Easy Orange Poppy Seed Muffins with Yogurt
If you want to start off your next brunch party with a little burst of citrus happiness, look no further. These orange poppy seed muffins with yogurt, vanilla, and a crunchy sugared topping are beyond delicious and easy to make from scratch! Enjoy them with friends over a nice chat and some cozy coffee. *Please keep in mind that this is a high-altitude baking recipe. Please see recipe notes for sea-level recommendations.
Ingredients
- 270 grams all purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 24 grams poppy seeds (3 Tablespoons)
- 14 grams fresh orange zest (2 Tablespoons - about 2 oranges)
- 135 grams sugar (2/3 cup)
- 2 large eggs, room-temperature
- 227 grams whole milk Greek yogurt (1 cup)
- 160 milliliters whole milk (2/3 cup)
- 112 milliliters neutral oil, avocado, canola, etc. (1/2 cup)
- 15 milliliters vanilla extract (1 Tablespoon)
- Raw sugar, for sprinkling
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
- Zester
- Mixing bowls
- Cupcake pan
- Muffin liners
- #16 scoop
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line every other cavity of a cupcake tin with jumbo muffin liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar. Using your fingers, rub the orange zest into the sugar until the mixture is pale orange, very fragrant, and starting to clump together a bit. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, whole milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the orange sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk or rubber spatula, just until you have a couple streaks of flour left. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick. A few lumps are ok!
- Using a #16 scoop, divide the batter evenly between the 10 muffin liners. Make sure to fill to the very top of the cupcake cavity with batter. Sprinkle the top of each muffin generously with the Turbinado sugar.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F (204°C) for 5-6 minutes until the muffins have a good rise on them. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F (177°C). Bake the muffins for 14-15 more minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to set in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh with hot coffee or tea!
Notes
This is a high-altitude recipe tested at 4,500 feet. If you live at sea-level, increase the baking powder to 1 Tablespoon. The muffins also may take 1-2 minutes longer to bake.
The secret to great muffins is to properly measure the ingredients with a scale instead of measuring cups. If you don't have a scale, then make sure you're measuring the flour the right way. First, fluff the flour with a whisk or fork. Then, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off without packing it in.
When zesting the oranges, you only want the outside orange layer. Avoid zesting the pith (the white layer underneath the zest) which will make the muffins bitter.
Staggering the liners in a diamond shape allows for more airflow. This will make the muffins super tall!
If you do not have tall bakery-style muffin liners, you can use regular cupcake liners. You will end up with 16-18 muffins instead of 8. Reduce the cook time by a couple of minutes to prevent over-baking.
Use a toothpick or skewer to test the muffins. They're done when an inserted toothpick or skewer has a few moist crumbs on it. Don't over-bake or the muffins will dry out.
Store the muffins on the counter covered with a linen for up to 2 days. Don't store them in an airtight container, or the moisture in the muffins will cause the sugar on top to melt.
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 346kcal, Carbohydrates: 45.3g, Protein: 6.4g, Fat: 15.7g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 202mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 23.1g, Calcium: 116mg, Iron: 2mg
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