Blackberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

Light and fluffy blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins are on a whole new level! Greek yogurt or sour cream keeps them extra moist, creamed butter creates a wonderfully soft texture, and fresh blackberries add a burst of fresh flavor. Drizzle each with sweet, tart lemon icing for a finishing touch.

Today’s blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins are fruity and summery, featuring the season’s freshest berries. I love any and all lemon poppy seed muffins (try my orange lemon poppy seed muffins next), but when you introduce berries—it’s a whole new level of awesome. The sweet blackberries cut the tartness of the lemon muffin and add a new texture to each bite. Let’s dive in!

These Blackberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins Are:

• Like my favorite lemon poppy seed muffins, with a burst of berry flavor
• Light and tender
• Like soft and fluffy lemon cake
• Made with basic ingredients
• Baked at an initial high temperature for tall muffin tops
• Studded with blackberries
• Drizzled with lemon icing
• Perfect for summer mornings, when fresh blackberries are in season

Best Ingredients to Use

These blackberry lemon poppy seed muffins are a variation of my master muffin recipe, which we also use as the base for my favorite blueberry muffins. We’ll use pretty much the same ingredients for today’s batter! Here are all of the ingredients you need and why each is important:

• Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of these muffins.
• Poppy Seeds: Can’t have poppy seed muffins without them! Same goes for lemon poppy seed bread and glazed orange poppy seed bars.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both leaveners help the muffins rise.
• Salt & Vanilla Extract: Salt and pure vanilla extract add flavor. Try using homemade vanilla extract.
• Butter: We use creamed unsalted butter for a lighter texture. My orange lemon poppy seed muffins are made with melted butter for a denser, heartier texture.
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the muffins, balancing out the tart lemon. Brown sugar adds a kiss of flavor, plus extra moisture.
• Eggs: 2 eggs bind everything together.
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: Adds unbeatable moisture.
• Milk: Milk adds moisture. I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Any milk, dairy or nondairy, works.
• Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest: Both add tartness and lots of lemon flavor.
• Blackberries: Fresh blackberries are best, but frozen blackberries work, too. If using frozen, do now thaw before using. You can use blueberries instead, or try raspberries or chopped strawberries. A mixed berry combination would be a delicious option! Keep berries to a total of 1 and 1/2 cups.

Baker’s Tip: It’s important to fill your 12-count muffin pan (or cupcake liners) all the way to the top. You’ll have a lot of batter in each cup. Because we bake the muffins at an initial high temperature for 5 minutes, the muffins won’t overflow. In fact, this is what creates tall muffin tops! The high heat raises the muffin tops up, then you’ll reduce the oven temperature for the remaining time which will cook the muffins inside. Not only does this trick create beautifully sky-high muffin tops, it also makes the muffins extra fluffy inside because the tops don’t stay flat.

Optional Lemon Icing

For a little something extra, I like to top each muffin with a drizzle of lemon icing. You only need 3 ingredients: confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and milk. It’s sweet and tangy and, after an hour or two, sets and becomes reminiscent of doughnut glaze. While totally optional, I always encourage adding extra sweetness!