Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Zucchini

Moist and tender lemon poppyseed muffins, bright and bursting with sweet lemon flavor, and filled with grated summer zucchini!

School is back in full swing here in Ohio, so I’ve been on the hunt for fun breakfast ideas that are quick, tasty, and of course, kid-approved.  Muffins are a fabulous way to enjoy a great breakfast on the go!  Lemon poppy seed muffins have ALWAYS been my favorite kind… especially when they’re made bakery-style, with that completely wonderful crunchy, sugary crust on the muffin top!

WILL EATING POPPY SEED MUFFINS MAKE YOU HAVE A POSITIVE DRUG TEST

Ahhh the age old question.  Technically, yes.  You’d have to eat quite a bit of poppy seeds, but since they are derived from the opium plant seed pods, and could contain opium milk (which contains morphine), it is possible.  But not probable.  In fact, in the United States, they’re raised the threshold of a positive opiate test to account for the fact that someone who indulged in a few muffins would have a MUCH lower amount of opiates in their system, compared to someone who routinely abused drugs.  So, go ahead and have a muffin or two… just don’t eat the whole batch lol.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS FROM SCRATCH

Making muffins, of any kind, from scratch is SO easy!  I haven’t purchased muffin mixes in years because it takes hardly any time at all to whip up a great muffin from scratch.  The general rule of thumb is to whisk all the dry ingredients together in one big bowl, then whisk all the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.  You’ll want to fill the muffin liners about 2/3 of the way full.  Just make sure when you’re mixing, you don’t go overboard.  Over-mixing can yield a batch of tough, dense muffins.  Just mix until there are no flour streaks remaining.

BUT, WHY USE ZUCCHINI IN THESE LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS

Several reasons!  First, zucchini is in abundance this time of year.  If you have a garden, or know someone who does, you know that this time of year they’re practically giving it away!  Secondly, the added nutrition.  Zucchini is full of B-complex vitamins, and rich in zinc and magnesium (which play a role in blood sugar regulation).  Thirdly, lemon and zucchini just go so well together!  Lastly, I really love the beautiful yellow and green colors.

CAN I USE YOGURT TO MAKE THESE POPPY SEED MUFFINS

I get it… not everyone has buttermilk in their refrigerator all the time.  You can easily stir a bit of vinegar into regular milk to “sour” it and make homemade buttermilk, but if you’d prefer, yogurt is another great alternative.  For this recipe, you’ll want to use plain regular yogurt, not the Greek variety.

I really hope you all give these muffins a try!  If you’re worried about your family not eating them because they have “green” bits, peel the zucchini before grating it, and it’ll blend right in!  I use that trick when making meatballs, spaghetti sauce, tacos, etc, so my kids get some extra veggies without realizing it 😉

HELPFUL TOOLS:

• Muffin pan – I’m a HUGE fan of the USA pan brand, and this muffin pan is outstanding!
• Microplane – the best tool for zesting!  It’s also amazing for grating Parmesan cheese.
• Mixing bowls – I love the non-slip base and the lids!
• Cookie scoop – If you don’t have one… you NEED one!  One scoop and your liners are filled to perfection.
• Sparkling sugar – The best sugar to give you that crunchy sugary top!

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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Zucchini

4.89 from 17 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Calories: 220

Servings: 12 servings

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Moist and tender lemon poppyseed muffins, bright and bursting with sweet lemon flavor, and filled with grated summer zucchini!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 tsp baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup buttermilk (can substitute plain yogurt)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup grated zucchini, lightly pressed to remove a bit of excess moisture (from 1-2 zucchinis)
• ▢ 2 large lemons, zested
• ▢ 2 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• ▢ 2 Tbsp sparkling sugar (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.  To a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Whisk to combine.
• In another bowl, combine granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts and eggs.  Whisk to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, stirring until almost combined.  Add zucchini, lemon zest and poppy seeds and stir until just combined.
• Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan, filling the cups about 3/4 of the way.  If batter is lumpy in the liners, give the pan a light tap on the counter to even them out.  Sprinkle tops of batter with sparkling sugar, if using.  
• Bake about 25 minutes, until edges are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.  Allow muffins to cool about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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