Orange Poppy Seed Muffins are a sweet way to start the morning! Make a few dozen of these twists-on-a-classic to serve at your next brunch or baby shower, or even Easter.
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Orange Poppy Seed Muffins recipe
Y’all know I love to mix things up. The classics are great, yes, but it makes me happy to sub in new flavors and ingredients into so many recipes.
Orange desserts are one of my favorites — it is so underrated! The flavor of orange is so light and bright. Unlike lemon, lime and grapefruit, it is much more sweet than tart.
One of my first recipes on Feast + West was this Orange Poppy Seed Cake. That cake was absolutely the inspiration behind these Orange Poppy Seed Muffins.
I love love love poppy seeds in muffins and I’ve been dying to make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins for ages.
The result is a muffin that’s a lot like the classic lemon poppy seed muffin, but it leans toward the sweet side. It’s much less sour than the original lemon flavor.
Love orange? These Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream are always a hit.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Muffins are without a doubt one of the best breakfasts and brunch foods. These Orange Muffins are going to change your life:
- Orange and poppyseeds are a bright and flavorful alternative to tart lemon.
- They are a great recipe to make for meal-prep breakfasts or to serve a crowd at a party.
- The recipe comes together quickly and easily.
You can make and share these muffins in so many ways. Serve them for breakfast or brunch with family. Take them to a neighbor or friend in need of a pick-me-up.
Serve them alongside a mimosa bar at a party like a baby shower or bridal shower. They’d even be great to eat on Easter or for Christmas morning.
You can even freeze them and reheat them for future breakfasts!
Ingredients
Sweet and zesty, and a tad crunchy, these orange poppy seed muffins are without a doubt a super tasty muffin. You’re going to want to make at least a dozen.
Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make these delicious orange muffins:
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- orange zest
- orange juice
- Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- poppy seeds
I highly recommend using a fresh orange for this. Grate some zest off of the skin to really capture that tart orange flavor, then juice it for an additional fresh twist.
Use whatever kind of oranges you like. Cara Cara oranges are super sweet, while navel oranges are a bit more tart. You could even use clementines or mandarins.
A blood orange would also be delicious and give these muffins more of a pink color. (And be sure to serve them with blood orange mimosas if you do!)
How to make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Making these muffins is so super easy! It’s always a good idea to have a recipe for homemade muffins that you can tweak with your favorite flavors and mix-ins.
Here’s how to make them:
First, preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a muffin tin with paper or silicone muffin cups, or grease the pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Then in another large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice and Greek yogurt. Stir gently to combine.
Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just combined, but don’t over-mix. Gently stir in the poppy seeds until distributed evenly.
Fill the muffin liners or cups about two-thirds full with the muffin batter. Bake for 12-16 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow muffins to rest and cool on a wire rack before eating. Best served warm!
Let cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Tips & tricks
Make sure to let your butter and eggs come to room temperature before baking for the best results. If I know I’m going to make muffins in the morning, I do this the night before. But about an hour before is usually fine.
You will also want to double-check your baking soda is still good and hasn’t expired.
Don’t over-mix these muffins. Stop beating everything together when the ingredients are just combined. Then stir in the poppy seeds gently.
More brunch recipes
This recipe was originally created for a virtual baby shower for my friend Madison. These muffins are absolutely perfect for sharing with a new mom or at any kind of mid-day celebration.
- Sparkling Balsamic Mocktails
- Elderflower French 75 Cocktails
- Raspberry Shortcake Biscuits
- Lavender Curd Filled Doughnuts
- Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
- Strawberry Bellinis
- Baked Lemon Hand Pies
More muffin recipes
Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare a muffin tin with paper muffin cups or grease the pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together together flour, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until pale in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice and Greek yogurt. Stir gently to combine.
- Stir in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
- Fill the muffin liners or cups about two-thirds full with the muffin batter. Bake for at least 12-15 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to rest and cool on a wire rack before eating. Best served warm!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
notes
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Madison | A Joyfully Mad Kitchen says
Ooooh yum! I’ve been craving lemon poppyseed something and now I have totally switched and want THESE as soon as possible. These would be the perfect post baby treat! Thank you so much for throwing this sweet shower for me!
Tania says
So tasty!! Easy to make and they are light to eat. Making my second batch this week.
Susannah says
So happy to hear this, Tania! Enjoy!