These orange poppy seed muffins are a moist, tender, gluten and dairy-free take on a classic. Fluffy muffins that are loaded with an orange citrus and poppy seed flavor then topped with a delicious, sweet orange glaze for the ultimate citrus-infused treat!
Baking with citrus can brighten even the darkest of days. Using lemon or orange adds brightness along with the perfect combination of sweet and tangy flavors that always work in almost any baked good. My chocolate orange cheesecake and orange spiced bundt cake are both perfect examples of that!
Today, I'm sharing another citrus-infused treat with all of you. My orange poppy seed muffins are moist, tender, and loaded with bright orange flavor. These are also refined sugar free by using honey instead of sugar, providing you omit the glaze.
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Why You'll Love This Orange Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
- These orange poppy seed muffins are soft and moist on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside.
- This is an easy, beginner-friendly recipe with just a few simple steps.
- These muffins are perfect for breakfast, snack time, lunch, and even toddlers love them.
- The orange flavor adds a bright, slightly acidic note to the sweetness of the muffins.
Ingredients
This moist, tender, citrusy muffin recipe only uses a few simple baking ingredients, and you can find them all in your kitchen, at your local grocery store, or online.
For the Muffins
- Gluten-free 1:1 flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- OliveNation cinnamon
- Sugar
- CostabileBrand olive oil (Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off. Amazon or Costabile Site)
- CostabileBrand orange olive oil (Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off. Amazon or Costabile Site)
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs - room temperature
- Honey
- Almond milk - room temperature
- Apple cider vinegar
- Poppy seeds
- Fresh orange juice
- Orange zest
For the Orange Glaze
- Powdered sugar - sifted
- Fresh orange juice
- Heavy cream - optional
See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
- Cookie scoop
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
- Sifter
- Wire cooling rack
Orange Poppy Seed Muffins Variations
- Although the flavor won't be as bright, you can use orange juice if you don't have an orange.
- Feel free to use regular flour if you have no dietary restrictions.
- Add chocolate chips for a classic orange and chocolate flavor combination.
- Serve these muffins with or without the glaze. They're delicious either way!
- Adding heavy cream will create a richer glaze.
If you love citrus-infused baked goods like these muffins, I think you'll enjoy my lemon curd cake.
How to Make These Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
These muffins are incredibly easy to make, and even beginning bakers will have no problem with them. They only take a few minutes and a few simple steps to go from ingredients to decadent citrus muffins!
1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners. Then, mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.
2: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
3: Combine the sugar, both olive oils, homemade dairy free buttermilk, honey, eggs, orange juice, and orange zest in a stand mixer and mix on medium-low until combined.
4: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium-low until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold the poppy seeds with a rubber spatula.
5: Use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
6: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cupcakes or the tops will harden.
7: Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely before making the orange glaze.
8: Sift the powdered sugar to remove any clumps. Then, mix it with 2 tablespoons of orange juice using a spoon. Adjust the consistency with more orange juice or heavy cream to suit your taste.
9: Top the cooled muffins with the orange glaze and let them sit for a few minutes to allow the glaze to harden. Enjoy!
Hint
Check your muffins at about 18 minutes, and remove them as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Otherwise, the tops of your muffins will harden.
Storage
Store these muffins in an air-tight container with the top cracked a bit for up to 4 days. Be sure to leave the top cracked so the glaze doesn't sweat.
What to Serve with Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Serve these delicious gluten and dairy-free poppy seed muffins as a sweet addition to a breakfast with your other savory favorites, as a sweet snack with fresh fruit and a little chocolate, or simply with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
- Prosciutto Waffle Air Fryer Sandwich
- Gluten Free chicken and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Starbucks Oatmeal Bars
Expert Tips
- Bring the cold ingredients for this recipe to room temperature before mixing for the best muffin texture.
- If you have the time, let your batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes before baking for super tender muffins.
- Mix the muffin batter until just combined for the most tender muffins possible.
- Check your muffins at 18 minutes for, and remove them as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This prevents the tops from hardening.
- Cool your muffins completely before glazing them. Otherwise, the glaze will simply slide off the tops of the muffins.
- Be sure to sift the powdered sugar before making your glaze. This removes clumps and creates a smooth glaze.
Orange Poppy Seed Muffins FAQ's
Although most people think resting muffin batter is just for letting the gluten relax, gluten free batter needs to rest, as well. Resting the batter gives the starches in the flour ample time to absorb the liquid, creating the best possible muffin texture.
The tops of these muffins almost always crack. It's totally normal. As long as you remove them when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, your muffins will be moist and tender.
Crumbly muffins - gluten free or not - are almost always the result of too much flour. To properly measure your flour, either weigh it or loosely spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off with a knife. This keeps the flour from compacting, ensuring an accurate measure.
The optional heavy cream for this glaze makes it richer and slightly thicker.
More Muffin Recipes
📖 Recipe
Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 ½ cups Gluten free 1:1 flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon OliveNation cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoon CostabileBrand olive oil
- 2 tablespoon CostabileBrand orange olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup almond milk room temperature
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice about ¼ of an orange
- 2 tablespoon orange zest 1 orange
Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners. Mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Mix the sugar, olive oils, homemade buttermilk honey, eggs, orange juice, and orange zest in a stand mixer on medium-low until combiend.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium-low until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Gently fold the poppy seeds into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the muffins, or the tops will harden.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove any clumps. Then, mix it with 2 tablespoons of orange juice using a spoon.
- Adjust the consistency of your glaze by adding more orange juice or heavy cream to suit your taste.
- Top the cooled muffins with the glaze and let them sit for a few minutes to allow the glaze to harden.
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 4 days loosely covered.
- Chill the muffins, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing.
- Mix your batter until just combined. Overmixing can make the muffins dense and tough.
- For the most tender texture and the best crown, let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
- For the smoothest glaze, sift your powdered sugar.
Juyali says
A delicious twist on the classic lemon recipe! Mine turned out so tender. My whole family loved these. They were gone fast. 🙂
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Amy Liu Dong says
My family loved this!