Last week when I shared these softbatch chocolate chip cookies I mentioned that I started a 4 week dairy, soy and whey free diet. 3 weeks in, I have to say that things are going better than I had expected! Can you tell? I’m still baking like crazy and having fun coming up will all sorts of dairy-free recipes. I’ve really got to get all of them posted on here! Anyway, around the time I started the “big” elimination I discovered a recipe contest on Go Dairy Free that required you to use dairy-free products, specifically the So Delicious® ones that I had just stocked my fridge with. The timing could not have been more perfect! So I went to work brainstorming all sorts of things I could make and then started baking. These muffins, along with some chocolate coconut ones, were a huge hit! They’re vibrant, full of flavor and perfect for spring!
To start, you’re going to want to scoop out ½ c. of solid coconut oil and place it along with the sugar and lemon zest in to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Coconut oil is my favorite butter substitute and adds really great flavor to these muffins! Once you’ve got those in the bowl, beat them together for about 2 minutes until they get light and fluffy. Since I have a stand mixer I creamed the mixture on medium-high, but you can also use a hand mixer or a good old fashioned wooden spoon (if you pick the latter, just a warning: your arm might get a little fatigued, but these are totally worth it). Add the eggs and mix until combined. Next in a separate mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Whisk them together for a few seconds so that everything gets evenly distributed and so that the mixture is light and airy. Set the dry ingredients aside and in a small mixing bowl or a 2 c. glass measuring cup, combine the coconut milk and the cultured coconut milk. Since these muffins are dairy-free, they need a milk substitute. Coconut milk is perfect for this, but almond milk and cultured almond milk work too if you don’t mind a slight difference in flavor. Add the lemon juice and carefully combine. Now comes the fun part. Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the sugar/oil/zest mixture and stir until the batter is smooth. Be careful not to over mix or you’ll have tough muffins. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan and place into the preheated oven to bake.
Let the muffins bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until the tops become lightly golden brown in color. Why so hot? The high temperature helps these muffins get their domed tops and golden sides. It’s just a little trick to get those perfect puffy bakery-style muffins. Once the muffins are done, remove them, let them cool and devour. If you can withstand the temptation and are patient enough to let them cool. Glaze them and then devour! I hope you’ll love these lemon coconut poppy seed muffins as much as we did! You won’t believe that these are dairy-free!
Lemon Coconut Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- ½ cup Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Milk (vanilla)
- 1/2 cup Dairy Free Coconut Milk (vanilla)
- 1 lemon - juiced and zest
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
Optional Lemon Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Line one muffin pan with liners, and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine sugar, coconut oil, and lemon zest. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until combined.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. Whisk together.
- Combine coconut milk, cultured coconut, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Alternate adding dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the sugar/oil mixture. Once the mixture has come together, be careful not to overmix! Scoop batter into the liners, filling ¾ of the way full.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 18–20 minutes or until the tops become lightly golden brown in color. Remove and allow to cool in the muffin pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If desired, prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Turn cooled muffins upside down and swirl the tops in the glaze. Continue swirling to remove any excess glaze.
NOTES
- Adding vanilla-flavored coconut products eliminates the need for vanilla extract. However, if you love vanilla (or don't have vanilla-flavored coconut products), you can add ½ tsp. to the batter.
- Try substituting 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier version.
- For a vegan version, try using your favorite egg replacer.
- For a non-dairy version, substitute the coconut oil for butter, the coconut milk for whole milk, and the cultured coconut for your favorite coconut-flavored yogurt.
- These muffins are delicious with or without the glaze!
Nutrition
Recipe source: Life Made Simple
This recipe was entered into the So Delicious and godairyfree.org March Recipe Madness Competition.
Definitely making these again. They were delicious!!!
Just looks delicious. Though i don’t use lemon in every item, but this had that beautiful aroma when lemon was hit. POPPY SEED are always the best for digestion. Thanks for this wonderful healthy recipe.
You are so welcome! I agree about lemon. Glad you liked these!