Last Updated on May 4, 2026 by Carrie Korem, FNTP
These easy-to-make gluten-free lemon poppy seed muffins will please just about everyone at the breakfast table.
As you know, I try to minimize the sugar in my recipes as much as possible. This time, I found the muffins actually need the full 1/2 cup of maple sugar to taste just right. I tested them with 1/3 cup of sugar and although the muffins tasted nice, we could barely detect the lemon. So, I recommend keeping the exact amounts listed if want the muffins to actually taste like lemon poppy seed.
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Makes 12 muffins
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Units
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or 6 tablespoons coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature (or whole, plain coconut milk yogurt for dairy-free)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup organic, whole cane sugar
- 1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored grass-fed gelatin
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Line a muffin tin with unbleached muffin cups. Place butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and maple sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin, sea salt, baking powder, and lemon zest. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the poppy seeds.
- Divide the muffin batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for 23-25 minutes until just turning golden brown on top.
- Note: I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
Photo Credit: Becky Winkler
Hi Carrie,
I’m gluten and dairy free and lucky me, also tested out of range (through Cyrex Labs) for almonds, tapioca and egg whites. Lucky me! lol I’ve managed to find dairy-free alternatives, no problem. I also know I can use flax seed mixed with water for an egg replacement. However, trying to find the best almond and tapicoca flour replacements have been tough. I tried making crackers with cashew flour and they turned into crumbs. I thought of Cassava flour but found out that it’s derived from the cassava plant. I’ve tried cassava and chia wraps though and didn’t seem to have a problem. If you could give me an idea for almond and tapioca flour replacements, I’d forever be grateful! I love your recipes and have your first cookbook too!
Yours In Good Health,
Karin
Carrie, do you think coconut sugar would work? I love lemon poppyseed! Your pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are a staple in our house ? I have some in the fridge right now!
I haven’t tested it, but it would probably work!
Can you make the muffins without the grass fed gelatin?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
These look amazing, but I wonder why you use the 2 TBS of coconut flour?
Thanks for all of you wonderful recipes!!
It gives the muffins the proper structure and texture.
What flour would work besides almond flour. I’m allergic to nuts!
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
Love the sound of these. My daughter is dairy free, any advice from substitutions for sour cream.
Thanks
I have the same issue. I was going to try using plain goat yogurt. I’ve had sucess using it in baking recipes before. I’m hoping the goat flavor doesn’t overpower the lemon.
Thinking about lactose free kefir….but not sure. Not 100% dairy free….but no lactose…
These look delicious! However, I get sick when I use coconut flour. Is there another flour that I can substitute?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
Hi Carrie,
Can you please tell me whether you can taste the coconut flour, in these muffins, please? It’s one big thing which puts my wife and kids off things I bake, which use coconut.
Thanks!
Richard.
You can’t taste the coconut flour. 🙂
What could I substitute for maple sugar? Would. Oconut sugar work?
The recipe didn’t indicate what to do with the butter so I added it to the wet ingredients, is that what you intended? The muffins are delicious but mine didn’t rise very much. I will try making these again as they taste delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Sorry about that! I made the edit.
What purpose does the gelatin hold?
It is a binder for the gf flours.
What a great recipe! I try to make a recipe as written the first time I make it but I only had a couple of tablespoons of maple sugar and two stores that I went to didn’t have any. I substituted organic turbinado sugar and the recipe turned out wonderful. I only got eleven muffins and I didn’t feel that I overfilled the papers. The whole family loves these, thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
These worked out so well! It was great to find a recipe that tastes and feels like we used traditional flour. I didn’t have any gelatin, but used xanthan gum, I used salted butter, but added less sea salt, and I used regular cane sugar instead of maple sugar. Thank you for the recipe! So good!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed them!
Do you think it matters if u use the green gelatin can vs the red? I know they’re slightly different…..
You can use porcine or bovine gelatin as they will both behave the same in baking recipes.
I followed the recipe without a change and the result is not nice. The batter was very, very, very thick. I could not even smooth the surface, so the baked muffin is really uneven. I checked repeatedly with tooth pick, came out clean after about 27 minutes, but after cooling, these look and taste totaly underbaked.
I understand the batter was thick, but when you baked them, were they dense or something?
Oh yes, dense. Almost like one of those unbaked, ball-shaped treats made e.g. of nut butters and dried fruits.
How odd…I’ve tested these many times and have never had that happen. What brand of almond and coconut flour did you use? Did you make any substitutions?
I did not make any substitutions (I wanted to test the recipe, so that I could in the future use it as a template for different flavours). I live in Germany, so I guess you won’t be familiar with the stuff here:-).
I just made these muffins again this weekend and they turned out perfectly, so I’m not really sure what happened when you made this recipe. Sorry I can’t help more!
Thank you, Carrie, I guess it must be something about the flours.
My daughter made these yesterday and we had the same experience as Klara….I have no idea what went wrong. I am nervous to try them again because using ingredients like this and then it not turning out is costly. I am guessing this recipe must be specific to the brands you use??
I’m not sure. I’ve tested this recipe many times and they always turn out perfectly. I have found that different brands of coconut flour react differently, so I always test all of my recipes with Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour.
Made these with coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in place of the maple sugar.
I also used DoTerra lemon essential oil in place of the lemon zest. Tastes great!
Hi Carrie. Thanks these look amazing but I’m dairy free. What’s a good sub for the sour cream? Thanks
A dairy-free yogurt might work!
I made these & my husband loved them also. I did have to substitute the maple sugar with organic cane sugar but the consistency was fine. I think next time I would want more of a lemon taste & less of the salt taste. I used the Celtic Light Grey but it was coarse not fine. Do you use the fine salt? Thank you so much for giving us great options for gluten-free recipes.
I use coarse ground, but finely ground would work too!
I made these yesterday and OMG! They are so good! I ate 3 in one sitting :). Just out of curiosity, why the gelatin? Does it help hold the batter together? I had some and used it but have not seen it used too often in baked goods. Thanks for the killer recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! The gelatin acts as a binder, since there is no gluten in the flours. 🙂
What can I use instead of gelatin? Would xanthum gum work and how much is needed ?
I haven’t tested this recipe with substitutions, so I don’t know what would lend the exact same texture and flavor.