My husband said that these muffins could easily be one of my best recipes yet. Our gluten-eating friends, as well as my cookbook recipe testers, agree. Buttermilk helps leaven these beauties. (There’s a dairy-free version, too.) The optional glaze adds a contrasting tartness.
These gluten free lemon poppy seed muffins pack plenty of lemon flavor, are moist, and ready to satisfy your sweet tooth at a moment's notice.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature (or Earth Balance spread)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups Carla's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend recipe
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 slightly heaping teaspoon lemon zest*, lightly packed
- 1-1/4 cups buttermilk (or homemade* using rice milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or as needed
Instructions:
- To Make the Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 12-cup, non-stick muffin pan; set aside. (Do not use paper liners. The muffins will shrink away from the pan and become dense.)
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until fluffy. (For heavy-duty hand mixers, beat on high speed.)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour blend, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Add eggs to the butter mixture, and beat on medium speed until just incorporated. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least twice during mixing.
- Add lemon zest, and beat on low speed until evenly distributed. Slowly pour in buttermilk, mixing on low speed until thoroughly combined.
- Add flour mixture all at once and beat on medium speed until thoroughly blended.
- Add vanilla and beat for a few seconds.
- Evenly distribute batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 17 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pan 5 minutes. Then remove muffins and place directly on the wire rack to cool while you quickly make the glaze, if using.
- While the muffins are beginning to cool, add confectioners' sugar and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk until blended. Add additional sugar or lemon juice to create your desired consistency. Baste each warm muffin with the glaze.
Tips
*The zest of a lemon is the grated peel (only the bright yellow skin, not the white rind).
**Each lemon contains about 2 tablespoons of juice. However, some lemons may not contain that much. To develop the juices, you can roll the lemon with the palm of your hand on a counter. Alternatively, you can microwave it on high for about 5 seconds (based on a 1200 watt oven).
Bake the muffins thoroughly. If you undercook them, they will fall a bit, causing a gluey/gummy texture in areas.
The recipe makes a different amount of muffins depending upon whether you use tapioca or cornstarch in the flour blend and the power of your mixer. Tapioca flour and the use of a high-powered mixer create higher risen muffins.
*See substitutions page for homemade buttermilk recipe.
Facebook Comment,
“I have no lemons but a lot of oranges. do you think that may work as a bit of a twist?”
Me: “Absolutely!”
“Not as bright and sunny as the lemon ones – had to also use an all purpose gf flour but have some superfine rice flours on order and will try again! BTW, still yummy….love the orange glaze!”