These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are tender, moist, full of lemon flavor and rocking an extra good-for-you ingredient…yellow squash! Made with white whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, poppy seeds, and less added sugar than most muffin recipes, these muffins are packed with a cup and a half of grated summer squash! Mixed all in one bowl + done baking in under 20 minutes, these veggie-loaded muffins are a great grab-and-go choice for breakfast or tasty snack.

Lemon poppyseed muffin in a paper muffin liner. Lemons cut in half throughout image along with poppyseeds and crumbs on white countertop. Additional muffins and white plates out of focus in the background.

While zucchini is an old standby, you know I like to switch things up where I can (as evidenced by my NUMEROUS veggie muffin recipes). These yellow squash muffins use…you guessed it: yellow squash! Although almost an even swap flavor and texture-wise, baking with yellow squash helps even the most selective of eaters ease into veggie-loading as the color blends in almost seamlessly into these muffins. Sweetened with just enough brown sugar and applesauce and using white whole wheat flour for a lighter texture and flavor, these muffins still provide hearty staying power thanks to their added plant fiber and protein (from the Greek yogurt). A healthy helping of both lemon juice and zest give these nut-free muffins even more of a flavor boost.

Let’s make these together. Just you and me…

One hand holding a box grater and another hand grating yellow squash on the box grater. Box grater is sitting on top of white granite countertop.
Grate the summer squash.
Grated zucchini sitting in a white tea towel. Tea towel is sitting on top fo a white granite counter.
Place the grated summer squash on a tea towel or a few layers of paper towel.
Hand squeezing liquid out of grated yellow squash using a tea towel on top of a white bowl. White mixing bowl is sitting on top of a white granite counter.
Using either a tea towel or a few layers of paper towel, squeeze out all the excess liquid from the grated summer squash. Set aside.
Glass mixing bowl containing brown sugar and . Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Place lemon zest and sugar in a large bowl.
Hand breaking up brown sugar in a glass mixing bowl. Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest and sugar together. This step is optional, but it helps bring out extra flavor in the zest.
Glass mixing bowl containing unmixed wet ingredients for yellow squash lemon poppyseed muffins. Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Add in lemon juice, egg, yogurt, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and grated squash.
Glass mixing bowl containing yellow squash lemon poppy seed muffin batter. Whisk is sitting in the batter in the glass bowl. Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Whisk together wet ingredients, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
Glass mixing bowl containing yellow squash lemon poppy seed muffin batter with flour on top of the batter. Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Add flour to the wet ingredient mixture.
Glass mixing bowl with yellow squash lemon poppy seed muffin batter (ingredients unmixed). Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds over the wet ingredient mixture.
Glass mixing bowl with yellow squash lemon poppy seed muffin batter. Glass bowl is sitting on top of a white granite surface.
Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Hand holding onto cookie scoop, scooping muffin batter into 12 paper muffin tin liners in each section of a muffin tin.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
Muffin tin filled with 12 yellow squash lemon poppyseed muffins. Half of a lemon and two yellow squash set aside on the edge of the image.
Bake until the muffins are light golden brown around the edges and no longer look wet in the center, 15 to 18 minutes.
One lemon poppyseed muffin stacked on top of another lemon poppyseed muffin (in a paper muffin liner). Lemons cut in half throughout image along with poppyseeds and crumbs on white countertop. Additional muffins and white plates out of focus in the background.
5 from 4 votes

Yellow Squash Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Taesha Butler
These Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are tender, moist, full of lemon flavor and rocking an extra good-for-you ingredient…yellow squash! Made with white whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, poppy seeds, and less added sugar than most muffin recipes, these muffins are packed with a cup and a half of grated summer squash! Mixed all in own bowl + done baking in under 20 minutes, these veggie-loaded muffins are a great grab-and-go choice for a healthy breakfast or tasty snack.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups grated yellow squash, (summer squash), measured before squeezing out.
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, from 1-2 lemons
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 large egg, or neutral tasting oil
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ⅓ cup avocado oil, or other light flavored oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons poppyseeds

Equipment

  • Muffin tin

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with extra oil.
    • Since this muffin recipe uses less added oil than most traditional muffin recipes, I find that silicone liners or disposable liners with a natural food-grade silicone coating (I like If You Care baking cup liners) work best to prevent sticking. If using traditional paper liners without a coating, lightly spray them with cooking spray before filling so the muffins release more easily after cooling.
  • Place grated squash in a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towel and squeeze out all the excess liquid. Set aside.
  • Place lemon zest and sugar in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest and sugar together. This step is optional, but it helps bring out extra flavor in the zest.
  • Whisk in the lemon juice, egg, yogurt, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and grated squash.
  • Add the flour then sprinkle over the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown around the edges and no longer look wet in the center, 15 to 18 minutes.
    If you have a kitchen thermometer, bake until the muffins have an internal temperature of 200℉. This will indicate that the muffins are baked through without over baking.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool for 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Once completely cool, muffin can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for 3 days. You can also freeze your muffins for up to 2 months.
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 153kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 140mg, Potassium: 99mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 54IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.