Poppy Seed Muffins with Raspberry Butter

If I had to pick my favorite muffin ever, it would be a tie between blueberry and lemon poppy seed.

(Although, if the poppy seed muffin has this raspberry butter on its side, the poppy seed muffin would definitely win).

I’ve always thought poppy seeds were such a fun ingredient in baking. They add this natural but colorful confetti sprinkle look to muffins and cakes, and they provide a subtle little crunch in every bite. Poppy seed muffins always look so festive and happy, don’t they?

Because baked goods tend to be on the indulgent side, I have pretty high standards for the baked goods I eat. If a muffin is dry and flavorless, I won’t eat it. I know too well how deliciously moist muffins should be, even keeping in mind that they shouldn’t cross into cupcake territory. This muffin has the right density and crumb to it, a little crunch from the poppy seeds, a fragrant hint of lemon and a tangy richness from the sour cream. Then I made this gorgeous fresh raspberry butter to be spread on the muffins as you eat, making this a perfect recipe to serve for a special breakfast or brunch!

Start by combining the dry ingredients together with a whisk: flour, sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

For your wet ingredients, whisk to combine melted butter and an egg, until thick and frothy.

Add sour cream, milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until you get a thick batter.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups.

Bake for about 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then let cool completely.

While the muffins cool, make the raspberry butter, which has the following three ingredients: Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil, fresh raspberries, and powdered sugar. This spreadable butter is perfect because it’s creamy and easy to mix with other ingredients while still providing that rich butter flavor.

Mash and stir together with a spoon.

Spread the raspberry butter onto the muffins, and enjoy!

Poppy Seed Muffins with Raspberry Butter

Ingredients

Poppy Seed Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter, melted
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Butter:

½ cup Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil
½ cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Either line a muffin tin with paper liners or butter the bottoms and sides generously.

In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and egg, and whisk vigorously for 60 seconds until aerated and thick. Whisk in the sour cream, milk, lemon juice and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then stir gently with a spatula to combine the wet and dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix. The batter will be thick.

Evenly divide the muffin batter into the wells. The easiest way I find is to use cookie scoops. You’ll get the perfect amount of batter for 1 large scoop in each plus 1 medium scoop.

Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Keep in mind the muffins will not take on a lot of color on top, only a little golden brown on the sides. When the muffins are done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins and let cool completely on a wire rack.

In the meantime, make the raspberry butter by placing all the ingredients in a bowl and mashing together with a spoon. I like it when the butter is fully combined but there are still small chunks of fresh raspberries.

To serve, spread the muffins with the raspberry butter as you eat. Enjoy!

Fifteen Spatulas has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversations blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.