Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

These vegan orange poppy seed muffins are bursting with bright orange citrus flavors. They are big, fluffy and easy to make in advance for a fun treat.

An unwrapped poppy seed muffin on top of a metal grate with two muffins in the background.

I’ve had these Orange Poppy Seed Muffins stuck in my head all month. And, since it is citrus season and I love to bake, I knew I had to share them. They are jumbo and fluffy, with all the orange goodness mixed into the batter for a fun riff off of classic lemon poppy seed muffins.

This post is also going to help anyone that is looking for a suitable cheap egg substitute especially since grocery store prices are up.

Why You’ll Love These Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

  • Completely Egg and Dairy-Free. My recipes are always designed to be vegan, but I feel that this is also helpful for those that are not vegan, but struggling with egg prices. Knowing a couple of cheap egg-free substitutions for baking is always helpful!
  • A fun twist on a classic. Instead of the standard lemon poppy seed combo, swapping for oranges changes the flavor, but keeps it fresh.
  • Uses less sugar and butter than standard recipes. The muffins are still sweet enough without going overboard.
Bowls of melted butter, sugar, aquafaba, flour, poppy seeds, milk, vanilla, yogurt, and an orange.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Sugar: To keep the batter light in color, I recommend using cane sugar.
  • Orange: It’s best to use fresh citrus for this recipe as you need the zest and juice. One medium sized orange is ideal. You can swap for other citrus like lemon to make traditional lemon poppy seed muffins.
  • Aquafaba: This is our egg substitute. Aquafaba is just the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Separate the liquid from the beans and measure out the amount you need. Please see FAQ for substitution recommendations.
  • Neutral Oil: This can be any high heat neutral oil like avocado oil, canola oil and grapeseed oil.
  • Yogurt: To keep this dairy-free I used a plant-based option. I like thick yogurts like Forager Projects’ cashew based yogurt, Siggi’s Plant-Based plain yogurt and Silk’s Soy Yogurt.
  • Milk: I used soy milk and oat milk to test this recipe, but feel free to use the one you love most.
  • Butter: We just need a little bit of plant-based butter to help with the browning process and to give the muffins a little more color.
  • Flour: I recommend all-purpose flour. I have not tested this recipe with any alternative flours, so swap at your own risk.
  • Poppy Seeds: If you prefer, you can easily omit the poppy seeds from this recipe and keep it a citrus style muffin instead.

How to Make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Using your hands, rub the zest into the sugar for a minute to release the oils from the orange peel.

Add the aquafaba and whisk well until the mixture starts to foam around the edges. Then whisk in the orange juice, oil, yogurt, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract, and stir well until evenly mixed and smooth.

Next, stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

Add in the flour and poppy seeds, then using a spatula, fold the ingredients together just until the ingredients are combined. Do not overmix!

Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. While waiting, prepare two jumbo muffin tins by greasing or spraying with a little oil or using paper liners.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each well about 3/4 of the way full. Top the batter with a small sprinkle of coarse sugar then place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat of the oven to 350F and continue to bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops appear golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

Expert Tips

  • Rub your zest with sugar. The sugar is rough, which when rubbed with the zest will help break open the cells of the zest and naturally release their oils, which are loaded with that orange essence.
  • Measure your flour appropriately for best results. I recommend a scale to ensure that you are getting the most accurate flour weight, which will lead to more consistent muffins.
  • Avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense and dry. Just fold the flour into the wet batter until just combined.
  • Use an initially higher temperature when baking. Backing the muffins at 425F for 5 minutes helps the muffins bake taller, giving you the classic dome shape for our muffins.
  • You can swap the jumbo muffin tin for a regular muffin tin. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time. This recipe will make 9 jumbo muffins and 12 regular sized muffins. Bake the smaller muffins at 450F for an initial 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 13-15 minutes.
Three muffins topped with orange zest on top of a metal grate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is aquafaba?

Aquafaba is the liquid brine that is found inside a can of chickpeas. Often times, people will discard the brine when making a chickpea recipe, but you can strain and reserve the liquid to use as an egg substitute. Depending on the recipe, you can substitute one egg with 3 tablespoons of the chickpea liquid. Using aquafaba is great in items like muffins, blondies and brownies, cupcakes, cakes and mousses.

What is a good substitute for aquafaba?

You can stick to a standard flax egg substitution. For this recipe use 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed (golden flaxseeds will blend in color wise better with the batter) and combine with 6 tbsp of water. Mix and allow to gel for 5 minutes before using.

How do you store aquafaba?

Store leftover aquafaba in a clean airtight container and use within 4-5 days. If you can’t get to it again, you can freeze the aquafaba for up to a month and thaw out when ready to use again.

How do you store these muffins?

To keep them soft and fresh, allow the muffins to cool completely before placing in an airtight container. Leave them at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

Can you freeze these muffins?

Yes! Allow the muffins to cool completely then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Place in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to enjoy, remove a muffin from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge or place in a toaster oven to warm through for a few minutes.

Can these muffins be made gluten-free?

I have not tested these muffins with gluten-free flour. If attempting with gluten-free flour, I recommend using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour mix with xantham gum. Do note, they might not rise the same way as the original recipe would. If you try it, please let me know in the comments. It may also help to view this vegan gluten-free lemon poppy seed muffin recipe by Beaming Baker as inspiration for experimenting with oranges in place of lemon.

Close up view of a muffin that has been bitten showing the inside crumb over the parchment liner.

Serving Tips

  • Remove the muffin tin from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for an additional 15 minutes. The heat inside the muffin will continue to cook the muffin as it sits and cools. This will help create a more solid and enjoyable muffin.
  • Serve with a drizzle of orange glaze. Stir together 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar with any leftover orange zest, and a tablespoon of orange juice. Whisk until smooth. If needed, add a teaspoon or more of water or juice until the glaze is to your desired consistency.

More Vegan Treats to Try

One orange poppy seed muffin broken in half and laying next to two full muffins on a grate.
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An unwrapped poppy seed muffin on top of a metal grate with two muffins in the background.

Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 9 jumbo muffins 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

These vegan orange poppy seed muffins are bursting with bright orange citrus flavors. They are big, fluffy and easy to make in advance for a fun treat.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • Zest of one medium orange
  • 6 tbsp aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice (about 1/2 a medium orange juiced)
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup plain unsweetened plant-based yogurt
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
  • 2 tbsp plant-based butter, melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cup (295 g) all-purpose flour (if using measuring cups, spoon and level your flour)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp poppy seeds
  • Coarse sugar to top with (like Sugar in the Raw), optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Using your hands, rub the zest into the sugar for a minute to release the oils from the orange peel.
  2. Add the aquafaba and whisk well until the mixture starts to foam around the edges. Then whisk in the orange juice, oil, yogurt, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract, and stir well until evenly mixed and smooth.
  3. Next, stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  4. Add in the flour and poppy seeds, then using a spatula, fold the ingredients together just until the ingredients are combined. Do not overmix!
  5. Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes. While waiting, prepare two jumbo muffin tins by greasing or spraying with a little oil or using paper liners.
  6. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each well about 3/4 of the way full. Top the batter with a small sprinkle of coarse sugar then place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat of the oven to 350F and continue to bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops appear golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Rub your zest with sugar. The sugar is rough, which when rubbed with the zest will help break open the cells of the zest and naturally release their oils, which are loaded with that orange essence.

Measure your flour appropriately for best results. I recommend a scale to ensure that you are getting the most accurate flour weight, which will lead to more consistent muffins.

Avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense and dry. Just fold the flour into the wet batter until just combined.

Use an initially higher temperature when baking. Backing the muffins at 425F for 5 minutes helps the muffins bake taller, giving you the classic dome shape for our muffins.

You can swap the jumbo muffin tin for a regular muffin tin. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time. This recipe will make 9 jumbo muffins and 12 regular sized muffins. Bake the smaller muffins at 450F for an initial 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 13-15 minutes.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!

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