Muffins are great for so many occasions – for breakfast, as a substitute for bread and the like, as a portable snack on the go, or simply as a sweet dessert. These Lemon & Poppy Seed Streusel Muffins fit the bill for all those occasions. If you enjoy the combination of poppy seeds and lemon, you’ll likely find yourself baking these muffins again and again. These little treats are simply delicious!

I used to love baking cupcakes. Ten years ago, those little cakes with buttercream topping were trendy and very popular. These days, however, I prefer the brothers from another mother without the buttercream. Muffins are easier to make and usually not quite as »heavy« as cupcakes. After all, buttercream tends to add a significant amount of extra fat and sugar, right?! If the cake itself is good enough on its own, you don’t need all that extra stuff on top…
Since muffins can’t rely on (distracting) toppings, the muffin itself has to deliver everything. That means they need to be tasty, moist and should offer great flavors. Nobody wants to eat a dry muffin that you can only get down with the help of a drink. Those kinds of muffins are better suited as projectiles for a demolition crew trying to tear down a house.


Dryness or lack of flavor is absolutely not an issue with these muffins. Thanks to a generous helping of crème fraîche, they are wonderfully moist, while lemon and poppy seeds give you all the flavors you need. It’s always a winning combination in my opinion. You really can’t go wrong with it. Unless, of course, someone isn’t keen on getting poppy seeds stuck in their teeth. I guess hardly anyone has a problem with lemon… right?
Anyway, I find the flavor balance excellent, and the addition of streusels makes them perfect. Crunchy on top, yet beautifully soft and moist underneath. And that holds true even on the second day. Provided you’ve stored them properly overnight. Don’t wrap them completely airtight, and don’t put them in the fridge… that way, the muffins stay fresh and nice even on day two after baking!

I added a little sugar glaze on top of the muffins for the photos. It’s optional, you don’t have to do it. Many people enjoy that extra touch of sweetness, so I’d definitely recommend it if you prefer things a bit sweeter. But if you want to skip the extra sugar, they’re perfectly fine served plain without anything added.
If you would like to make the muffins look a bit more interesting without slapping anything on top after baking, you can jazz up the streusel topping with some poppy seeds and/or rolled oats. The dark poppy seeds add visual interest, while the oats provide a bit of extra crunch… and a little crunch never hurts, right?
We have plenty of other delicious muffin recipes here on the blog, so if you’re looking to try something new, you’ve come to the right place. I can highly recommend our XL Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins, for instance. They are absolute incredible – very tasty, moist, and hard to beat when it comes to looks, too.
If you prefer something simpler but don’t want to compromise on flavor or texture, you should check out our easy Magdalenas. These Spanish muffins have a wonderful orange flavor and taste all in all really amazing! They’re the perfect little treats for picnics and garden parties.
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(7–8 muffins)
For the streusels:
3.2 oz. (90g) spelt flour*
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar*
1 pinch vanilla powder*
2.1 oz. (60g) butter, cut into small pieces
For the muffin batter:
4.2 oz. (120g) butter, melted
6 oz. (170g) Crème fraîche
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 organic lemon, zest only
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract*
9.2 oz. (260g) spelt flour*
1/2 cup (100g) sugar (fine)*
3 tbsp. ground poppy seeds*
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
(7-8 Muffins)
Für die Streusel:
90g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)*
50g brauner Zucker*
1 Prise Vanillepulver*
60g Butter, in kleinen Stücken
Für die Muffins:
120g Butter, geschmolzen
170g Crème fraîche
2 Eier (L)
2 EL Zitronensaft
1 Bio-Zitrone, Abrieb
1/4 TL Vanille Extrakt*
260g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)*
100g Zucker (fein)*
3 EL Mohn (gemahlen)*
2 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Natron
1/4 TL Salz



DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Add the spelt flour, brown sugar, vanilla powder, and butter to a bowl. Rub everything between your fingers until you get different-sized streusels. Place in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (380°F). Line a muffin tin* with paper liners (tulip papers)*. Set aside. Melt the butter and let it cool down slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Crème fraîche, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Combine the spelt flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the large bowl and stir in briefly until just combined.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared paper liners (you should get 7–8 muffins), then sprinkle the streusels on top and bake the muffins for about 22–24 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool down on a wire rack. Drizzle some sugar glaze on top of the muffins for some extra decoration if you like (optional).
1. Dinkelmehl, braunen Zucker, Vanillepulver und die Butter in eine Schüssel geben und dann alles zwischen den Fingern verreiben, bis unterschiedlich große Streusel entstehen. Bis zur weiteren Verwendung in den Kühlschrank stellen.
2. Den Ofen auf 190°C (380°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Muffinblech* mit Papierförmchen (Tulpen)* bestücken. Zur Seite stellen. Die Butter schmelzen und etwas abkühlen lassen.
3. Geschmolzene Butter, Crème fraîche, Eier, Zitronensaft, Zitronenabrieb und Vanille Extrakt in einer großen Schüssel verrühren. Dinkelmehl, Zucker, Mohn, Backpulver, Natron und Salz vermischen, zur großen Schüssel dazugeben und nur kurz unterrühren.
4. Den Teig auf die vorbereiteten Förmchen aufteilen (sollte für 7-8 Muffins ausreichen) und dann die Streusel auf dem Teig verteilen. Die Muffins für etwa 22-24 Minuten backen – mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt, und die Muffins erst herausholen, wenn dieser sauber herauskommt. Die Muffins aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen. Wer mag, kann die abgekühlten Muffins noch mit etwas Zuckerglasur dekorieren (optional).


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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Lemon & Poppy Seed Streusel Muffins
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:24
- Total Time: 00:45
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: -
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
They are delicious, easy to make and everybody loves them here – Simple & Easy Lemon & Poppy Seed Streusel Muffins are the sweet treat you want all day…
Ingredients
For the streusels:
3.2 oz. (90g) spelt flour*
1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar*
1 pinch vanilla powder*
2.1 oz. (60g) butter, cut into small pieces
For the muffin batter:
4.2 oz. (120g) butter, melted
6 oz. (170g) Crème fraîche
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 organic lemon, zest only
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract*
9.2 oz. (260g) spelt flour*
1/2 cup (100g) sugar (fine)*
3 tbsp. ground poppy seeds*
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
1. Add the spelt flour, brown sugar, vanilla powder, and butter to a bowl. Rub everything between your fingers until you get different-sized streusels. Place in the fridge until needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (380°F). Line a muffin tin* with paper liners (tulip papers)*. Set aside. Melt the butter and let it cool down slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Crème fraîche, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Combine the spelt flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the large bowl and stir in briefly until just combined.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared paper liners (you should get 7–8 muffins), then sprinkle the streusels on top and bake the muffins for about 22–24 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool down on a wire rack. Drizzle some sugar glaze on top of the muffins for some extra decoration if you like (optional).
Notes
Get your bake on!
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