Exploding with citrus flavor, these glazed Orange Poppy Seed Muffins are super moist sweet treats with a nutty crunch from poppy seeds. They are bright and cheery and topped with a sugary orange glaze. They are perfect for breakfast, a mid morning snack, an after school treat, or a late night nibble.
While growing up, my mom always had a sweet treat on our kitchen counter. Whether it was Great Aunt Rose's pound cake, apple pie bars, or sour cream blueberry coffee cake, you could always count on a homemade baked good in our kitchen.
I have continued this baking tradition in my home. Stop by my kitchen and there is rarely a time when I don't have a muffin, Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie or Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownie waiting to be enjoyed with a steaming cup of coffee or icy cold glass of milk. A favorite sweet treat is the super moist glazed orange and poppyseed muffins.
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Why I love these orange poppyseed muffins
- Costco favorite copycat recipe ~ My moist orange muffins are a citrus version of the famous Costco poppyseed muffins.
- One bowl muffin recipe ~ One one large bowl is needed to make this easy recipe. A separate bowl for the wet ingredients and one for dry ingredients isn't necessary. The fewer dishes to wash the better!
- Bright orange flavor ~ Instead of the classic lemon poppy seed muffins, these simple muffins are bursting with orange flavor from fresh orange juice and fresh orange zest.
Ingredients and substitutions
Gather high quality ingredients for this poppy seed muffin recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.
- All purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Whole milk
- Oil ~ Almost any neutral oil can be used in the recipe. Try canola oil, vegetable oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil.
- Large egg
- Fresh orange juice ~ For the freshest, brightest tasting muffins, use freshly squeezed orange juice. My favorite oranges for juicing are Valencia and cara cara oranges. A high quality orange juice is an alternative.
- Orange zest
- Poppy seeds
- Baking powder, baking soda
- Kosher salt ~ This larger grained salt is less salty than table salt. Therefore, when using table salt, reduce the amount used to ½ teaspoon.
- Vanilla extract , almond extract
How to pick the best citrus fruit
Fresh oranges are a key ingredient in my poppy seed muffin recipe. Just how do you pick the best fresh citrus fruit? Use these tips when shopping for oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit.
- Choose ones that are heavy for their size and have a pleasant citrusy fragrance
- Fruits with smoother skin will be extra juicy.
- Thick skinned citrus fruits are best for zesting.
- Shy away from fruits that are squishy or have brown spots or blemishes.
- Store the citrus fruit for up to a week at room temperature.
- Citrus fruit stored for longer then a week is best kept in the refrigerator.
How to make orange poppy seed muffins
With just a few steps, you'll love how easy it is to make these moist orange poppy seed muffins. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for full instructions.
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix the ingredients just until combined into a batter.
Step 3: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Step 4: While the muffin batter rests, make the orange glaze. Combine sugar, orange juice, vanilla extract and almond extract in a pan over medium heat. Then stir the ingredients until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 5: Divide batter among paper liners in a muffin pan. Bake the muffins.
Step 6: Cool the muffins on a cooling rack. Drizzle with the sweet orange glaze.
Amy's baking tips
- Use a microplane to easily remove the zest from an orange.
- Let the muffin batter rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flour time to absorb the wet ingredients and the baking powder to fulling activate. The result will be taller, fluffy muffins.
- Make the simple orange glaze while the muffin batter rests. It will thicken and become a pale orange color. Stir several times as it cools.
- Use a large cookie scoop to easily transfer the muffin batter to the lined muffin pan.
- Easily double the recipe to yield 2 dozen muffins. They are ideal for a mid morning snack or to gift to a neighbor.
Storage
Room temperature
It's best to store these muffins at room temperature for up to 2 days. I love using a footed cake stand to display them on my counter.
Refrigerator
Muffins stored in the refrigerator can become dry and crumbly. I don't recommend storing them there.
Freezer
It's best to freeze the muffins without the glaze as it gets sticky and just melts into the muffin tops. Place cooled and unglazed muffins in an airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
The tiny seeds add a pleasant crunch and a nutty flavor to muffins.
Muffins will be dry, tough, and dense instead of fluffy and moist when the batter is overmixed. Stir the ingredients by hand and only until the flour is absorbed.
Yes you can! Store the batter covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in a bowl or scooped into a muffin cup lined muffin pan. You may need to add a couple minutes to the baking time to allow for the chilled batter.
It's a matter of personal preference. Soaking the seeds softens the outside of the poppy seeds. This step isn't necessary. I like the slight crunch from the little seeds so I skip soaking them.
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Glazed Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- for muffins-
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ cup oil canola, vegetable, extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg beaten
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- for glaze-
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a standard sized muffin pan with muffin liners or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the muffin ingredients. Stir by hand until the ingredients are just blended.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Alternately, the batter can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
- While the batter is resting, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.
- Fill muffin liners a little more than ¾ full. I like to use a large cookie scoop to do this.
- Bake for 6 minutes at 425 degrees F. Turn the oven to 360 degrees F. Continue baking the muffins for an additional 10 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.
- Use a spoon and drizzle the glaze over muffins.
- Let glaze harden before serving.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Page Mackisoc says
I really am enjoying these muffins! I didn’t have almond extract or
fresh squeezed orange juice, but muffins had a
soft texture, as I sifted flour, as instructed. I added walnuts to glazed
tops. I will make again!
Thank you for recipe!
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe Page! The addition of the walnuts is a delicious idea. Thanks for sharing!
Lia Brown says
Delicious! Everyone loved these, even my 7 yo who claims he doesn’t like poppyseed...he actually asked for a second! We will for sure make again. FYI, we used coconut oil.
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad your family loved my muffin recipe. I can't wait to try them with coconut oil 🙂
Anya says
Can't wait to try these!!! I love poppy seeds anything ? these are sure to brighten the days
amycaseycooks says
I love poppy seeds too and don’t use them enough.