Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins

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These Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins are perfect for spring. They are light and citrusy and make for an excellent afternoon healthy snack.

The flavour combination of lemon and coconut is one of my all time favourites! Being able to bring a little taste of it around with you on busy days is super convenient and really brightens up the day. Plus, the addition of the chia seeds gives the traditional ‘poppy seed’ appeal but with extra fibre, protein and omega 3s.

What you will need

Thankfully, these Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffin are pretty simple and straightforward to make. All you need is:

• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
  • Start with plain and if you want to add some extra flavour next time, consider a flavoured option. See below for my suggestions.
• Lemon
  • You will need the juice and zest of this fruit.
• Coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • Traditionally I have used coconut oil, however, I recently tried it with vegetable oil and this worked just as well. You won’t achieve that strong coconut taste but it’s easier to mix because it won’t harden like the coconut oil does.
• Vanilla extract
• White sugar
  • This recipe has not been tested with other sugar-substitutes. I tend to stick to the basic, tried-and-true white granulated sugar.
• All-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
  • There are options, depending on your dietary needs.
• Quick oats
  • Look for certified gluten-free oats if you are baking these for someone with Celiac disease. Quick oats tend to work better in this recipe because they aren’t as textured as large flake oats.
• Shredded coconut
  • Absolutely needed for the coconut flavour and texture!
• Poppy seeds or chia seeds
  • Either will work to give that lemon poppy seed appeal. Chia seeds just provide a bit more nutrients, however this recipe offers a very small amount of them.
• Baking soda and salt

Substitutions

If you are anything like me, you tend to make a couple of substitutions in recipes. Although this isn’t recommended when it comes to baking (science!), here are some tweaks you may consider making…

• Make it Lime Coconut: If you prefer to use lime juice and lime zest, this is fun way to switch it up.
• Amp up the flavour: Feel free to opt for a flavoured yogurt like coconut or citrus! Oikos is a brand that offers all of these options: coconut, key lime and lemon meringue Greek yogurt.
• Sweetness: If you want a muffin that isn’t as sweet, opt for unsweetened shredded coconut instead.
• Flour: I have listed a regular, all-purpose flour as well as a gluten-free flour. This Bob’s Red Mill product is my favourite gluten-free flour for baking, however if you have a preferred brand on hand, please use that!

Storage

I tend to leave these out on the counter but covered for the first night. Then I will either keep them in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly I expect to eat them. They freeze really well and stay good for at least 1-2 months. To thaw, pop them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. I love pairing them with some extra Greek yogurt for a balanced afternoon snack.

I really hope you love these Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins! Let me know if you make these part of your breakfast or enjoy them as an afternoon snack.

Don’t forget to check out some of these other spring-inspired recipes:

• Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal
• Raspberry Lemon Nut Bars
• Lemon Chicken Quinoa Soup
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake

If you make these Lemon Poppy Seed Coconut Muffins I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!