Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines

Lemon poppy seed madeleines are a delicious twist on traditional French madeleines and a classic combination of flavors and textures. Indeed, nothing will ever beat this timeless madeleine recipe, perfect for making every day and on holidays.

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

Have you already started making homemade madeleines? If this is not the case, you should give them a try. You will not regret this: they are an easy and great baking idea.

Interestingly, the more you bake madeleines, the more you want to experiment with other shapes (you can even make madeleines in a muffin mold) and madeleine flavors.

These newly created lemon and poppy seed madeleines are an excellent combination of sweet and tart, and they are so easy to make.

You might also like this Lemon Curd Cake, French lemon tart, or lemon poppy seed bars.

Lemon poppy seed madeleines recipe

• This lemon poppy seed madeleines recipe is a beautiful twist on classic French madeleines.

• It is a must-make if you are a fan of madeleines and lemon desserts.

• The lemon poppy seed flavor is perfect for springtime entertaining.

Ingredients

Get a quick overview of the necessary ingredients. For precise measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card below. Also, discover the essential baking tools I rely on for daily baking.

Please ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Also, read about necessary madeleine Ingredients.

• Eggs: The recipe calls for large eggs at room temperature. Bring the chilled eggs to the counter 1 to 2 hours before you start.

Pro tip: If you forgot, just place the eggs in a bowl with warm water and let them sit for a few minutes.

• Sugar: Use caster or granulated sugar to make the recipe.

• Butter: Use unsalted butter melted and cooled to 122-140°F (50-60°C). This ingredient is responsible for the buttery flavor and taste of madeleines, so opt for top-quality butter with 82% fat.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour in this recipe. Avoid substituting with self-raising (like Gordon Ramsay in his recipe) or cake flour, as this recipe specifically calls for baking powder and does not include corn starch found in cake flour.

• Golden syrup: Use golden syrup or replace it with glucose syrup or acacia honey that has a light color and mild flavor not to overpower the other flavors.

• Baking powder: A small amount of baking powder is used to help develop the light texture and rise of the sponge cakes.

• Lemon: The recipe calls for lemon zest that adds a delicate but very present taste and flavor. Use a Microplane to make the fresh zest.

• Poppy seeds perfectly go with lemon flavor, add crunchiness, nutty taste, and create an exciting contrast. Use black or blue poppy seeds.

• Salt enhances the flavors of madeleines. Use fleur de sel if available.

How to make lemon poppy madeleines

Step 1. To make madeleine batter, melt butter in the microwave at 20-second intervals and let it cool to 122°F (50°C). 

Step 2. In a mixing bowl, place eggs, sugar, golden syrup and beat with a hand whisk for about 1 minute (photo 1).

Step 3. Add fresh lemon zest and poppy seeds to the egg mixture (photo 2) and mix. 

Step 4. Sift plain flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl using a flour sifter. Add the flour mixture to the principal preparation, and mix with the hand whisk (photo 3).

Step 5. Pour the melted butter in two to three times and mix to combine (photo 4).

Step 6. Cover the batter with plastic wrap (plastic must be in contact with the batter) and refrigerate overnight, better for 24 hours. 

Step 7. The next day, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and let it heat for another 15 minutes.

Step 8. Using a pastry brush and softened butter, butter the cavities of a metal madeleine mold, dust it with flour, and tap any excess; don't grease a silicone mold.

Pro tip: Read on how to bake with silicone molds.

Step 9. Transfer batter to a pastry bag and fill the cavities of the madeleine tin up to ¾ (photo 5).

Step 10. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 3 minutes. Then switch off the oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

The madeleines will develop their bump on top. Then turn the oven to 320°F (160°C) for 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Pro tip: Read on all thesecrets of the madeleine bump.

Step 11. Remove madeleines from the oven and cool in the mold for a couple of minutes.

Step 12. While hot, take them out one by one and place them on the side but in the mold (not on a wire rack) to cool down (photo 6).

Expert Tips

1. Consult the French madeleine recipe for helpful tips and tricks.
2. Get the answers to over 30 common madeleine questions (download a free Troubleshooting Guide in this post).
3. Chilling the batter is essential to get a pretty bump on top of madeleines. So don't skip this step.

Storing and freezing

Store madeleines in an airtight container for up to 2 to 4 days. Read more about how to store madeleines.

Can you freeze madeleines? To freeze, place cooled madeleines in a single layer in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, bring cakes to the counter at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Recipe variations

Lemon and poppy seed flavors are a classic duo, but are there other madeliene flavor combinations?

• Replace lemon zest with orange, mandarin, lime, or grapefruit.

• Use orange blossom honey gathered from the orange groves.

• Replace half of the poppy seeds with sesame seeds for a little crunch.

• Glaze lemon poppy seed madeleines with lemon glaze or fill them with homemade or store-bought lemon curd.

• Finally, make mini madeleines (les petites madeleines in French), but adjust the baking regimen accordingly. It takes time to get to know your oven.

Recipe FAQ

Love madeleines? Try these next

• Raspberry madeleines
• Gingerbread madeleines
• Madeleines without mold
• Or read about all the things madeleines

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Print

Recipe card

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.