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Mini Muffins are so cute

Surprising fact about me:

I love chocolate.

Oh wait, that’s not surprising at all, is it? Here’s something that is surprising: Every once in a while, I crave something other than chocolate. Yesterday afternoon, for example, I was craving… lemon poppy seed?

Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Katie?

The problem is, there are no poppy seed recipes in my archives.

lemon muffins

This was a job for my good friends over at the Candle Cafe. I’ve owned their cookbook for years, and you know how many recipes I’ve made from it? Zero.

I used to be so bad about buying cookbooks. I’d flip through the recipes, bookmark pages, and then never make any. Therefore, I’ve forced myself to completely stop buying cookbooks in the first place. Before I purchase new ones, I ought to show some love to those I already own!

So yesterday, I dug out the Candle Cafe Cookbook and assembled ingredients for their lemon poppy seed muffins. However, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I am incapable of following a recipe. True to form, I abandoned CC’s recipe halfway through and did my own thing.

lemon muffins

Where’s the 12th mini muffin? In mah belly!

Lil Lemon Poppies
(Adapted from the Candle Cafe Cookbook)

  • very scant 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 c milk of choice
  • 1 c spelt flour (or white, ww pastry, or even try gluten-free mix!)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 c butter-type spread (full-fat), applesauce, oil, or a combo (if using oil or applesauce, add 1/16 tsp salt)
  • 2 tbsp sugar (I used less than 2tbsp because I used stevia)
  • 1/2 tsp powdered ginger (You can omit this.)

Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix liquid ingredients (and poppy seeds), then combine and stir until just mixed. Don’t overmix. Pour into mini liners or spray a mini muffin tin with oil, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 cute lil mini muffins.

If desired, you can top them with my Easiest-Ever Icing.

But they really don’t even need a glaze; these babies are perfect on their own.

lemon

The bake sale is over!

For the incredible results: Bake-Sale Results.

I know a lot of you want to know more details about the sale, and those of you who bid are chomping (literally!) at the bit to know exactly when you’ll get your delicious yummies. Please be patient with me; I have a terrifying amount of emails in my inbox at the moment, and there’s no way I can get to them all today. Please remember that I have other obligations; running the bake sale is not my job.

I’ll publish a big “bake sale wrap up” post tomorrow, listing the amount we raised and giving instructions on what to do next. (I’ll also be sending emails to the winners in the next few days; as I said, please be patient!)

Question of the Day:

Do you bookmark recipes from cookbooks or blogs, then never make any?

Or are you the kind of person who sees a recipe (either in a cookbook or a blog) and immediately goes out and makes it that night? And can you follow a recipe to a tee, or do you improvise as you go along?

Published on April 7, 2011

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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138 Comments

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  1. Hela says

    oh yum, yum, yum!! I LOVE lemon-poppy seed-muffins!! one of the best combos EVER! also, I have successfully swapped the lemons for limes, which makes them taste even better! actually, I prefer the lime version 😉
    Katie, you are the best for organizing the bake sale so well!! I bet you have put so much time in there already. Thanks for doing it 🙂

    • Hela says

      and to answer the question of the day: I totally bookmark tons of recipes and simply forget about them, but once in a while I would remember one and just recreate it, as I would be too lazy to look it up. I get a lot of inspiration from recipe books and I love them, but I never follow the instructions. I´m more like “oh hey, well, that is a great combination” and then I would go and make my own thing with those ingredients as the base. Hello to improvisation!

  2. Brandie says

    OMG! My mom just made lemon poppy seed muffins yesterday too! They’re the full fat full sugar not too healthy kind but MAN are they good! *giggle* Junior ate one and asked for more 4 times hahaha! Maybe I’ll try your recipe too and see how he likes ’em 🙂

  3. Carrie (Moves 'N Munchies) says

    i LOVE LEMON POPPYSEED! one of my favs.. except when the poppyseeds get stuck in my teeth- awkward

    i tend to make up stuff but thats becuz i get rly impatient and cnt focus on a recipe and do all the measuring and stuff– its so tedious!!

    dont worry about the baksale!! im kind of scared for you for alll them emails you must have! duh.. duh. duhHhhH! (that was a scary sound effect)

  4. Stefanie says

    I am the same way with recipes. I’ll bookmark a bunch but do not make them for a long time afterwards. It is more about saving money for me though since I am on a budget. Now I am craving lemon poppy seed muffins. Maybe I will try to make a lemon poppy seed breakfast tomorrow. 🙂 I’m excited to see the bake sale wrap up post tomorrow.

  5. Freya says

    SO cute!
    Yep I’m always thinking ‘oohh i want to cook that!’
    I actually have a MASSIVE word document which lists all the things I want to cook from blogs 😛

  6. Laura says

    I have an entire shelf of cookbooks, and I’ve only cooked an average of about 2 recipes per book, though I they’re filled with post-it flags of things I want too try. I also still have a couple hundred recipes I starred in google reader during Vegan MoFo and never got around to making. And no, I basically never manage to follow a recipe as-is…and on those rare occasions that I do, I’m usually disappointed.

  7. Kimberley says

    I love mini muffins, they are much more moist and not as dry as big ones and hey you can have more 😉

    I have a list of recipes from blogs/cookbooks etc to try out. If i find a really interesting one I want to try out alot i will move it to the top of my list. I need to organize them better though!

  8. Tulika says

    Mini muffins ARE cute…and yours look cute AND tasty!! I hear ya on the cookbooks…I feel like it takes more effort to use a recipe from a cookbook than by looking it up online/bookmarking it!

  9. Emily says

    I always buy my Mom cookbooks, she has OODLES covering all sorts of cuisines, filled with gorgeous pics. Yet Momma NEVER bakes anything from them. I inherited her love/avoid relationship with cb’s so I’ve not let myself purchase any. However, Elana Amsterdam has a new cupcake cookbook coming out (using ONLY coconut and almond flour!) so I may have to break my own rule. So tempting….

  10. Gen says

    Those muffins look AWESOME!!!!
    I have a laundry list of recipes both on blogs and in cookbooks that I’d love to make but haven’t! hahahahaha

  11. Val says

    I always bookmark recipes and then never get around to making them because as much as I want to try them, I usually end up going back to whats quick and simple for my meals when I’m hungry. Sometimes I even buy the ingredients for a certain recipe and then never end up making it haha. Those look great though!! Also I made your Boatmeal the other day (for supper haha) and it was amazing!!!!! I will defs be making that again!

  12. Janna says

    YES! Huge fan of lemon poppyseed muffins! I’m putting these on my to-bake list for when I move into a place with a kitchen in June!!

  13. Brooke says

    Adding my “bookmark but have a hard time making them all” vote… 😀

    I’m finally getting to the point where I’m comfortable improvising the first time through on a recipe. I think it stems back to biochem grad school, where I’d run through a protocol (basically, a recipe!) perfectly, so I thought, and it didn’t give me the results I wanted–so I had to be so, so picky. (and I couldn’t even eat the results–waaahhh!) Finally, almost 13 years after grad school, I’ve learned to move on. 🙂

  14. Lyza says

    The beautiful thing about this being a blog, and not a real-life auction, is you can address everyone’s questions in a simple blog post and they’re all bound to read it!! 🙂 Lol I can’t imagine what a pain in the butt it must be to work a real-life auction with everyone’s questions and questions, pressing on you urgently and all waiting until they begin to get angry!! 🙂 I work at a restaurant and it’s hard enough. People have to remember that it’s just this: we are all people. But many times the worst ones forget–how hypocritical!

    I so want to make these muffins for my mom 🙂 Lemon is her favorite. Actually, I think I just want to make mini-muffins or mini-cupcakes in general and give them away everywhere. So cute!!

  15. Holly @ The Runny Egg says

    I’m glad the bake sale was a huge success! Good luck with the wrap-up and all that, I’m sure it is a ton of work!

    I love lemon poppyseed — bread, muffins, cake, anything!

    There are plenty of recipes that I have stashed away that I have never and may never make!

  16. kaila @healthy helper blog! says

    OMG! Lemon poppy seed is my absolute favorite muffin flavor ever! You have no idea how long I have been looking for a healthy LP muffin recipe! This just made my day! I am rushing home (after school of course) to make these…..first I have to find some poppy seeds though 🙂

    Congrats on the bake sale being such a great success! I will get to making my granola right away for the lucky bidder!

  17. Luciana says

    I have a ton of cookbooks (including the Candle Cafe book that I meant to make a dozen things from when I bought it) that I regularly flip through, intending to make something, then never do. I read so many blogs, have so many recipes saved from blogs, and I have a huge list of my own recipe ideas. You know what I end up eating most nights after a long day at work? A bowl of steamed broccoli or kale, and some baked tofu/tempeh/frozen vegan burger thing. It’s sad, really.

    I’m forcing myself to cook at least three times a week from some other source, or to try something on my own list of ideas. I’m not perfect, but I’m eating way better, and the husband is enjoying it, too!

    The worst part is that I actually have a recipe program, so I could just plug in ingredients I have and pick something! Instead of eating chickpeas out of the can as I stand over the sink!

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I hear you! I just don’t usually get around to making recipes; I’ll pull something from the freezer or make a quick stir fry. When I DO make a recipe, though, I make sure to cook in bulk so it’ll last a long time :).

  18. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    Lemon poppyseed muffins!!! My mom used to make these all the time!! Ahhh I love, I love, I lovee!

  19. kspar66 says

    a) your lemon pop muffins are gorgeous
    b) i think you are so creative and generous (with time, patience, fudge babies!) for running a very big online bakesale for japan!
    c) don’t feel rushed by the impatient kiddos! remember ur amazing!!
    d) I made a chocolate single lady muffin w/ cacao nibs mixed in last night & it was so fantastic it made me gasp
    e) I’ve been making delish balls with a combo of pb/molasses/flax seed/oats/cacao nibs/cinnamon, best snacky dessert ever, you’re so on point!!

    thanks!

  20. Ashley says

    Growing up whenever my mom baked muffins or scones, It was always lemon poppy seed. Now, I haven’t had them in forever. Your muffins looks so cute and delicious. Lemon Poppy Seed also always reminds me of Spring. Maybe that’s why you were craving them!

  21. bitt of raw says

    So interesting, I just posted about my trip to Candle Cafe and a recipe I made from it. You have to try the paradise casserole. And I will try these muffins. I was craving lemon poppy seed awhile back.

    I usually do make the recipe true to form the first time, other than any necessary changes for allergies (like gluten). I like to see what the chef/cook intended it to taste like. The second or third time, I feel more free to change it around.

  22. Sarah says

    I made mini lemon poppy seed muffins last night too!! I haven’t had them in years and I just got the urge. They are so delicious and adorably small and cute 🙂

  23. Eleanor@eatinglikeahorse says

    Thank you for the bake sale update; I was wondering whether I needed to start cooking yet!
    And I bookmark so many recipes and never get round to making them – but I can never follow them to the letter either 🙂

  24. Maya says

    I work full time and am a full time student (with an internship) so I don’t have time to cook much. I basically read food blogs all day, drool over the recipes, and then when I have time/an occasion to cook for, I make like 12 at once. Lots of leftovers 🙂 And I totally improvise and Mayafy everything. I don’t think I’ve ever followed a recipe to a T in my life.

    Great job with the bake sale!

  25. Eleanor@eatinglikeahorse says

    Just thought; that wasn’t a criticism! You’ve got so much to do and it was a brilliant thing to organise; I was just thinking I might have been rubbish and disorganised for not making the cookies yet 🙂

  26. Alyson says

    Mmmmm…. Poppy Seed muffins are soooo good! 🙂
    Also, I ALWAYS bookmark recipes or copy them, then NEVER make them. I think I have about 300 saved on my computer that I’ve always aimed to make, but never made it that far! 😉 Hahahaha. Laaaazzzzyyyy bones!
    Loves,
    Aly

  27. Crafty lil vegan says

    How have i Never tried this flavour combo?!?! I think i know what’s next on my list ^^ and i just so happen to have a container ther size of my head (well, maybe not.. i have a rather large head..) full of poppy seeds, and a fruit bowl full of lemons! It’s like you posted this recipe just for me!
    The cooking bug has truly set in.. and in a wild attempt at being organised, i made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and chocolate pinwheels for the wonderful people who bid on them in the bakesale! … not thinking that it will probably take a while for things like addresses to come through and they may be stale by then! Gah! Oh well.. My poor family will just have to eat the lot =P (i have saved some though, just in case!)
    Congrats on the amazing bakesale katie! x

  28. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says

    I wing it 100% on all recipes. I see thing that inspire me, make a mental note of some of the ingredients and then get to work on my own version. Usually with far less steps and ingredients than the orig recipe b/c long ingredient lists and complicated recipes scare me off!

    The bake sale and emails…I was thinking that if hypothetically each item had 10 bids on it and you had maybe 40 items, that alone is 400 emails. And then each winner and multiple bidders asked a couple questions, that’s another 100-200 emails.

    Plus your normal blog traffic emails and life emails and oh yes, your life…yes honey, I am sure you are beyond slammed and probably wondered why you took this project on…major thanks to you for doing it 🙂

  29. Keri - I Eat Trees says

    I have lemon poppy seed cravings all the time!
    Hmm… I can follow a recipe exactly if I want to review it, but generally I just try doing my own thing. I own quite a few cookbooks and I’ve hardly touched them lately. It takes planning to have the right ingredients, and I’ve kind of given up on the meal planning thing for now… 😛

  30. Lauren @ WWoB says

    Oh my gosh, Katie!! This is such a different recipe for your blog! I love it!!
    I bookmark tons of recipes but I only get around to making some of them. I have tons of desserts bookmarked but I hardly ever make those because dessert doesnt appeal to me all that much. Except icecream/froyo/gelato. And I have no desire to make that myself!

  31. Christina says

    They are gorgeous Katie! Can’t wait to give a gluten free version a go.

    I am definitely the sort of person who sees a recipe and then heads straight out of the shops and gets all the stuff to make it.

    One of the things I aim to do one day is work my way through an entire cookbook – I’ve started the mission but not eating meat etc etc means I don’t usually succeed (or I end up having friends over ALOT and cooking for them)
    🙂

  32. McKella says

    I’m a huge cookbook junkie, and I love to look through and organize all my recipes but I rarely use them. I’d rather throw something together quickly. Well, no one expects a stamp collector to use her stamps on letter, so why do I have to use my recipes?

  33. Alexa @ Simple Eats says

    These look delicious, they’re adorable! I like that these don’t have almond extract in them, which lemon poppy seed muffins usually have. Definitely have to try these!

  34. Tara says

    AHHH I LOVE MUFFINS! I’m so excited that you posted this. It’s going into favorites.
    Which leads me into my next thing. My favorites is EXPLODING with recipes that I want to make. A lot of them are unhealthy recipes that I plan on revamping (or not!), and most of them come from blogs. I also have a ton of magazine clipped recipes and cookbook recipes to make.

  35. Marina says

    I love poppy seeds! I constantly bookmark recipes on blogs, but most of them, I never make 🙁
    And I just saw you had an international bake sale for Japan, I am so sorry I haven’t seen that earlier, I would have participated 🙁

  36. Meghan @ StruggleMuffins says

    I had a love affair with lemon poppy seed muffins years ago before I became a healthy eater and ever since then I haven’t really yearned for anything lemon, but I admit your muffins have me intrigued. I bookmark or email myself recipes from blogs and other websites and neglect to make them all the time. If I had about 6 more hours each day I could probably do all the cooking I want, but sadly a 30 hour just isn’t in the cards 🙂

  37. BroccoliHut says

    Super cute muffins! My computer’s recipe file is so huge, but I’ve probably made only 30% of the recipes.

  38. Ellie@fitforthesoul says

    Mmmm Lemon poppy seeed is bombbb!! I used to go ahead and make it right.away. but things have been changing and although I LOVE the recipes I just don’t make them how they’re supposed to anymore! 😛 I’m trying though hehe. and God bless ya Katie for your efforts for Japan and such a great feat you’ve done!

  39. katie says

    that is so surprising that you like chocolate! lol!
    yummy… i love poppy seeds so much!! these look awesome.

  40. Alexandra (Veggin' Out in the Kitchen) says

    I’m definitely going to make these very soon for my mom!!! She LOVES lemon poppy seed (as do I!) 🙂

    So you chili bowl was absolutely AMAZING (no surprise there, of course), and I also made you pineapple stir fry but subbed mango for the pineapple and also added cilantro. I learned something from that dish: I love you and your awesome recipes! (But waaaait! I knew that a looong time ago, so I guess it just continued to strengthen my previous claim 😀 )

    I mark so many recipes from cookbooks and blogs!! But it takes me forever to get around the them (if I even do!). I always feel so bad if it’s one from a blog. I need more time for baking!!

    <3

  41. Malika says

    Do you think this will work without poppyseeds? :/ I’m worried it won’t turn out right..
    Great recipe though! Also How many regular size muffins do you think this will make?

  42. Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama says

    Usually the ones I bookmark are the recipes I really want to try, so I often do try them. I almost always end up adapting recipes for my likes and family’s needs, though. I use my cookbooks I ton because I just love trying new recipes.

    We were on a play date the other day and my daughter went crazy for some lemon poppy seed mini muffins, so I’ve had them on my list to make! Yours look perfect. 🙂

  43. Serena says

    I’m probably just as bad as you! I own so many cookbooks and I’ve bookmarked *so* many bloggers recipes…and I rarely make them! And when I do, I usually change it. :S (Come to think about it, cookbooks are almost *unnecessary* because so many wonderful, giving bloggers post so many recipes *for free*). In either case, I need to get my booty to the kitchen with some recipes and actually *follow through* with them!
    I *love* lemon poppyseed. 🙂 So delicious. Will definitely be trying this recipe. (Mark my words!)

  44. Jen S. says

    I’m prone to immediate follow-through on a recipe. Perfect example is tonight: I’m learning to cook Indian cuisine and I found a recipe for spicy almonds (post tomorrow) and I had to make them and did. =)

    However, I often find myself modifying along the way, either for the gluten or the onion allergy, or because past experience and taste guides me to make little tweaks along the way. I rarely follow a recipe exactly as written, unless it’s my own.

  45. Kristina @ spabettie says

    I made these yesterday – they didn’t come out glossy like the tops of yours, but they were tasty! I want to find a mini muffin pan like the one you used, where they are more “square” straight up and down instead of cone shaped like most muffins… I love that shape! (I know, details, right?) 😀

  46. Carlyn says

    Katie these muffins were amazing! They taste just like cupcakes and are so fresh and lemony! I made mini muffins one day and then the very next day I made another batch of normal sized muffins because I loved them so much (:
    I have to admit, though, I liked the normal sized muffins better 😛 Easier to eat!

    I’m wondering if the amount of poppy seeds is a typo, though. From your pictures, there looks to be a lot less poppy seeds in your muffins than when I made them and there seemed to be way too much. When I made them the second time I cut the amount to 1 tablespoon and seemed like a much better amount. Did you perhaps mean 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons? Either way these guys are THE BEST! Here’s my blog post dedicated to them (:
    http://notthenormalteenagefare.blogspot.com/2011/06/whole-wheat-vegan-lemon-poppy-seed.html

    Thanks!

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Awww your muffins are so super-cute! And now I think you’ve inspired me to make normal-sized ones too!
      But oh my gosh, I think you’re right… I think it is a typo! Off to change it right now! Thanks girl! 🙂

  47. Jenn says

    I just made these this morning for our camping trip tonight!!!
    I doubled the batch and made it with whole wheat flour instead of the spelt (all out and no time to get out and buy some).
    They turned out amazing!!! These have been definitely added to my freezer muffins list!!!
    Thank you for the site Katie, I cannot wait to make all of the delish recipes you have created.

  48. Kara says

    Hey Katie,

    If I were to use applesauce as the oil replacement in the recipe, how long would the muffins keep for? And what is the best way of preserving them? I was thinking of putting them all in a sealed plastic bag, inside a sealed plastic container?
    I’m asking because I intend on sending them as a surprise to a friend who lives 3 hours away! I would definitely ship them on Monday to make sure they get there ASAP, but I would love if I could keep them soft for longer.

  49. Emily says

    I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a thousand times…your blog is a GODSEND!!! You have no idea!

    Thanks for doing what you do. Blessing many lives..esp. those with food allergies!!!

  50. Clarissa says

    I made these tonight and they were absolutely wonderful. My husband also liked them a lot-so it passes the test for all tastes because we have a WIDE chasm between us on what we consider good food;) I wanted to post this because I did use applesauce (a smidge more than called for because I always add a little extra when doing this substitution) and it was perfectly moist and yummy. Thank you so much for this blog. BTW, I think I may have an addiction to your chocolate frosting shots. I may need an intervention soon.

  51. snenny says

    Oh my, this is definitely the next recipe I’m going to try! I think I might make 6 average-sized muffins instead of 12 minis. Any idea if I’d need to adjust the baking time? Most recipes I have for average-sized muffins suggest 30 minutes as a baking time… Any ideas?

    As usual, your food photography is just gorgeous <3 And the recipes? Even more so ^^

  52. Bella says

    Just wondering, if the batter supposed to come out really dry? My batter almost seemed dough-like when I spooned it into the muffin tins. They baked fine but I was just wondering if I did something wrong!

  53. Donna says

    ¨Lemon poppyseed ANYTHING is my favorite flavor combo…Question…Did you use vegan butter or oil to confection the ones you made in your photo?…I want them to look and taste just as fantastic as your own PERSONAL version!! Thank you for answering my dream (mini) muffin prayers!!!..Finally a healthy, petite and gorgeous version of a classic.

  54. Luana says

    I just made these!
    I had to make a few little changes because I didn’t have all the ingredients,
    I didn’t have maple syrup so I mix two tablespoons of warm water with three of brown sugar
    I also didn’t have lemon (yes I know, I tried to make lemon muffins without lemons!) but I used orange instead
    and I cooked them for only 8 minutes, but that must be something to do with my oven cause for every recipe I have to cook the food for less than the time that the recipe says

    thanks for posting this! I just stumbled upon your blog and I love it! I’m definitely coming back,
    do you have any idea how many calories do these have?

  55. victoria says

    I grew up eating these all the time and I was so excited to see this recipe! Next time I will add MORE lemon juice/zest and I WONT put in the powdered ginger it made the muffins taste a little strange… thanks so much Katie!!

  56. Annette says

    Katie, these are fabulous! The tsp. of ginger is ingenious. Adds a complexity to what could be an otherwise ordinary muffin. I am consistently having the problem of the sinking in the middle. It’s no big deal, except for appearance sake. My family doesn’t care and gobbles these down. As a matter of fact, I’m eating one now, hot of the oven, to be sure I get one. 🙂 Any ideas, why they’re sinking? I am baking in a large muffin tin because of lack of a mini-tin. Other than that and using coconut sugar instead (but I had the same result happen with agave), I’ve made no modifications. I’m puzzled. AWESOME recipe! LOVE your blog. I tell the world about you. 🙂

    • CCK says

      Unfortunately changing the muffin tin size is a modification, and is almost guaranteed to be the reason yours are sinking.

  57. Katie says

    Just made these! I used spelt flour and used 2 parts applesauce/1 part earth balance. I would definitely add more lemon next time… not quite lemony enough for me! Otherwise a great recipe!

  58. franni says

    hello katie 🙂
    yesterday i made mini heart shaped muffins for valentine’s day and their were sooo yummy ! even my mom and grandma who think that there is no good cake without eggs really liked them! thanks for the recipe 🙂

  59. Dana Rachael says

    Hey Katie!
    So I LOVE lemon poppy seed muffins and was SO excited to make these, but when we made them (we used wheat flour and applesauce) they came out not lemony enough, not very sweet, and very dry 🙁 We ended up throwing them away. I scrolled through every post and see that others used wheat flour and applesauce and they loved them. We tested our baking soda and baking powder and both work, so I’m wondering if you have any idea as to what happened? We’re so sad!
    -Dana and Rachael

    • becauseHeloves! says

      Zest a whole lemn if you want more lemony flavor. That’s what I did. Also, I’ve done it with both butter and applesauce, and I can say that the butter version is soooooo much better and fluffier and moist. The fat makes a difference! Coconut oil works too. Or maybe just a fat source in general. Maybe you could do some oil or butteand some applesauce if you don’t want all the fat?

  60. Jada says

    I made these this morning and they came out good. We used applesauce and whole wheat pastry flour, which made them a little dense and not as pretty looking, but they tasted great.

  61. Erica says

    these r soooooo good. i subbed sesame seed cause i didnt have poppyseed. these remiind me of the 1s i would get at tim hortens. (thats a coffee shop in canada,where i live.(i think their planning 2 open in the us.))

  62. mada phiri says

    When i made these i had neither poppy seeds or applesauce (since i prefer it without oil), so i skipped out on the poppy and used 1 banana instead. The banana overpowered the lemon, but they still tasted fantastic! super yummy and soft. next time i will make sure to have poppy seeds and applesauce though. thanks for the wonderful recipe

  63. Ria says

    Hey Katie! These look amaaaazing 🙂 Do you think I can substitute the maple syrup with agave or something else? Because I don’t have syrup and I’m dying to try these!

  64. Christina says

    i tried these today and they were absolutely fabulous. I used all olive oil, omitted the ginger but added a little cinnamin and vanilla extract. Also used the juice of a whole small lemon which was a little more than the two tablespoons. Thank you for a great recipe……

  65. De says

    My work just announced this morning that we are having a breakfast potluck tomorrow. :O. So I’ve been searching for good easy recipes that I can do on such short notice, and I remembered these muffins. I think I’m going to make them. I had to search for them, because they weren’t in the breakfast section of your archives though.

    • Unofficial CCK Helper says

      If you only got 5 mini muffins out of a recipe with 1 full cup of flour, you did something wrong. Google any recipe for mini muffins, and not a single one will tell you that 1 cup of flour will only yield 5 mini muffins.

  66. Nicole says

    They didn’t quite pour, more like spoon drop biscuit dough consistency. I used butter flavored coconut oil. Could that be the problem?

  67. Nicole says

    They need a little more zest, but the texture and consistency is perfect. Thank you so so much. Very good recipe.

  68. Margaret says

    I made these, and the texture and taste of the one bite I had was wonderful. However, after baking the muffins, I read how easily poppy seeds can go rancid. Not having used them much in recipes before, I wasn’t looking for this; but when I finally smelled the bag to check, there was that strong telltale sign of rancidity. I remember buying them on sale from a grocery store that had apparently been on the shelf too long (one source said over two weeks is too long), even though the expiration date was over a year off. I so regretted the loss, but felt I had to throw the muffins away. So, a word of warning, bakers beware!

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