This time of year, lemon desserts sound so delicious!! I’m a big fan of lemon poppy seed muffins, which gave me the idea to make these lemon poppy seed cupcakes.

After all, a muffin is really just a cupcake without frosting, right??

These lemon poppy seed cupcakes are made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, which give them such a bright flavor.

They’re also topped with lemon cream cheese frosting, and a gorgeous lemon spiral. And if you love lemons as much as I do, you can also fill these cupcakes with lemon curd.

This recipe is now a summer staple for me and hopefully you’ll feel the same way about it 🙂

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten free flour blend (and follow my GF baking tips below) or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
• Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat, etc.) if you’re dairy free.
• 1 Large Egg – If you have an egg allergy you can try using a flaxseed egg or 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe, so canola or even sunflower oil would work great! I advise against olive oil because of its strong flavor.
• Fresh Lemon Zest – In a pinch you could use lime juice and zest! You can also use 2 tsp of lemon extract in its place in the frosting and cupcake batter. However, the flavor won’t be quite as strong.
• Lemon Curd – Filling these cupcakes is optional! You can also make your own or use jam (blackberry or strawberry jam would be delicious!).
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!

How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

If you need to make gluten free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, use gluten free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

I prefer King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend. In addition to swapping the flour, there are two additional steps you need to take when making gluten free cupcakes.

Gluten Free Baking Tip #1: Over-Mix Your Batter

The first step is to vigorously whisk your batter. Do this for a few minutes help give the cupcakes structure.

Now, I know this goes against everything you’ve ever heard about baking! But over mixing your batter is key when making anything gluten free.

It helps cupcakes rise better as they bake and gives the cupcake a more tender crumb.

Gluten Free Baking Tip #2: Let Your Batter Rest

The second step I recommend is letting your batter rest for about 30 minutes before baking your cupcakes.

Gluten free flour blends can have a hard time absorbing moisture and fats. Letting the batter sit before baking it gives the flour more time to absorb all that goodness.

This helps thicken the batter and prevents your cupcakes from having a gritty texture.

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes

• I recommend using a cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners. This helps make sure they all have the same amount of batter.
• To make gluten free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, swap in your favorite GF flour blend for the AP flour in this recipe. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set cold ingredients out ahead of time.
• Bang your cupcake pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
• To really pack these cupcakes with lemon flavor, fill them with lemon curd!
• Use a fun piping tip to frost your cupcakes! I used an Ateco 869 to frost these.
• Top these cupcakes with a lemon peel spiral to give them a beautiful finished look.

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcake Variations:

• To make eggless, dairy free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the whole milk (almond, oat, or soy) and dairy free yogurt (almond, oat, or soy) in place of the sour cream
• To make gluten free lemon poppy seed cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results

Making These Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes In Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.

These cupcakes can also last up to 3 months in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, wait to fill and frost them until they’re thawed.

You can also make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Frosted cupcakes shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for more than a few hours because the cream cheese frosting can spoil. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container once they’re frosted.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this recipe for lemon poppy seed cupcakes, I’d love to hear what think you of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations on social media!

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