Throughout my childhood, my parents planned multiple family vacations to Disneyland. Since we usually drove eight hours down I-5 to visit my grandparents in San Diego instead of flying (if you’ve ever driven on that freeway in California, you know how monotonous the trip through miles and miles of plain yellow fields can be!) and Anaheim was on the way, it was easy to hop off of the highway and stop at The Happiest Place on Earth for a few days first.
We always stayed at the same hotel, situated just two stoplights away from the freeway and one block from the Disneyland entrance. That made life really easy for my parents… The short little legs of young kids can only walk so fast (and so far before they start complaining!).
As really early risers—my brother and I regularly woke up by 6 am every day—we walked over to the park before most of the crowds arrived and usually were the first in line when the gates opened at 8 am. We spent all morning dashing between the most popular “kiddie” rides, like Dumbo and Peter Pan and the Teacups, before the lines grew too long for our patience.
Then our very smart parents walked us back to the hotel shortly after lunch for a bit of quiet time before we could get tired or cranky (they preferred us taking naps, but my brother and I often refused and silently read books instead!) and swimming in the pool. Sometimes we went back to Disneyland for a couple of hours to squeeze in a few more rides or some souvenir shopping, but other times we just collapsed into bed from exhaustion!
Because theme park food costs an arm and a leg, our parents always packed our own. They filled a backpack with water bottles, apples, fruit snacks, crackers, and a jar of peanut butter for whenever a “rumbly in our tumblies” hit (we loved Pooh Bear!), and we ate PB&J or ham and cheese sandwiches in the hotel room for dinner.
Yet out of all of those meals, I loved breakfast the most. At home, we always poured a bowl of cereal with milk, but since the hotel room lacked a fridge, Mom bought a package of jumbo-sized muffins from the local grocery store bakery as a special treat instead.
As picky eaters, my brother and I only ate one flavor: lemon poppy seed. (We would’ve gladly gone with double chocolate, but Mom drew the “special treat” line there!) And the lemon poppy seed muffins had to be plain… So we always picked off all of the slivered almonds if those were the only ones Mom could find!
Since we were so small, Mom gave us each half of a jumbo muffin morning for breakfast, and I loved every single bite. The sweet lemon flavor… The tiny little barely crunchy seeds… Those moist, tender crumbs… I easily would’ve polished off the second half if she let me. I definitely didn’t care about calories or healthy food back then!
But times have changed, and even though I still love Disneyland just as much, now I want my muffins to be a little healthier than the ones sold from grocery store bakeries. That’s exactly why I created this recipe for the Ultimate Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins! They’re supremely tender and full of that same sunshiny flavor, but they’re made from entirely wholesome ingredients and contain none of the guilt!
This easy recipe begins with white whole wheat flour. White whole wheat flour comes from finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour is made from a heartier variety of red wheat. This gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, almost like that of all-purpose flour, but it still has the same health benefits of regular whole wheat flour.
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be the perfect substitute! I’ve also included my favorite gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section beneath the Instructions, if you prefer.
Many traditional recipes include anywhere from ½ cup to 1 full cup of oil or butter—yikes!! Instead, this lighter version uses just 1 tablespoon of butter, and the rest of the tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking… Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked goods a protein boost, too!
To keep these muffins clean eating friendly, you’ll skip the granulated sugar and sweeten them with a combination of honey and vanilla crème stevia. Vanilla crème stevia is one of my new favorite finds! It’s a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! I usually buy SweetLeaf, which is sold in a small bottle with an eyedropper, and you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
The bright citrus flavor comes from two sources: freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. The latter actually provides the majority of the sunshiny taste, so don’t skip it! I tested this recipe with varying amounts of zest, and all of my taste testers agreed that a full 2 ½ tablespoons had the best flavor.
The baking instructions are slightly different than your stereotypical muffin recipe. To make the muffins as tall and tender as possible, you’ll bake them starting at 425°F for 7 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350°F for the rest of their baking time.
This brief stint at that really high temperature quickly activates the baking powder and baking soda. Along with an internal burst of steam, this makes the muffin tops rise really fast and stay nice and tall. Yes, it has to be 425°F—just turn your oven into a sauna, and your muffins will be happy!
And once they’ve cooled, so will your belly! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your muffins and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| The Ultimate Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins | | Print |
- 2 ½ cups (300g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tbsp (13g) poppy seeds
- 2 ½ tbsp (16g) lemon zest, freshly grated (about 3 large lemons)
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) honey
- 1 ¼ tsp vanilla crème stevia
- 6 tbsp (90mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds, and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Mix in the honey and stevia until fully incorporated. Mix in the lemon juice. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 425°F for 7 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the muffin cups for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Agave or pure maple syrup may be substituted for the honey.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Hi, Amy! I see issues with consistency, hence my question about using a silicone muffin pan. I’ve made these 3 times. Once, making some partial substitutions (like I was able to do in your Healthy Morning Glory Muffins (1/4 c almond flour, 1/4 cup spelt) with no issues. So, first time was not so good. Second time I used the silicone muffin pan, and this time I did not. I am measuring the flour as advised. There is a denseness– tastes GREAT– but dense. I LOVE the flavor, absolutely. But with the consistency of the Morning Glory Muffins and the Gingerbread Muffins, I’m puzzled. Thanks for all you do for us sweet-toothed bakers out here that are watching calories, cholesterol and pounds….
Hi Carol! Thanks for describing everything in such great detail — that’s super helpful to know! I have a few more questions for you! Did you use silicone muffin pans with the morning glory muffins and gingerbread muffins as well, with the same texture results? Then in these lemon muffins, did you use the same stevia I did for each of the three batches? And did you use regular lemons or Meyer lemons in each of your three batches?
Since I first developed this recipe, I’ve learned that there’s actually a big texture difference between the two lemon varieties. I’m still not sure about the science of why. It has something to do with the stevia + lemon juice reaction, and my nerdy ex-chemist self really wants to figure out why! 😉 When using Meyer lemons paired with stevia, my recipes for lemon baked goods turn out with the correct moist and tender texture. When using regular lemons + stevia, my recipes lemon baked goods turn out supremely dense, and they almost look as if they’re underdone on the inside (even though they’re not and fully baked through, they just look like it!).
Do you think that could be it? If not, I’ll keep thinking! 🙂
Hi! I used the silicone for the Morning Glory but not the Gingerbread. And did not use Meyer lemons—specific recipes call for them and I figured yours did not. I am determined to make him one more time. While I have used your flour measuring method, I have not weighed the flour. I like the flavor enough to not give up. I’m also going to purchase white whole wheat flour. I have whole wheat pastry flour which you mentioned is an appropriate substitute. But I think I’d like to see if the white whole wheat flour yields a different or lighter texture. I love to bake, and I’m enjoying your recipes so I’m not about to throw in the towel on this one that I like so much other than its texture. To be continued….
I truly appreciate your persistence Carol — that means the world to me!! 🙂 There won’t be a big difference, if any at all, when swapping the white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. The lemons will make a much better difference!
If you don’t own a kitchen scale, here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour to the batter, so you’ll end up with moist and tender muffins. Does that make sense? 🙂
Yes, makes sense. Just for you, I’ll consider that. A little more effort, however, but worth the effort. I’ll let you know when I bake these again. Thanks, Amy!
You’re the sweetest Carol — that means so much to me!! 🙂 I’m really excited to hear how your next batch turns out!
These look amazing!! Is there a sub for the vanilla stevia?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jennifer! You may substitute an additional ½ cup of honey for the stevia and reduce the milk to ¼ cup to compensate for the additional liquid. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins!
You may have answered this somewhere else- but do you have any tips for baking at high altitude. I would love to make these but always have trouble with baking in Colorado. Thanks Amy!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ashley! Have you tried making these muffins at high altitude and they didn’t turn out correctly?
Other readers at high altitude have reported that they didn’t need to make any modifications to my recipes. I’m not entirely sure why, but they seem to work exactly as written! (Those readers tried making the usual high altitude adjustments, and my recipes didn’t turn out correctly… Until they followed the measurements and baking temperatures exactly as written!)
I’d love to hear what you think of these muffins if you haven’t yet made them and decide to try! 🙂
amazing recipe! but i don’t have access to liquid stevia, so how much powdered stevia should i use?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sadaf! What’s the exact brand of powdered stevia that you’d like to use? Many brands and specific products have slightly different sweetness levels, so the amount will depend based on the exact brand and product you’d like to substitute. 🙂