Orange Poppy Seed Muffins with Almonds

These Orange Poppy Seed Muffins are filled with sliced almonds and orange zest, and topped with a fragrant glaze for just the right amount of sweetness.  Enjoy this bakery-quality muffin recipe for your next breakfast or brunch event!

I’m not much of a baker, truly. Just take a look around my blog and you’ll see I gravitate towards savory flavors and cooking over sweet recipes and baking. 

But who doesn’t love homemade muffins? Even I get excited about an easy recipe like this one! These Orange Poppy Seed Muffins with Almonds are literally the perfect fluffy texture. And even with the simple orange glaze on top, they’re not too sweet. I can’t get enough of them!

I went through a couple rounds of recipe testing to get this one *just right*. It’s probably clear that I drew inspiration from the classic lemon poppy seed muffins. And as much as I love bright lemon flavors and cooking with lemon juice, it seemed like a great time to highlight a different citrus flavor. With plenty of cara cara oranges around this season, that’s what we went with! 

Although, truth be told, I am itching to get my hands on some yuzu fruit…I’m dying to know if there could ever be a yuzu version of these poppy seed muffins!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s the list of what you’ll need to make these orange poppy seed muffins. Find the exact measurements and ingredient quantities in the recipe card below.

• All-purpose flour
• White granulated sugar (cane sugar)
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt
• Poppy seeds
• Sliced almonds
• Fresh oranges. If you can, use a super fragrant and juicy variety, like Cara Cara oranges. The classic navel oranges also work well!
• Eggs
• Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• Vegetable oil, canola oil, or other neutral cooking oil
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract

According to one of my most reliable recipe resources, The Flavor Bible, poppy seeds work well in a variety of baked goods. Quick breads, cakes, cookies – and of course, muffins! Lemon is a very common flavor pairing, so the orange juice and orange zest is a natural fit. But other citrus fruit could work well, too. Or, try any leftover poppy seeds in a recipe that uses cinnamon, ginger, honey, nutmeg, walnuts, or cloves. 

Swaps and Substitutions

Here’s the thing about baking recipes…they almost always come out differently if you start tinkering around with the ingredients. So I can’t guarantee that you’ll get the same results if you make these changes.

But I know someone will ask, so if that someone is you, these are my best tips!

To go gluten-free…swap the AP flour for a gluten-free flour. Try a ready-to-use baking mix like this 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour from Bob’s Red Mill. It’s made with a blend of GF flours plus all the gums and starches needed to best mimic the gluten-forming properties of regular flour. The result should hopefully be nice, fluffy muffins that just happen to be gluten-free!

To go nut-free…skip the almonds. Many poppy seed muffin recipes don’t include nuts, so leaving these out won’t make a huge difference. And while it might be tempting to try almond extract instead, just be aware this might not be an allergy-friendly swap unless it’s a synthetic or imitation extract that’s 100% nut-free. 

To go dairy-free…skip the yogurt and instead add one extra egg plus 1/4 cup extra cooking oil.

If you don’t have fresh oranges…use the same amount of regular, pulp-free orange juice. You can bake without the orange zest, but the orange flavor will be muted and not as strong or fragrant. To make up for this, you can add a small (meaning, tiny) amount of orange extract. A little goes a long way, so be very conservative and only add more if you need to!

Special Equipment for Baking

You technically don’t need any special equipment for these Orange Poppy Seed Muffins, other than a muffin tin. But having a food scale really helps with precision when measuring the flour and sugar. The one I use is pretty accurate, easy to use, and the detachable bowl makes clean up a breeze.

You might also want to get a large sifter for the flour or powdered sugar. This is less important for quick breads and muffins. It’s OK if they’re a little chunky and rustic. But if you plan to bake cakes, breads, or other pastries, this is a smart investment that will improve the results of all your recipes. If you don’t have a sifter (or don’t plan to use one often) you can also use a fine mesh strainer. This is the set I have, and they’re very versatile and easy to store. 

You can hand squeeze the oranges. But I like to save my grip strength and use a hand juicer like this one. A microplane is super helpful for zesting any kind of citrus.

And finally, don’t forget about a cookie scoop! It’s not necessary…but incredibly helpful for portioning out the same amount for each muffin.

How to Make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Poppy seeds have a tough outer coating. Soaking them in warm water for 30-60 minutes before baking can help soften them up, plus intensify that poppy seed flavor. If you have time, don’t skip this step!

But if you’re in a hurry, move straight into these simple steps to make your batch of Orange Poppy Seed Muffins:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray your muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Measure out the flour and sugar, using a food scale if you have it. Add them to a large bowl, along with the other dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds). Whisk together until combined and the poppy seeds are mixed throughout.
3. Zest a large orange, then measure the zest and set aside. Juice the zested orange until you have 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon, or use bottled orange juice if needed.
4. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, and whisk. Then add the vegetable oil, orange juice, orange zest, and yogurt (wet ingredients). Whisk again until well mixed.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a soft spatula to fold them together, adding the sliced almonds and stirring until just mixed. Do not overwork the wet batter, which will be sticky and thick.
6. Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Fill to the top and add additional sliced almonds (optional). Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are rounded. You’ll know they’re done when you can poke a toothpick into the center of a muffin and it comes out cleanly.
7. Let the muffins cool for 10-15 minutes on a cooling rack, and in the meantime prepare the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl, then add the orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Once the muffins have cooled to room temperature, drizzle the orange glaze over the top of each muffin.

​All that’s left to do is enjoy! 

I think these Orange Poppy Seed Muffins taste best when served right away. So if it’s just us, I make a half batch. Otherwise, this recipe yields 12 regular sized muffins. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

The orange glaze will soak into the muffin tops as they sit. It won’t change the flavor, but the texture and appearance will change. Try to eat within 1-2 days for best results. If storing longer than that, move to the fridge or freezer and thaw before eating. 

​If these quickly become your new favorite muffins, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating or comment to let me know what you think.

And as always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!