Baking these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins is easier than you might think! Follow these simple, step-by-step instructions to create bakery-worthy muffins right in your own kitchen.

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). While the oven is heating, prepare your muffin tin. You can use paper liners for easy cleanup or grease the muffin cups generously with cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking. If you grease the tin directly, lightly dust it with flour after greasing for extra insurance against sticking.
2. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisking thoroughly ensures that the baking powder and baking soda are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which is crucial for a consistent rise. This step also aerates the flour slightly, contributing to a lighter texture. Make sure there are no clumps of baking powder or soda remaining.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk until all the wet ingredients are well combined and the mixture appears slightly emulsified. Ensuring the wet ingredients are well mixed before adding them to the dry ingredients helps to prevent overmixing later on.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. It’s important not to overmix at this stage. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can result in tough muffins. Mix only until the flour streaks disappear and the batter is just moistened. A few lumps are perfectly fine at this stage.
5. Fill Muffin Cups: Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds to three-quarters full. This allows room for the muffins to rise without overflowing. If you want to ensure perfectly even muffins, use a kitchen scale to weigh out equal portions of batter for each cup.
6. Bake the Muffins: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven, so start checking for doneness around 18 minutes. The muffins should be golden brown on top and spring back lightly when gently pressed.
7. Cool in Tin Briefly: Once the muffins are baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. This allows them to firm up slightly, making them easier to remove from the tin. If using paper liners, you can remove them immediately. If not using liners, gently loosen the edges of the muffins with a knife or spatula before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Prepare Lemon Glaze (Optional): While the muffins are cooling, you can prepare the optional lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and the glaze reaches your desired consistency. If you prefer a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar; for a thinner glaze, add a bit more lemon juice.
9. Glaze and Serve: Once the muffins are completely cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze over the tops of the muffins. You can use a spoon, a fork, or a piping bag to drizzle the glaze. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your freshly baked Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!