Some things in life are just meant to be savored:
The perfect open-toed sandals and the warmth of spring.
Pastured butter and freshly-baked muffins.
Childhood and sweet, seasonal memories.
Tart, juicy lemons and delicate poppy seeds.
Growing up, I fondly remember early mornings with my mom. She possessed a special touch for making even the most hurried mornings extra memorable. From chalkboard coffee mugs with an “I love you” message to carefully preparing my favorite cheesy eggs. She always knew how to add that special “mom touch”.
Every breakfast was special, but springtime meant an extra special morning treat, lemon poppy seed muffins. Yes, they were store-bought, but the miniature muffins with cake-like texture made spring breakfast extra delicious.
With the first spotting of spring– the breezy warm weather, clear blue skies, and flowers blooming; my mind (and taste-buds) always drift back to those early morning lemon poppy seed muffins. Such sweet memories are meant to be recreated and savored, so who am I to resist? Creating the perfect lemon poppy seed muffin, that mimics my sweet and tangy memories, has been no easy task. Until last weekend…
A few weeks ago, my friends at Bob’s Red Mill sent me a couple bags of almond meal/flour. Our family isn’t gluten-free, but almond flour has quickly become one of my favorite flours for baking, producing wonderfully moist results. With fresh bags of almond flour and a springtime breakfast memory calling, I spent last weekend baking.
Light-textured almond meal/flour was whisked together with coconut flour; along with a touch of baking soda and baking powder.
Butter, fresh eggs, golden honey, and sour cream were harmoniously creamed. A splash of homemade vanilla extract was added, complemented by the sweet zest of an orange.
Lemon juice flowed, and poppy seeds were sprinkled.
The result was glorious, bringing back childhood memories with each bite (and trust me, there were many). The light texture of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour combined with creamy, rich ingredients, produced the perfect lemon poppy seed muffins. Gluten-free, cake-like muffins that are delicate and bold, sweet and tangy. The almond flour not only provides the perfect light texture, but also boosts the nutritional benefits with: protein, vitamin E, and healthy fat.
Today, I’m sharing this delicious and nourishing recipe. A spring-inspired muffin sure to please everyone in the family.
Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond meal/flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 cup orange zest from one small-medium orange
- 1 TB poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond meal/flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl (I use a stand-mixer bowl), add the butter and honey. Using a mixer (if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment) or lots of muscle and a wood spoon, cream together the butter and honey. Add the sour cream and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
- Add the beaten eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Finally, fold in the poppy seeds and orange zest.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring together.
- Scoop into muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes.
I added lemon zest instead and accidentally put 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda.They ended up coming out concave in the middle. Could that be why or did I not put enough batter in the cups.
Hi Rebecca,
Yes, Baking soda and powder will react in different ways, baking soda needs an acid to make it work. The sourcream would help this but baking powder is best here. The zest shouldn’t matter.
The sweet and sour was perfection with the sour cream and honey,,
I made mine with greek yogurt, and instead of squeezing a lemon I just used 2tbsp of lemon extract. Also. mine only needed to bake for about 15ish minutes and they were nicely golden brown and done. I haven’t taste them yet, still cooling but so far the smell amazing
Hi. Is there anything else I can use/substitute instead of the coconut flour. I am not supposed to have any coconut products. 🙂
You can check out this website which has some useful information about coconut flour vs. flour and some substitutions tips.
I just made these and I cannot stop eating them. I know it’s the copious amount of butter in them combined with fresh lemon juice and sour cream. Ridiculous. I used lemon zest from 2 lemons instead of orange zest and left the poppy seeds out because I didn’t have any on hand. They crumble quite a bit for me but that just means I have to get it in my mouth faster, and I am 100% ok with that. Will make again and again.
Awesome, Jenny! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the muffins.
These are so good! Thank you for this recipe. I swapped out the poppy seeds for 3/4C fresh blueberries. It’s my new favorite recipe!
Hey Jill, That’s so great! Enjoy!
Hi =)
I’m so tempted to do this recipe, but I cannot find almond flour where I live. Can I substitute it with normal flour?
Thanks 🙂
sorry for the duplicate comment
Hi =)
I’m so tempted to do this recipe, but I cannot find almond flour where I live. Can I substitute it with normal flour?
Thanks
Hi Ana, The almond and coconut flour in this recipe act differently than the average gluten flour. I think you could play around with white or white wheat flour and adjust the liquids as needed. If you’re using “regular” flour I’d also leave out the coconut flour as it isn’t needed for absorbing moisture.
thanks!! =)
I would LOVE to use it to make some yummy allergen free homemade chocolate chip cookies!! YUM!
I would love to make this recipe! It sounds delicious! Bob’s Red Mill products are great and I have used many of them including the Almond Flour for baking.
I’d like to try it in some muffins.
LOVE Bob’s Red Mill products! I’m suddenly on a limited budget but the almond flour is my new want. I would love to make some Danish cookies with it. You know, those light layered cookies that are wonderfully buttery? I had some once (in the early 80’s) from a trip to Carmel by the Sea back when life wasn’t so restricted monetarily. It’s the only time I ever tasted such a wonderful cookie! It’s on my bucket list to find the perfect recipe for them. I went back in the early 90’s and the bakery was no longer there….