When it gets into the citrus season, our orange tree is absolutely overflowing! When that happens, these orange poppy seed muffins become a staple in the household. These muffins use the zest and juice of two fresh oranges for a burst of real orange flavour. Orange juice also makes these muffins ultra moist and fluffy!
These muffins last perfectly when frozen and make the easiest lunchbox treat. Best of all, it'll only take you fifteen minutes to get these in the oven!
Ingredients in Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
- Oranges: fresh oranges make all the difference for these wonderful muffins
- Eggs
- Caster / superfine sugar: this finer form of sugar dissolves beautifully into the muffins, giving you a light and fluffy texture. You can also use regular granulated sugar.
- Canola oil: or any other flavourless vegetable oil.
- Milk: or a dairy-free alternative.
- Poppy seeds: poppy seeds are a match made in heaven for oranges! They also give these muffins a beautiful texture.
- Self-raising flour: OR plain / all-purpose flour combined with 3 teaspoon baking powder.
- Baking soda: NOT baking powder. Baking soda is much more potent than baking powder.
- Salt: cuts through the sweetness and enhances the orange flavour.
How To Make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Whipping up a batch of orange and poppy seed muffins is a breeze, as they require basic pantry staples and a few minutes of preparation. These moist and flavorful treats not only make for a delicious breakfast or snack but also serve as a delightful addition to any lunch box, providing a burst of citrusy goodness to brighten up the day.
1. Combine all of the wet ingredients in a bowl
2. Whisk well.
3. Stir through the poppy seeds.
4. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients.
5. Mix together until well combined.
6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with tulip shaped muffin liners.
7. Distribute batter evenly among the muffin tins.
8. Bake until golden. Allow to cool (if you can wait that long!) and enjoy.
Storage
You can keep muffins un-refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To freeze the muffins, allow to cool completely then place in zip-loc or airtight freezer bags. Keep for up to 6 months frozen. To thaw, allow to defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight.
Troubleshooting and Tips
Why are my muffins tough and chewy?
This may be because you have overmixed the batter. The longer you mix the batter, the tougher it well get. Only mix the ingredients until just combined - some lumps are okay. It may also be because the muffins are overcooked, so make sure you adjust your bake time if your oven runs hot. Also rotate the muffins half way during cooking to prevent hot spots from burning some of the muffins.
What are tulip muffin liners? Can I use regular muffin liners?
Tulip muffin liners have tall, diamond-shaped edges (they also look like a tulip flower, hence the name) and can hold more muffin batter, and allow for more rising during baking. You can find them in most supermarkets in the baking aisle.
If you use regular muffin liners, you will only want to fill them two thirds full to prevent muffin batter spilling over the edges. This means you may end up with 14-16 muffins. Also keep an eye on them during baking, as they may require a few minutes less cooking time.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Yes, substitute self-raising flour for an equal amount of good quality gluten-free self-raising flour.
Why didn't my muffins rise?
This recipe uses quite a thin batter, so the muffins won't have a tall peak. However, if your muffins are completely flat, it may mean that your baking soda or self-raising flour is out of date. It may also mean that the oven wasn't hot enough and the muffins cooked too slowly. If your oven runs cold, increase the temperature before baking.
Variations
Change up this recipe by:
- Adding a drizzle of lemon frosting or melted chocolate over the baked, cooled muffins
- Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top of the muffins before baking
- Add your favourite frosting such as cream cheese or chocolate
- Brush the hot baked muffins with a citrusy syrup such as orange or lemon syrup
Note: this muffin batter is quite thin so any heavy additions (such as choc chips etc.) will sink to the bottom of the muffin during baking.
Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
These easy orange and poppy seed muffins are moist, fluffy, and absolutely bursting with orange flavour! They only need one bowl and a few simple ingredients. These muffins are freezer-friendly and make the perfect lunchbox treat.
Ingredients
- 2 oranges, zested and juiced
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Grease a 12-hole (⅓-cup-capacity) muffin pan or line with paper cases (I'm using muffin wraps).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together orange zest and juice, eggs, caster sugar, canola oil and milk. Stir through poppy seeds.
- Sift over self-raising flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well combined. A few lumps are fine.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage
- You can keep muffins un-refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the muffins, allow to cool completely then place in zip-loc or airtight freezer bags. Keep for up to 6 months frozen. To thaw, allow to defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight.
Substitutions & Tips
- Flour: you can substitute 2 cups of self-raising flour with 2 cups of plain flour combined with 1 tablespoon of baking powder.
- Oil: you can substitute canola oil for any type of vegetable oil. Note that if you're using a rich olive oil it may change the flavour of the muffins.
- Baking soda: you can substitute 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Poppy seeds: you can omit the poppy seeds if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 MuffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 371Total Fat: 20.9gSaturated Fat: 2.5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 30.8mgSodium: 64.7mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1.2gSugar: 27.7gProtein: 4.2g
Colleen Roberts says
Hi Chloe can you substitute the flour with almond meal or almond flour to make them gluten free thanks
Chloe says
Hi Colleen, almond meal or almond flour is likely to make the muffins quite dense - if you don't mind a dense texture, then definitely go for it. Otherwise, for a lighter texture, I'd recommend gluten free flour instead.