Bright, zesty, and irresistibly soft-these Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Muffins are the perfect balance of citrusy tang and subtle poppyseed flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and all purpose gluten-free flour, this recipe delivers a bakery-style texture without the gluten.
Whether you're enjoying them as a quick breakfast, afternoon snack, or a sweet treat with tea, these muffins are sure to brighten your day!
These gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins are most popular in the Spring and Summer months when lemons match the sunny warm weather vibe.
They're part of my simple gluten-free muffins collection, which also includes Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins, Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins, Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins, Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins, and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins.
If you're a big fan of lemon like I am, I also recommend my Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Scones, Lemon Garlic Pasta with basil, Tahini Dressing with Lemon, Greek Tahini Pasta Salad, and Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings.
How to make it (with photos)
These super simple lemon poppyseed muffins are made with lemon, all purpose gluten-free flour, and just a handful of other pantry staple ingredients.
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
You need just 9 ingredients to make this gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins recipe.
Lemon
Use fresh lemon zest and juice for the best bright flavor! Bottled lemon juice won't deliver the same freshness.
Poppyseeds
At the grocery store, poppyseeds are usually stored along with the spices in a jar of the same size. You can add up to ½ tablespoon more poppyseeds if you like! I like using 1 tablespoon for this small batch lemon poppyseed muffins recipe for a nice balance.
All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour (blue bag). If your GF flour blend doesn't include xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon per cup of flour.
Spoon the gluten-free flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife, or better yet, weigh your flour with a kitchen scale. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour, leading to dry muffins.
- sugar - I recommend using regular white granulated sugar for this recipe. Lemon is a delicate flavor and brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar easily overpower it in the final muffin.
- milk of choice - I used unsweetened almond milk. Substitute dairy milk or another dairy-free milk like oat milk, soy milk, or hemp milk.
- gluten-free baking powder - Clabber Girl and Rumford brands are gluten-free in the USA.
- butter or vegan butter - You can replace butter or vegan butter with vegetable oil or coconut oil if you like. I think butter has the nicest flavor.
- egg - For an egg-free version, I used 1 tablespoon of potato starch mixed in with the dry ingredients and 3 tablespoons of milk mixed in with the wet ingredients. Let the egg-free version cool completely before eating to allow the starch time to set.
- powdered sugar - The powdered sugar in this recipe is for the bright lemon glaze! While you can omit the glaze entirely, I highly recommend it. Most powdered sugars have an added starch - check to make sure the added starch is gluten-free (it's usually cornstarch).
You also need baking soda and salt to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins with these step-by-step photos.
- Milk + Lemon: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease or line 6 cups of a standard muffin pan. Combine the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. I do this in a liquid measuring cup so the recipe only needs one mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, poppyseeds, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and melted butter to the milk mixture and whisk together. Then pour it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined but do not over mix - ideally it will be very lumpy. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Bake: Portion the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake on a middle oven rack at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for 8 minutes. You can test for done-ness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin to make sure it comes out dry, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Lemon Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to ½ cup of powdered sugar and whisk until smooth to make a glaze. Add additional liquid (lemon juice, milk, or water will work) or powdered sugar to create your desired consistency.
- Cool: Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan. Then gently remove the muffins from the pan and set them on a wire cooling rack for an additional 10 minutes to cool before eating.
Expert Tips
Make the best gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins on the first try with these expert tips.
Use a kitchen scale.
For the best outcome, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients. Gluten-free flours can vary in weight based on how finely they are ground and the individual grain components.
Most all purpose gluten-free flours (and even regular flour) can be substituted into my recipes if they are measured by weight and include xanthan gum or guar gum.
Try resting the batter.
Allowing the batter to "rest" (AKA sit on the counter untouched) for 10-15 minute rest before baking allows the gluten-free flour to soak up more liquid and can improve any potential grainy texture.
Mix just until combined.
Over-mixing can make gluten-free muffins dense or gummy. Mix until just combined for a traditional muffin crumb.
Check for doneness with a toothpick.
Since ovens vary, insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, they're ready! If you're getting serious about gluten-free baking, I also recommend an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this gluten-free lemon poppyseeds muffin recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. For best texture, store the muffins and glaze separately and drizzle on the glaze just before serving. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes! Substitute butter with melted coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative, and use almond or oat milk instead of regular milk.
A high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum (like King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill) works best for texture and structure.
Low quality muffin liners are more likely to stick to the muffins. Other reasons this can happen is because the muffins have not fully cooled or are underbaked. For best results, test the muffins for doneness, use higher quality liners (like the tall parchment paper ones), and lightly oil the liners.
You can also oil the muffin cups and use a nonstick muffin pan to avoid paper muffin liners altogether.
Related gluten-free muffin recipes to consider...
Looking for more gluten-free muffin recipes like this gluten-free lemon poppyseed recipe? Check these out:
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon milk of choice (133 ml, I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (160 grams )
- 1 tablespoon poppyseeds (8 grams)
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoons granulated sugar (62 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter or vegan butter, melted but not hot
- 1 egg
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar (63 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Milk + Lemon: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and grease or line 6 cups of a standard muffin pan. Combine the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. I do this in a liquid measuring cup so the recipe only needs one mixing bowl. Set aside.½ cup + 1 tablespoon milk of choice, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, poppyseeds, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt.1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose gluten-free flour, 1 tablespoon poppyseeds, ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ cup + 1 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and melted butter to the milk mixture and whisk together. Then pour it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until just combined but do not over mix - ideally it will be very lumpy. Allow the batter to rest for 5-15 minutes (longer makes a softer crumb).3 tablespoons butter, 1 egg
- Bake: Portion the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake on a middle oven rack at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for 8-10 minutes. You can test for done-ness by inserting a toothpick in the center of a muffin to make sure it comes out dry, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Lemon Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to ½ cup of powdered sugar and whisk until smooth to make a glaze. Add additional liquid (lemon juice, milk, or water will work) or powdered sugar to create your desired consistency.1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup powdered sugar
- Cool: Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan. Then gently remove the muffins from the pan and set them on a wire cooling rack for an additional 10 minutes to cool before eating.
Anna C. says
These GF lemon poppyseed muffins are super flavorful and just like I remember! I love the soft inside and that they bake quickly. Not gritty at all. We'll be making them again!