Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Moist and fluffy Orange Poppy Seed Muffins are bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Topped with coarse sugar, these muffins have a great texture with a slight crunch!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: 16

Calories: 250kcal

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
Zest of 2 oranges (divided)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup orange juice (*See note 1)
⅔ cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar (or other coarse sugar)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with 16 paper liners.
In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, oil and all but 1 teaspoon of the orange zest on medium high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
Gently stir in about ⅓ of the flour mixture. Add all of the orange juice, stir, and then add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, scraping the bowl and combining on low speed.
Stir in the sour cream, then end with the remaining flour mixture. The batter will be quite thick and a little lumpy looking.
Fill each cup 2/3 of the way full. In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix together the coarse sugar and remaining orange zest. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tops of the muffins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 19-22 minutes or until tops are firm and very light golden brown on the edges. Cool in the muffin tin for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack. We prefer to serve these warm.

Notes

Note 1: I use fresh squeezed orange juice from the two oranges, and if I need to fill in to get to 2/3 cups, I'll add store bought orange juice.
Note 2: To store the muffins, cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These muffins can also be wrapped in saran wrap and stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Note 3: We prefer to serve these warm. Reheat individual muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. A whole tray can be reheated, covered in foil, in a 325 degree oven for 7-8 minutes.
Note 4: You should get between 16 and 18 muffins out of this recipe.

Equipment

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Muffin Pan, 12 Cup

Course Quick Breads, Muffins & Scones

Cuisine American

Keyword orange and poppy seed muffins, orange poppy seed muffins