Sprite is the Key to Perfect Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

story by KALEA MARTIN • photo by GRUBBANA STUDIOS

You’ve heard of apple pie made with Ritz crackers instead of apples, now meet lemon poppy seed muffins without the lemon.

It might sound impossible or too good to be true. After all, how do you capture that bright, citrusy flavor without one of its main ingredients? The answer is simple: Sprite. Turns out this soda isn’t just for drinking. The lemon-lime flavor works surprisingly well in muffins too. The carbonation gives the baked goods extra lift in the oven so it has a little help rising. But even flat soda left over from a party can pull its weight in flavor.

How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Sprite

To harness the magic of Sprite in your lemon poppy seed muffins, you have options. You can simply add the soda to the batter and keep everything else the same. Or, you can use it as a substitute for all or some of the lemon juice, depending on preference or how much you have on hand. Scaling back the sugar to counteract the sweetness in the soda may also be a good idea if you don’t want a result that’s overly sweet.

The recipe below is built around this approach, letting Sprite do the work without overcomplicating the process. Try it—you’d be surprised how well it works!

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Sprite Poppy Seed Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup Sprite
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons lemon zest or lemon extract (optional, for added lemon flavor)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, cornmeal, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl: Sprite, milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest, and optional lemon oil. Whisk gently until smooth.
4. Fold wet into dry with a spatula. Mix just until combined; the batter will be slightly lumpy, and that’s okay. Don’t overmix.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling about ¾ full.
6. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.