You can skip the bakery, this is the classic almond poppy seed muffin recipe, leveled up ~ tender, fragrant, and full of that signature crunch.
If you’re looking for the almond poppy seed muffin recipe, this is the one to beat. Not to brag, but muffins are one of my specialities, they’re my go-to when that baking urge hits me. In my years as a professional baker I’ve pulled thousands out of my oven, and I’m always tinkering with my recipes to make the next batch just little bit better.
Yes it’s a classic recipe, and yes, you’ve had them before, but this is almond poppy seed muffins perfected. Let me know if you agree!
ingredient notes for almond poppy seed muffins
Since muffins are basically very small cakes, every detail matters ~ these almond poppy seed muffins are not too sweet, with a nice high rise, and a pleasantly crunchy exterior thanks to a sprinkling of sugar and sliced almonds just before baking.
- I used all purpose flour, but a good gluten free baking blend should work fine in this recipe to make it gluten-free.
- use a neutral vegetable oil for these muffins, like canola, safflower, or avocado.
- you can substitute olive oil but I suggest a very mild one so it doesn’t compete with the almond flavor.
- you can also substitute the same quantity melted butter, if you prefer. Know that it will result in a slightly different texture – I like baking with oil because it makes for a nice, moist texture that keeps better, too.
- poppy seeds like all seeds and nuts need to be fresh or they can develop an off flavor. If yours have been hanging around for a year or more, replace them.
- almond extracts can vary a lot in their strength – I like a nice pronounced almond flavor profile, but if you’re sensitive to strong flavors or believe your almond extract is especially strong, feel free to reduce the amount in this recipe to 1 tsp or so.
- the topping of sliced almonds, sugar, and a few more poppy seeds gives a nice crunch to the exterior of these muffins, but you can omit if you prefer.
muffin baking tips
- Don’t over mix your batter – over mixing a batter develops the gluten and the muffins tough, which is not something you want for a tender cake-like batter.
- Fill your muffin tins to the top for nice large muffins like these, or fill them 2/3 full for more traditional size muffins (you’ll make a few more than a dozen this way) – just make sure to watch the baking time if you make them smaller.
- Let your almond poppy seed muffins rest for 15–30 minutes before baking ~ a short rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and the baking powder to start working. The result? Muffins that rise more evenly with a finer, more tender crumb. Just let the filled pan sit at room temp ~ no need to refrigerate.
- Know your oven! I say it all the time, but ovens really do vary a lot and it’s crucial to know if your oven runs a bit hot or cold. A few degrees off in either direction can mean the difference between perfectly cooked muffins and a waste of your time.
- I always have an oven thermometer in my oven and I adjust my temperatures accordingly.
- It’s also important to periodically replace your oven thermometer to ensure that it’s accurate. They aren’t designed to last forever in the high temperatures of an oven.
if you love almond poppy seed muffins…
- Rhubarb Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Orange Cardamom Muffins
- Strawberry Muffins
- Apple Walnut Bran Muffins
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Moist and lightly sweet, these almond poppy seed muffins are a pantry-friendly treat with fragrant almond flavor and a satisfying poppy seed crunch.
Servings: 12 muffins
Equipment
- 1 12 cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk
for the topping
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line your muffin pan with muffin tin liners and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 1/4 cup flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 Tbsp poppy seeds. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, and 2 tsp almond extract. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the flour mixture, alternating with the 1 1/4 cup milk or buttermilk, mixing to combine. Mix just until everything is combined, don't over mix.
- Divide the batter into your prepared muffin tin. Note: this recipe makes 12 large muffins – I used all my batter and filled each muffin tin almost to the top. If you prefer, you can fill your muffin tins about 2/3 full and you may get a few more muffins out of this batter. Remember that they will probably take a few minutes less to bake.)
- In a small bowl toss together the 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp poppy seeds. Sprinkle over the muffins.
- Slide the muffin tin in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and starting to turn a light golden brown on top.
- Allow the muffins to cool briefly in the muffin tin before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2013. It was re-tested, revised, and re-photographed in 2025.
Nutrition
Calories: 273 kcal · Carbohydrates: 35 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 13 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 0.1 g · Cholesterol: 30 mg · Sodium: 164 mg · Potassium: 173 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 16 g · Vitamin A: 81 IU · Vitamin C: 0.02 mg · Calcium: 107 mg · Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Hi.. thank you for the amazing recipe. I dislike muffins and cupcakes but having come across your recipe decided to give it a shot. It turned out amazingly moist and incredibly flavorful inspite of the subtle taste. It def goes for keeps, this recipe.
I just have amazingly small prob with the Baking powder and Baking soda. I felt it was way too overpowering with each bite I took. Is the quantity of 1 tablespoon of Baking powder and 1 tsp of Baking soda too much or could it be because my baking powder is a bit old?
Thanks for your time.
You can definitely try reducing the amount a bit for both the soda and powder if you’re sensitive to the flavor. Sometimes that can happen when the powers don’t get thoroughly mixed into the batter, too.
Thanks so much for your quick response. Really appreciate it.
Another query please.. would butter milk as a substitution work ? Or would it make a lot of difference ?
Thank you
Not sure about full on buttermilk, but you might try using part buttermilk and part yogurt or sour cream?
I had to add about 3/4 cup of milk to make these even scoopable. I could barely stir it it was so thick. I was wondering if I had missed a wet ingredient, like milk so I double checked the recipe. Nope. I will probably take the flour down next time to ether only 2 cups, or use the 3 cups and add a cup of milk. They turned out good though
I’m actually going to retest the recipe tonight and will make any adjustments necessary, JFish, since I’ve had a few comments about the batter being too dry. Stay tuned!
After reading the comments I decided to use a little less flour. I made the recipe exactly as written except I only used 2.5 cups of flour. I used plain lowfat Greek yogurt, and although the batter was pretty thick, they turned out great! Yum. I will make them again in the future. The almond flavor was a little too subtle for me (did not add glaze), so I’ll use more extract next time in the muffins also.
Thanks Claire, I appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback, and glad you liked them 🙂
I found a way to fix the “dry” problem. If you are using a Greek yogurt that’s thick like chobani, you have to add anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk. The batter should be thick but not like dough. They turned out amazing!
I’m having the same issue Tam is. Way way too much dry ingredients out of proportion to the wet. I also followed the recipe to a ‘T’.I ended up adding some milk just to try to salvage this. Is the 3 cups of flour a typo? Cause it sounded like too much when I was looking at this recipe.
I adapted this recipe from another blog and it worked great for me Quinn. The only thing I can think that could have made a difference for you is the way you measured your flour — I fluff and scoop it lightly so it isn’t compacted in the cup measure, and I used a non-Greek yogurt, which is on the thinner side.
I found the dry mix to be too large for the wet mix. Is there something I’m missing? I was really looking forwArd to these but when I had measured everything out properly the batter turned of very very dense and too much flour to incorporate
What a perfect way to start off the morning!
Wouldn’t these go down a treat for brekky. Love those poppy seeds.
Maybe it’s an old fashioned ‘flavor’, i don’t know, but I think it’s so much better than lemon poppy seed, which you see all the time.
Beautiful muffins, I love the poppy seed topping!