I love lemon desserts so much! If you do too, you really need to check out these vegan lemon poppy seed muffins which are topped generously with a tangy and zesty glaze. They also take less than 30 minutes to make which is a real bonus.
Who wants to try one? All muffin fans will love these. There are so many amazing muffin flavors out there such as, red velvet muffins, blueberry muffins and chocolate chip muffins, but lemon ones might just be the best type.
Poppy seeds are also added to the muffin batter in this recipe. They add a delicious, earthy contrast to the sour lemon tones and it creates a beautiful balance for your taste buds.
If you prefer cake to muffins, why not try my vegan lemon poppy seed cake, vegan lemon poke cake or my vegan orange poppy seed cake instead? They all have similar vibes, except they're different in texture.
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Why You Will Love These Muffins
- The Amazing Texture - The vegan muffins in this recipe taste absolutely incredible in a very similar way to my vegan lemon blueberry muffins. This is due to the special method which is used to make them and they end up coming out of the oven super soft every single time.
- The Flavor Combination - As I previously mentioned, lemons and poppy seeds are a match made in heaven. Tangy and earthy sensations often do compliment each other and these treats are no different. Also see my vegan lemon poppy seed mug cake too for another classic.
- So Moreish - Once you've tried these muffins, there's usually only one outcome. You go back for more. While there is nothing wrong with this at all, try to save some to enjoy on another day (if you can resist)!
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan lemon poppy seed muffins recipe is wholly vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Large, ripe banana - This is the 'vegan egg replacer' for these muffins. As only one ripe banana is used for this recipe, you can't taste it inside the muffins. Instead it will give them a great, soft texture.
- Apple cider vinegar - This is the other amazing ingredient which will help the consistency of the muffins. The vinegar will react with the leavening agent to create an airy texture inside the vegan muffins.
- Vegetable oil - I've tested many types of oil for this recipe and vegetable oil always comes out on top. This gives the muffins their moisture.
- Zest of 1 medium lemon - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is also added to the batter. However, for that extra, strong lemony kick, I like to add the zest of a whole lemon. It really makes a big difference to the final outcome! I used both in my vegan lemon drizzle cake and eggless lemon cake loaf. It works perfectly!
- Poppy seeds - These are really tasty and make the perfect addition to the muffins with their nutty flavors.
- Powdered sugar - This will be used for the glaze. Make sure that the powdered sugar which you use is vegan as some contain bone char.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you love the concept of these muffins but you don't like lemon, you can substitute the lemon juice and lemon zest out for freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest. All the instructions in the method stay the same and you make the swap, 1:1. The taste will be very different and equally mouthwatering. Another orange recipe that you'll love is my vegan cranberry orange cake.
- You can make these dairy free muffins gluten free too by making one, simple change. Replace the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free all-purpose flour which is a baking-specific blend. These are equally found in larger grocery stores and can potentially make great alternatives.
How To Make Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line your muffin trays with cupcake liners. Grease them with oil.
2: Add the wet ingredients and sugar to a bowl. Mix well.
3: Fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
4: Pour the mixture into the liners and bake.
5: Let the muffins cool.
6: Make the lemon glaze.
7: Spoon the glaze over the muffins.
Expert Tips
Add blueberries to the lemon muffins - Lemon and blueberries will always be perfect for each other. I recommend that you use fresh blueberries and that you add them just before the muffin batter is full folded.
Don't add too much apple cider vinegar - Avoid add any more acid to these muffins other than the advised lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Too much acid will alter the consistency of the cake in a negative way.
Fill the liners - Try to fill each liner with as much muffin batter as possible. This gives you the high tops on the muffins that we all love. These always look great when the recipes use streusel and the 'high tops' are golden brown.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Oat milk and almond milk both work very well in this muffin recipe.
I haven't tested this but try using a gluten-free baking flour blend, 1:1. This should create a consistency which is fairly similar.
This is usually because the muffin batter was over-mixed. Try folding your batter gently instead until all the flour is combined.
Store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 3 days.
More Vegan Muffin Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Easy Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
Muffin Batter:
- 1 large ripe banana (mashed)
- 180 g granulated sugar
- 240 ml soy milk
- 2.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 75 ml vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 275 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1.5 Tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
Lemon Glaze:
- 160 g powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius (390F).
- Line two 6-hole muffin trays with cupcake liners.
- Grease the 12 cupcake liners with a little oil. Set aside.
Make the muffin batter:
- To a large mixing bowl, add the mashed banana, granulated sugar, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk well.
- Now, fold the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt into the mixture.
- Keep folding the muffin batter until there are no more pockets of flour.
- Equally, pour the batter into the cupcake liners so that they are almost full.
Bake the muffins:
- Place your lemon poppy seed muffins into the center of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until they are golden brown, and a skewer comes out clean. Each oven is different so they may take 25 minutes.
- Let the lemon muffins to cool in the trays for 10-15 minutes. Transfer them over to a cooling rack so that they can cool fully.
Make the lemon glaze:
- Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl followed by the lemon juice. Mix well. It should be quite thin in consistency.
- Spoon the glaze over the cooled muffins or dip them in. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Lemon and blueberries will always be perfect for each other. I recommend that you use fresh blueberries and that you add them just before the muffin batter is full folded.
- Avoid add any more acid to these muffins other than the advised lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Too much acid will alter the consistency of the cake in a negative way.
- Try to fill each liner with as much muffin batter as possible. This gives you the high tops on the muffins that we all love. These always look great when the recipes use streusel and the 'high tops' are golden brown.
Anonymous says
Yum!