glazed grapefruit poppy seed muffins
So. These were not the muffins I intended to post. The ones I intended? They were healthy. They were made with 100% whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt and less sugar and topped with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar.
And those muffins, when they came out of the oven, looked like craggy rocks and tasted like cardboard. Boo hiss.
Instead, I give you these glazed grapefruit poppy seed muffins! The final product. The BETTER product, trust. The product that still has some whole wheat flour in it and less sugar and reduced fat milk but also, all the yums (like that grapefruit glaze, yeahhhhh). Which is really what I was going for all along.
The recipe for these muffins is a variation on the orange almond poppy seed bread from my eCookbook, Quick Bread Love, except with a few changes:
1) Muffins instead of a loaf, obviously.
2) Grapefruit zest and juice instead of orange zest and juice.
3) A fraction of the sugar.
4) Some of the all-purpose flour swapped for some whole wheat pastry flour.
5) DAT GLAZE.
I just couldn’t get the idea of the grapefruit/poppy seed combo out of my head when I passed by a bin full of glorious grapefruit at Target (I mean really, where else would I be this time of year when it’s a -22 degree wind chill out besides in my house, employing the human burrito blanket situation + cozy slippers with a space heater in my face). And then, suddenly, I had a hankering for carbs (you’re shocked, I know). And carbs soon narrowed down to muffins. But I kinda wanted some healthy-ish muffins, because of that whole intentional eating thing I’m trying to do. And so I procured said grapefruit, jotted down some notes on healthy swaps for the muffins and got to work.
And that’s when those ish cardboard muffins happened. And that’s the last time I shall speak of them so we can talk about happier things, like round two of muffins that taste way more amazing. And are still kinda healthy, too, holla!
So here’s what you need to do: Go get some grapefruit (seriously, it’s so super delicious right now I can’t even deal). Stir the zest and juice into a muffin batter along with poppy seeds and all the other good stuff. Scoop them into muffin tins. Bake. Cool. MAKE DAT GLAZE. Dip cooled muffins into the grapefruit glaze, let the glaze set, lick the glaze bowl clean while you let the glaze set. Finally, eat a muffin. Or five. You can eat more because they’re healthy — that’s how it works, right?
Tangy + tart + citrusy + sweet + fluffy + glaze-y. These are a few of my favorite things.
PrintGlazed Grapefruit Poppy Seed Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 14 muffins 1x
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest (from about 1 large grapefruit)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons grapefruit juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used the Bob’s Red Mill variety)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups 2% milk
For the glaze:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 regular-size muffin tins with baking spray or line 14 muffin cups with paper baking cups.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, rub sugar and grapefruit zest together with fingers until well-combined and fragrant. Add oil, poppy seeds, grapefruit juice, vanilla and egg. Beat on low speed until just combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder and salt.
- To grapefruit-poppy seed mixture, alternately stir in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until just combined. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine ingredients for glaze, adding more grapefruit juice or powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency. Dip top of each muffin in glaze, then return to cooling rack (or a sheet of parchment paper) so glaze can drip and set.
Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link.
I’m gobbling up all the citrus fruit right now. It’s sooooo good! Can’t stop, won’t stop. Earmarking these beauties for this weekends baking!
Sp lovely and light textured! The combination of poppy seeds in any citrus dessert has to be one of my classic go to for easy yums. You had me at “DAT GLAZE”!
What cute little muffins! Love the grapefruit glaze 🙂
Bring on the muffins! 🙂
Dat glaze is right! Holy mound of delicious low-fat carby goodness, I need these! Pinned.
First thing: GORGEOUS PHOTOS. Second thing: carbs + citrus = I love you. Third thing: Human burritos unite!
Even though you didn’t intend to post these, I sure am glad you did! I love them!
I have a grapefruit sitting on my counter at home…must make these asap!
Citrus!! And that glaze. A match made in carb-y, sweet heaven.
I had plans for the grapefruit I just bought, but I think that might be changing – that glaze!!
Oh these look so good, love that glaze!
These sound amazing! I put all kinds of citrus in my glazes, but I’ve never done grapefruit. Beautiful photos.
hahah for the love of carbs! I’ve yet to go take the survey, it’s bookmarked but I slacked and now I have to because carbs have been mentioned. I’m in a huge grapefruit kick right now and just love these muffins! Their mini size is kinda doing it for me!
Indeed, DAT GLAZE. It’s so perfect and drippy, I can’t even handle. I just raided the on sale grapefruit bin at Whole Foods so I’m thinking these muffins may definitely be in my weekend forecast. YUMZZZ
It is weird that I just fantasized about someone throwing one of these at my face and me catching it in my mouth?
I’m OBSESSED with citrusy poppy seed muffins and I love the grapefruit idea. And that glaze? I’d like to get love drunk off of it.
These look fantastically delicious – not to mention so cute! I love this twist on the traditional lemon/poppy seed flavor combo. Yum!
I need more grapefruit in my life. I always forget about it, and I think it’s feeling a bit neglected. These muffins look like the perfect way to let grapefruit know I stil care. 🙂
These look AMAZING!! I’m a muffin and grapefruit lover, so this is a match made in heaven for me. Pinned!
GRAPEFRUIT!! Yes. I love them. Can’t get enough.
I love poppy seed bread so I’ll have to try your muffins. Love the grapefruit riff!
Citrus and poppy seeds are a match made in heaven! These muffins are gorgeous … and that glaze … I kinda want to just eat a spoonful! haha
Ugh, I can never get over how gorgeous grapefruits are!! That glaze sounds amazing, and the muffin sounds delicious, and all together sounds spectacular. Pinned!!
That’s so funny, I just made cardboard donuts! And then the sugary, boozy donuts that they were always meant to be 😉 Love these muffins, and DAT GLAZE. Yum. Looks seriously delicious!
Denise — It’s like those cardboard baked goods needed to happen just so we could find our muffin/donut soul mates. 😉 Thanks!
I want to eat that glaze with a spoon, is that wrong? Love these. Genius to combine grapefruit and poppy seed together. Pinning these now!
I’ve been loving all things grapefruit lately! Wish I had a few of these muffins in front of me right now!
They’re so small and perfect! I tried making a healthy recipe last week. It looked like shit. No more healthy recipes for me. I’ll stick to the good stuff. Like these muffins. That glaze must be insane!
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It’s a shame that grapefruit isn’t in season here in Australia as I really want to make these glazed poppy seed muffins. Think I still will make them but use lemon instead!
These are the happiest looking muffins! I can only imagine how incredible that glaze is…. I want them all!
Grapefruit desserts have become my obsession this winter – need to add these muffins to the mix! THAT GLAZE.
Healthy-ish or not, I’m glad that you are sharing these muffins because they’re gorgeous! And oh my that glaze, I could just drink that up all by itself!
These look like HEAVEN. The perfect dreamy, speckled poppyseed texture and yes, that glaze!!!! I love it.
Yum! I love lemon poppyseed baked goods, but I secretly prefer grapefruits to lemon… this is totally the recipe for me 🙂
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What a perfect muffin! Love this twist on a citrus classic 😉
I’ve never had a grapefruit muffin before – how fun! They look delicious! Pinned!
Gorgeous muffins! I wish I had a couple for breakfast.
Love love loove the recipe, i can’t wait to bake a batch of these lovely grapefruit babies. Quick question, are these mini muffins or normal sized ones? And exactly how much batter should i pour in one muffin tin? Thanks for the help and the amazing grapefruit+poppyseeds combo!
Nicholas — They’re normal sized! Fill the muffin tin cups about 2/3 full and you should be good. Enjoy the recipe!
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Would it be okay to replace the wwp with half ww and half ap flour? Thanks!
Nicole — Yes, that should work!
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I liked this recipe, however found there not to be much grapefruit flavor. Maybe more zest? Also a tiny bit drier than I would have liked. And personally I would use less poppy seeds next time.
★★★★