Lemon, Poppy Seed and Parsnip Muffins with Lemon Drizzle are easy, tasty and they have hidden vegetables in them! The parsnip lends a lovely subtle earthy taste that goes perfectly with the lemon. You wouldn’t even know it’s there, but it makes the muffins beautifully moist.
Parsnip Muffins might sound strange, but they’re super tasty. Fragrant poppyseeds and zingy lemon combine in the fluffy muffins, which are then topped with a simple lemon icing.
They’re easy to make and nobody would guess that they have hidden vegetables in them!
Carrots are often found in desserts, but here I've added parsnip instead as it has a lovely slightly nutty taste.
Lemon and poppyseeds give loads of flavor to this parsnip muffin recipe and I’m sure everyone will enjoy them as much as we do.
They taste just like a typical lemon poppyseed muffin, but are wonderfully moist from the addition of grated parsnips.
Just like carrots add so much to carrot cake, parsnips work very much the same.
This parsnip muffins recipe was originally posted on 23 January 2014 and republished with new text and images on 2 February 2021.
Why you'll love this recipe
he parsnip lends a lovely subtle earthy taste that goes brilliantly with the lemon.
These parsnip muffins are zingy, fragrant, fluffy and moist.
They have hidden vegetables from the parsnip.
They’re a tasty way to use up parsnips.
A quick and easy muffin recipe.
Parsnips are full of vitamin c and fiber. Find out more about the health benefits of parsnips.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you only need a few simple ingredients and tools.
Parsnips - you’ll need a large (or two small) raw parsnips to yield about 2 cups, loosely packed, of grated parsnips.
Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - to give the muffins structure and rise, and the salt will bring out the other flavors.
Butter, sugar and eggs - the building blocks of any great muffin recipe.
Plain yogurt - this helps to make the muffins moist and replaces some of the butter, making the muffins slightly healthier.
Poppy seeds - find these little flavor balls in the spice aisle at the grocery store. You can leave them out if you like though.
Lemon, zest and juice - for that zingy flavor.
Vanilla extract - this helps sweeten the recipe and brings out the other flavors.
For the Lemon Drizzle topping, you’ll need lemon juice and powdered icing sugar.
Tips
The smaller the parsnip the sweeter they tend to be, so go for a nice spindly one and get grating.
Can't get parsnip? Go for carrot or grate in any hard veg like squash.
Make these muffins lighter by leaving out the lemon drizzle topping.
Like with most cake and muffin recipes, don’t overmix once the dry and wet ingredients are combined. You want them completely mixed, but don’t beat of the muffins won’t be so light and fluffy.
Don’t like poppyseeds? No problem, just leave them out of your parsnip muffins.
Variations
Swap the lemon for an orange or lime for a different citrus flavor.
Leave out the poppyseeds or swap for chopped nuts.
Instead of lemon icing, try a streusel topping.
Add a large handful of fresh blueberries to the batter.
Swap the parsnips for grated carrot.
Parsnips in Desserts
Ah, parsnips. Perhaps seen as the anaemic cousin to the carrot's vivacious, popular bronzed goddess, but definitely not to me.
Parsnip cake knocks the tops off carrot cake and a Sunday roast isn't complete without my husband's amazing parsnip puree.
The flavour is earthy and subtly nutty, perfect in Parsnip Muffins, along with lemon and poppyseeds.
Parsnip is so easy to incorporate into baking and adds such a lovely mild rooty flavour to many dishes that it's time to take it beyond roast dinner.
If you're happy to have carrot cake, then open your mind to parsnip.
Try it in these tasty parsnip desserts:
Maple Parsnip Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting
Winter-Spiced Parsnip Cake with Mulled Wine Drizzle
Muffin Recipes
Looking for more unusual muffin recipes? Try these!
Kale Green Muffins
Blueberry Zucchini Muffins (courgette)
Sweet Spinach Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Beet Muffins
Persimmon Muffins
Get the recipe
Did you make this parsnip muffin recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
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Lemon, Poppy Seed and Parsnip Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 1 raw parsnip (120g, ¾ cup grated)
- 2 cups (250g) plain flour (all-purpose)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarb of soda baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ cup (115g) butter softened (plus extra for greasing)
- ¾ cup (130g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (150g) plain yogurt
For the Lemon Drizzle
- ¾ cup (100g) powdered icing sugar
- 5 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease or line a muffin tray.
- Peel and finely grate the parsnips. Set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in well.
- Beat in the zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract, blend well and then add the yogurt and combine.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt and stir in the poppy seeds and parsnip. Combine it all thoroughly, but don't overbeat it.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, filling them ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cook for a few minutes in the muffin tray and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the drizzle topping:
- Stir lemon juice, teaspoon by teaspoon, into the icing sugar until a runny consistency. Drizzle over the completely cooled muffins.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Joanna
Can I use vegan butter and flax egg for this recipe?
Kate Hackworthy
Absolutely, that should work just fine.
Emma
Lovely 😊 Have made this 4x now.
Louisa Berry
Do you think these would work with flax eggs?
Kate Hackworthy
It certainly should!
Kirsty
Just tried your recipe for lemon, poppyseed and parsnip muffins. I made it into a cake rather than muffins and added a maple lemon buttercream instead of the lemon drizzle. Utterly gorgeous!!
Margo
What an incredible recipe, we loved the addition of parsnips... Perfect for the kids lunchboxes! Zingy and tasty, thanks for the recipe.
Bea
These were great! I am loving lemon EVERYTHING lately and this was a fun hidden vegetable twist. Couldn't taste teh parsnips!!!!
janelle
you have the best combos, things i would never think of! This was awesome!
Jenni
These was so delicious. I loved the parsnip with the lemon!!
addy
I love lemon and poppy seed muffins but the addition of parsnip to this was genius. I am totally loving baking with parsnips now having tried it. They were easy and moist and tasty. My kids didn't guess they were eatin gparsnips!
Kate Veggie Desserts
Great, aren't they? They're just so nice in sweet treats - completely underrated vegetable for cakes!
Choclette
Ahh, parsnip in cake, I am a little more familiar with - gives a nice nutty flavour.
Kate Veggie Desserts
Aw, thanks Emily! xx
Lou
Oh Kate,
your recipes are always so creative and surprising.
Been a while I haven't been on your blog (I seem to have difficulties with WP updates :S) but so glad of reading from you again 🙂
I love parsnip, been thinking about using in sweets too, once I did a sort of bechamel without milk and butter and I think mixed in with white chocolate it would make an interesting cream for sweets 😉
Have a lovely weekend
Baci
Lou
Kate Veggie Desserts
That sounds so interesting, Lou! I'll have to have a play with the idea. My husband made parsnip puree with nutmeg recently and I've been trying to come up with a dessert to use it in. 🙂
Lou
Looking forward to see what you come up with, you rock 😉
Have a nice evening!
Lou
Julie's Family Kitchen
Such an ingenious recipe. The parsnip muffin with the lemon drizzle icing on top looks lovely. I never know what to do with parsnips but roast them in honey, your recipe makes me think again.
Kate Veggie Desserts
Funny isn't it? We're so used to sweet parsnips for roasts, but they don't normally get a look in for desserts. They really should as they taste great and since you only need to grate them they are so easy to add in. Thanks for commenting, Julie.
Javelin Warrior
I've always thought I should bake with parsnips because the flavor is so sweet and we do it with carrots all the time. So I love that you've gone from cake to muffins and these sound wonderful...