemon zest (about 2 lemon)
- poppyseeds
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
- microplane/zester
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups/spoons (I love these ones!)
Molly’s Muffin Tips
- Zest with Ease: To make zesting lemons easy, use a microplane zester. It makes it so easy and they’re inexpensive. I just got one myself and love it!
- Use Avocado Oil: Avocado oil in muffins is the best! It creates the perfect fluffy texture without adding any flavors.
- Organic is Best: Organic lemons are the best for these muffins. They have a better taste and the peels aren’t sprayed with chemicals. I get mine at Walmart or Kroger. But you can use regular too.
- Don’t Overmix: Avoid over mixing your batter to ensure fluffy muffins. Over mixing will make your them dense.
How to Make Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (If you’re long fermenting the batter wait to do this)
In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Whisk until everything is combined. Avoid over-mixing the batter.
Optional – At this point you can either continue the recipe or place the batter covered in the fridge for 12-24 hours to long ferment for more sourdough gut benefits.
To continue the recipe, grease a muffin tin with butter and a dusting of flour to prevent sticking or line the tin with paper muffin liners.
Fill each liner 3/4 of the way full.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Take out of the oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. Enjoy when ready!
How to Store Muffins
Store these muffins in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. You can also store them in the fridge for 5-6 days. Or freeze them up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, sourdough discard is a good option for these muffins since they don’t need to bulk ferment and rise like bread.
Yes you can! I recommend adding another 1/3 or 1/2 cup of sugar if desired.
Your muffins could be dense if you over mixed your batter. It can also happen if your baking powder is old and inactive (usually if it’s over a year old).
More Sourdough Muffin Recipes
- Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins
- Sourdough Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Sourdough Raspberry Muffins with Chocolate Chips
If you made this recipe, give it a 5-star rating below and share a photo of your muffins on social media stories! Be sure to tag @plumbranchhome
Recipe
Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sourdough discard (aka unfed starter) (fed starter works good too)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or melted butter)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cane sugar (or 2/3 cups if you like them more sweet)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemon)
- 1 Tbsp poppyseeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (If you’re long fermenting the batter wait to do this)
- In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Whisk until everything is combined. Avoid over-mixing the batter.
- Optional – At this point you can either continue the recipe or place the batter covered in the fridge for 12-24 hours to long ferment for more sourdough gut benefits.
- To continue the recipe, grease a muffin tin with butter and a dusting of flour to prevent sticking or line the tin with paper muffin liners.
- Fill each liner 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Take out of the oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. Enjoy when ready!
Delicious combination!
Grandma Nola would’ve loved these and been proud of you 💕
Your Lemon Poppyseed scones are delicious also!
Lemon anything 🤤
Aww thank you so much mom!! I’m so glad you love them! Those scones are amazing too!
These lemon poppyseed muffins look amazing!! Can’t wait to whip up a batch & enjoy with tea!🤩
I’m so excited for you to try them!! They will go great with tea!
Beautiful pictures, these look delicious!!
Thank you so much!!
These look delicious! I love a good citrus flavored muffin in the spring and summer!
Thank you so much! They’re the perfect spring and summer treat!
I like the idea of using avocado oil instead of butter – I’ll give it a go!
I hope you enjoy them! Avocado oil is such a good muffin ingredient!
This is a MUST try!!! I love lemon, but my daughter and I just made our 2nd lemon dessert last week. I don’t know why I don’t tap into lemon more when we bake all the time, but this is calling my name!!
Yay!! I’m so excited for you to try these muffins! We’ve been making a lot of lemon in our house too!
Thank you so much for sharing this. It sounds amazing!😊
You’re so welcome!
Lemon and poppyseed are one of my favorite flavor combos! These look so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
You’re so welcome! It’s such a good one!