These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are a delicious classic, they just happen to be made gluten free and with less sugar than the traditional muffin. Made with almond flour, lightly sweetened with maple syrup and bursting with lemon flavor. You will love them!
If you’re looking for more almond flour recipes, I’ve got tons! Just click here.
And the almond flour baked goods obsession continues…
I don’t want to toot my own horn here but I’VE DONE IT AGAIN.
“IT” being I made you the best almond flour muffins.
This time: LEMON POPPY SEED! One of my all-time favorite flavors.
If you haven’t tried baking with almond flour yet, you’re in for a real treat. These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins taste buttery, light, moist and have the most amazing texture.
Grain free baking can pose it’s challenges – this recipe took me about three times to get but I finally nailed it and I am so excited to share these paleo lemon poppy seed muffins with you!
Let’s Chat About the Ingredients
- Super Fine Almond Flour – I’ve been using Bob’s Red Mill almond flour for years and it never disappoints. Make sure to use “super fine” from *blanched* almonds, not almond meal here.
- Tapioca flour – Helps act as a flour binder in this muffin recipe. You can also sub arrowroot, or cornstarch if not following a paleo diet. You can also sub with 2 tablespoons coconut flour if necessary, but I prefer the texture with tapioca flour.
- Baking soda, baking powder & salt – I tested these muffins several times to get lift without compromising taste. I used 3/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/4 tsp baking powder. If you don’t want to use the baking powder, the muffins won’t rise as much but they’ll still taste good.
- Maple syrup or honey – These muffins aren’t super duper sweet, but to me they’re perfect. If you’re making for those with more of a sweet tooth, you might want to add another 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar (like coconut to keep paleo, or cane sugar if not strictly paleo). Also note: honey will cause these muffins to brown more than maple syrup.
- Eggs – You’ll need 3 large eggs for this recipe. Sounds like a lot but trust me – it helps with the structure of these muffins.
- Oil – I used light olive oil but avocado or melted coconut oil works too. If using melted coconut oil, make sure it has been cooled and the rest of your ingredients (i.e. maple syrup and eggs) are room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract – always a nice addition for muffins. If you happen to have lemon extract on hand, you can add 1/2 tsp for even more lemon flavor.
Muffins in 25 minutes
Making these gluten free lemon poppy seed muffins takes less than 30 minutes! No fancy electrical equipment needed – just something to mix the ingredients (a whisk and a spoon or spatula), a bowl and a muffin pan.
- Start by mixing the almond flour with tapioca flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Then whisk in eggs until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to bowl of wet – your batter should be wet and somewhat thick.
- Distribute into muffin pan.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
And that’s it!
Muffin Batter Scooping Tip
The easiest way to fill a muffin pan with batter is to use a cookie scoop.
I like to use one big heaping scoop per cup, then go over again to top off the muffin cups, filling up evenly.
Glaze Options
If you really want to go all out, melt a little coconut butter down (about 2 tablespoons scooped, then melted) and a 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice for a light lemon glaze.
You can also use confectioners sugar. Mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar, mix with 1 teaspoon lemon juice to start. Add more or less depending on how thick you want glaze.
Notes about the recipe
- Flour alternatives: These muffins were specifically made with super fine almond flour. I don’t recommend getting crazy with substitutions unless you’re extra confident in your gluten free baking skills. If you’re looking for a whole grain lemon muffin recipe, try these, which uses a mix of oat flour and whole wheat flour.
- Eggs: Because we’re using almond flour here, I would not recommend subbing the eggs. The eggs in this recipe provide quite a bit of structure. If you try a substitution, the texture of the muffins will change and I can’t guarantee good results.
- Poppy seeds: if you don’t have them, you can simply omit! Or substitute chia seeds if you’d like.
Gluten free baking made easy with this almond flour muffin recipe!
If you make these muffins, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
PrintAlmond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
The BEST paleo lemon poppy seed muffins using almond flour. They are light and fluffy, moist and perfectly lemon-y! Grain free, gluten free and dairy free. You will LOVE these.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: snacks
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2.75 cups Super Fine Almond Flour (weighed, 295 grams)
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- zest of 2 medium lemons
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup light olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 12-cup muffin pan or spray with oil; set aside.
- In medium bowl combine almond flour, tapioca flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, baking powder, salt and lemon zest; set aside.
- In large bowl whisk together oil, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice. Add eggs, whisking until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing with large spoon or spatula until combined.
- Evenly distribute batter into 12-cup muffin pan (about 3/4 way full). Top with almond slices if you’d like.
- Bake muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
ALMOND FLOUR – there is not a sub for almond flour here. If looking for a whole grain muffin, try these.
TAPIOCA FLOUR – You can use 2 tablespoons coconut flour with similar results. You can also use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Others have also used an all-purpose gluten-free flour – I would only use 1/4 cup if going that route though.
SUGAR – These muffins are not super sweet but to me, perfect. If you want a sweeter muffin, feel free to add 2-3 tablespoons of a granulated sugar (not more maple syrup).
GLAZE OPTIONS – You can melt about 2 scooped tablespoons of coconut butter and mix in a ¼ teaspoon lemon juice for a light lemon glaze. OR mix ⅓ cup confectioners sugar with 1 teaspoon lemon juice to start, adding a little more for a thinner glaze. You can always thicken the glaze by adding more confectioners sugar (about 1 tablespoon at a time).
STORAGE – Muffins will keep at room temperature in closed container, best enjoyed within 3 days. Store muffins in fridge for about 4 days. If freezing, keep in airtight container (or tightly wrap) and freeze, up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Muffins adapted from my Paleo Blueberry Muffins and Lemon Blueberry Bread.
Nutrition information approximate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 127mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 46mg
Keywords: paleo lemon poppy seed muffins, healthy lemon muffins, almond flour muffins
stef d says
LOVED this recipe! so freaking delicious and springy and light
★★★★★
Madalynn Derrenberger says
Loved it!!
★★★★★
Liz Duffy says
This has become a regular recipe for me. I love to eat healthy and lemon poppyseed muffins are my favorite. I love that you don’t sacrifice taste!!!! Thank you
Ashley says
Awesome, Liz! So glad you like them. They’re one of my favorites too! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 😀
Steven Tobiasz says
Hi! How much cornstarch would you recommend as a substitute? 1/3 cup or the 2Tbs? I saw it in here twice and just wanted to clarify
Ashley says
Hi thank you for your comment! For cornstarch you should be fine to use 3 tablespoons in place of the tapioca flour. I updated the recipe card to reflect the note better. Thank you! Would love to hear how they turn out for you.
Jenny says
I don’t understand what happened, but this “batter” is incredibly dry, it’s as if I didn’t add the liquid components at all. I followed the directions exactly. Also, I have a lot of “batter” aka crumbly mixture—enough for at least double the recipe. Help?!
Ashley says
Hi Jenny. I’m sorry this didn’t quite workout for you! The almond flour should read 2.75 cups. Not sure if that helps
Charlotte says
I weighed my ingredients on a scale and it turned out perfect. However, when you weigh the flour, make sure you don’t pack it in the cup. Gently spoon it into the measuring cup and scrape off the excess. Hope that helps.
Ashley says
Thank you for your comment, Charlotte!
Sophia E says
Can I use regular sugar instead of maple syrup? If so, how much will I need?
Ashley says
Hi Sophie, I haven’t tried using dry sugar versus maple syrup in this recipe, so it’s hard to say. You could possibly increase oil to half cup and add 2 tablespoons of milk to compensate for the maple syrup, but I haven’t done that test myself yet. You’d want to use 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup granulated sugar to get a good amount of sweetness for the muffins.
Angelique vH says
I had no maple syrup, so used brown sugar instead. I also accidentally dumped the lemon juice I’d measured in with the dry ingredients, so I added a little more lemon juice in with the wet ingredients (so more than 1/4 cup over all) and it still came out fantastic. Love that they’re relatively low carb and still seem decadent, especially with the coconut oil-lemon glaze on top.
★★★★★
Melinda says
Do you have the recipe for the glaze?
Ashley says
You can use melted coconut butter if you’re looking for a paleo friendly option, or a more traditional glaze would be 1/3 cup confectioners sugar with about 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice. Hope that helps!
Ashley says
Followed it pretty exactly and they turned out perfect. I just reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 c for personal preference. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Amazing! Thanks so much for your 5 star review!
Takegs says
Love it! I’m excited to Bake these tomorrow! Do you have a good substitute for coconut butter? Thanks!
Ashley says
You could do a regular confectioners sugar glaze, or mix a little sweet cream creamer with yogurt as another option. Or simply omit 🙂