Gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins

I’ve been meaning to share the recipe for my gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins for a long time, and today is finally the day I get them online! Fans of lemon-flavoured baked goods will absolutely fall in love these.

These gluten free muffins are light and airy, with a zesty lemon punch and delightful bursts of poppyseeds. They’re finished with a sharp lemon icing and a sprinkle of poppyseeds, making them look as fabulous as they taste!

I first made these gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins when we launched the Oh Crumbs podcast, and I’ve been meaning to re-test the recipe and get it on the blog ever since! Luckily, this provided me with an excuse to make them again and they’ve gone down just as well in our house as the first batch.

I love anything lemon-flavoured, so if you’re already a fan of recipes like my gluten free lemon drizzle cake, you’ll love these! I think lemon and poppyseed is such a classic combination, and it makes these gluten free muffin looks so pretty too!

Making the perfect gluten free muffins

So what makes a great gluten free muffin? For starters, you want to make sure you use yoghurt in the mixture – this will make them nice and light, but keep them moist at the same time. I always use a natural, plain yoghurt – and I always go for full fat as I prefer the texture and flavour this gives the muffins. I might experiment and try them with a lemon flavoured yoghurt next time and see how this changes the flavour!

For the flavouring I use the zest of two lemons, as well as some lemon extract. I find this gives them a lovely, strong zesty flavour. If you prefer, you could add an extra lemon zest instead. I just get bored zesting fruit (and my arm aches after more than two lemons!) so I found lemon extract was just easier. It still gives them a great flavour and you can smell the lemony-goodness as they bake in the oven too.

When it comes to the baking, the trick with muffins is to blast them on a high heat, before turning the oven down. This gives them an initial quick rise (similar to if you were making something like a gluten free Yorkshire pudding). You then turn down the oven so they don’t dry out or burn before they’re cooked completely. That’s why these gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins stand so tall and proud!

Can you make these muffins dairy free?

The short answer is yes! To make these gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins dairy free, you’d simply substitute some of the ingredients. You’d have to use a dairy free yoghurt such as soya or coconut yoghurt, and dairy free milk such as coconut, almond or soya. For the butter, I always use Stork baking block as a dairy free substitute as I find it has the best texture and taste.

I really love recipes that are super adaptable as I think more and more people have multiple allergens nowadays. You could probably make these vegan but I’ll be honest and tell you I haven’t tested any vegan egg replacers. I understand flax seed, apple sauce and chia seeds are popular alternatives but my vegan baking isn’t quite up to scratch so I couldn’t guarantee the finished result. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how you get on!

What equipment will you need to make these gluten free muffins?

Don’t worry – you only require the very basics! To make this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe you’ll need:

• You’ll need a 12-hole muffin tin to bake these – just like this one.
• I use tulip muffin cases because they look super cool – you can buy the ones I used on Amazon here.
• A large mixing bowl – I have the pink version of this Mason Cash bowl and I’m in love with it!
• An electric mixer. You could use a wooden spoon but this makes life a lot easier! This is the one I use! It’s basic, affordable and does the trick!

The ingredients are all store-cupboard essentials, do you don’t have to worry about buying anything fancy. 

My gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins recipe

These gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins are just so easy to make – once you try them you’ll want to make them over and over again! Plus, who doesn’t love a lemon-based cake? They keep really well and can be frozen too.

Do let me know if you’ve made them and make sure you give them a star-review if you give them a try. It would mean a lot!

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Gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

These gluten free lemon and poppyseed muffins are zesty and delicious, topped with a tangy lemon icing and filled with crunchy poppyseeds. A super easy gluten free bake.

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Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted butter, (softened)
• 175 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 140 g plain, full-fat natural yoghurt
• 250 g self-raising gluten free flour
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp lemon extract, (optional, if you like it extra lemony)
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 20 g poppyseeds

For the icing:

• 120 g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp poppyseeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200'C / Gas 6 / 180'C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 tulip muffin cases and set aside.
2. Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy.
3. Add the eggs, yoghurt, lemon zest, milk and lemon extract (if using) and beat again on a low speed with the whisk until fully combined and forms a very wet batter Don't worry if it starts to curdle - this will be resolved in the next stage!
4. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and xanthan gum in a bowl and then sift into the cake batter. Add the poppyseeds and fold the flour in using a spatula or wooden spoon. Once the flour is folded in (and won't form a dust cloud!) beat for a minute with a wooden spoon until the mixture is fully combined and there is an even distribution of poppyseeds. It should form a thick batter.
5. Spoon the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and then place in the centre of a hot oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the temperature down (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!) to 180'C / Gas 4 / Fan 160'C and bake for a further 15-18 minutes.
6. The muffins will be ready when they are well risen, golden on top, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
7. To make the icing, mix the lemon juice and icing sugar in a bowl and stir together until it forms a thick, white paste. Drizzle the icing over the muffins and sprinkle with some extra poppyseeds to decorate.

Notes

These muffins will keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container. They can be frozen but it's best to do that before the icing stage.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Kenwood HM220 Hand Mixer 
• 
  Mason Cash Mixing  Bowl

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 12 muffins
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Carbohydrates: 43gProtein: 3g

Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?

If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free cake recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try? They’re perfect to satisfy any cake cravings!

• Gluten free chocolate cake recipe
• Easy gluten free triple chocolate muffins
• Gluten free lemon drizzle cake
• My super easy gluten free vanilla cupcakes

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next! Oh – and don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter where you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

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