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Home » Recipes » Snacks

Modified: Sep 18, 2022 | Categories: Baked Goods

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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Healthy lemon poppy seed muffins made with whole grain flour, flax, shredded zucchini and yogurt.

Deliciously tender and healthy muffins!

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins in a vintage tin.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

How to make healthy lemon poppy seed muffins

Featured Ingredients

  • Whole wheat pastry flour: Grab a bag and it'll change your life.
    • It has all the fiber of regular whole wheat flour but it's finely ground and soft and luxurious and beautiful.
    • It'll be your new favorite flour for almost everything.
  • Oats: Again with the fiber.
    • And they provide a wholesome, hearty texture that can't be beat.
  • Flax: Omega 3s, fiber and all that jazz.
  • Greek yogurt: Protein, protein and more protein.
    • Plus, it keeps the muffins moist and tender.
  • Heart-healthy oil: Of some sort. I like avocado, but you do you.
  • Veggies and/or fruit: This time it's zucchini, next time it'll be some other brightly colored produce item to make the muffins reeeeallly special.
  • A bit less sugar: A little sugar is totally okay in our diet, but a 12-cup muffin recipe does not need 2 cups to be sweet and delicious. I use ½ cup.
Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins in a vintage tin.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, which together flour, oats, flax, baking powder and salt until combined.
  3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until fluffy.
  4. Whisk in yogurt, oil, vanilla extract and lemon extract (if using) until combined.
  5. Stir in shredded zucchini, lemon zest and juice and poppy seeds.
  6. Fold dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
  7. Scoop muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way to the top.
  8. Bake 18-22 minutes or until muffins are just set.
  9. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins in a vintage tin.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

  • For the flour: You can use whole wheat pastry, whole wheat, all-purpose or oat flour.  If using almond flour, I use a blend of almond flour and coconut.
  • For the Greek yogurt: You could try making the muffins with milk.
  • For the yogurt: Try with honey or maple syrup, or brown sugar.
  • For the zucchini: Shred, seal in bags and freeze during peak zucchini season. Or, if you can get your hands on fresh, shred it up and use in the muffins.

Nutrition Considerations

  • To make these gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour and gluten free oats. Be sure all other ingredients are gluten free.
  • To make these dairy free: Use dairy free yogurt or milk.
  • To make these vegan: Use plant-based yogurt or milk. Use an egg replacer or flax 'eggs' (although I haven't tested this).
  • To make these nut free: This recipe doesn't contain nuts. Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free.
  • To make these egg free: Use an egg replacer or flax 'eggs' (although I haven't tested this).
Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins in a vintage tin.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Fabulous muffin recipes:

  • Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Mixed Berry Crumble Muffins
  • Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
  • Banana Crunch Muffins
  • Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
  • Blueberry Date Muffins
Print

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins in a vintage tin.
Print Recipe

Zucchini muffins with fresh lemon and poppy seeds, made with whole grain flour, flax and yogurt.

  • Author: Julie Andrews
  • Prep Time: 10-15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20-25 min
  • Total Time: 30-40 mins
  • Yield: Makes 12 muffins 1x
  • Category: Muffins, Baked Goods
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup flour*
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6-ounces plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (about ⅔ cup)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
  • Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon (about ¼ cup)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, which together flour, oats, flax, baking powder and salt until combined.
  3. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until fluffy. Whisk in yogurt, oil and vanilla extract until combined.  Stir in shredded zucchini, lemon zest and juice and poppy seeds.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
  5. Scoop muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ of the way to the top. Bake 18-22 minutes or until muffins are just set.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Substitution Tip: You can use whole wheat pastry, whole wheat, all-purpose or oat flour.  If using almond flour, I use a blend of almond flour and coconut.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 148
  • Sugar: 10g
  • Sodium: 287mg
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 21g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 32mg

Keywords: summer, seasonal, easy, healthy, quick, whole wheat, gluten free option

Did you make this recipe?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

    August 28, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    These sound soft and SO flavorful 🙂 The perfect end of summer treat!

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      August 28, 2018 at 5:33 pm

      I couldn't agree more, Tara! I hope you get a chance to try them. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Renee says

    September 19, 2018 at 9:25 am

    Hi there, just wondering whether the zucchini should be squeezed at all prior to adding to the batter. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie Andrews says

      September 19, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Renee! You don't need to squeeze any water out of the zucchini. 🙂 Enjoy!!

      Reply

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passionate about simple, healthy cooking

*formerly the gourmet RD*

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