Copycat Costco Almond Poppyseed Muffins
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Up next in my Copycat Series are these Copycat Costco Almond Poppyseed Muffins!
If you’ve ever walked through the Costco bakery, which feels silly even to type out because I think we all have, haha, you know how irresistible their muffins are!
I am a total muffin girly. I’ll choose a muffin for breakfast over a donut any day! Are we still friends after I admit that?! From Lemon Poppyseed Muffins and Blackberry Muffins to Peanut Butter Muffins and French Toast Muffins, I’ll take them all!
But my most recent obsession are my Costco Copycat Muffins. They have a perfectly soft, tender crumb yet are dense at the same time. I did my best to imitate the Costco flavor, and I am just so in love with them! Made with simple ingredients, dare I say better-than-Costco, and are the perfect jumbo bakery-style sized muffins.
Table Talk with Tawnie
You may have noticed Costco has recently changed their muffin recipes. Word on the street is they are selling the almond poppyseed again in an 8 pack, but I haven’t seen them in stores near me yet. I know I’m not the only one devastated about this, so it was perfect timing for me to create a copycat recipe! I got to work and recipe tested over and over to create the best tasting copycat recipe with a similar (or even better!!) texture. I hope you love them as much as I do and can’t wait to hear what you think!
- Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour for the perfect muffin texture. Be sure to spoon and level the flour to avoid adding too much, which can make the muffins dense.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: this combination helps create a high-rise and fluffy texture. Ensure they’re fresh (not expired), as old leavening agents won’t give the same lift.
- Sour cream: I love adding sour cream to my muffins and cakes. It helps the muffins stay extra moist and rich. Substitute: full-fat Greek yogurt works as a great alternative.
- Buttermilk: In my testing, I found buttermilk (as opposed to milk) gives the muffins a softer texture and an even better flavor.
- Eggs: be sure to use room-temperature eggs because they mix more evenly and create fluffier muffins.
- Oil: I found that using oil (instead of butter) in this recipe keeps these muffins ultra-moist.
- Almond Extract: a key ingredient to getting that same Costco-style muffin taste!
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Stir together dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking soda, salt, sugar, and poppyseeds!
Whisk together wet
In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, oil, eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Divide into the jumbo muffin tin and bake.
Enjoy!
Hello deliciousness!
Expert Tips
- Don’t over mix the batter: over mixing can lead to a tough poppy seed muffin.
- Room temperature ingredients: Eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk should be at room temp for even mixing.
- ✔ Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize, resulting in dense muffins.
- Spoon and level the flour:
- ✔ Always spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off.
✔ Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much flour, making muffins dry.
- ✔ Always spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Fill the muffin liners almost to the top: to get those big, bakery-style muffin tops, fill the muffin liners to the top. This recipe will make 6 jumbo muffins.
- Bake at a Higher Temp First for a Better Rise:
- ✔ Start at 400°F for 5 minutes, then lower to 350°F for the remaining time. The high heat puffs up the muffins, creating a beautiful domed top.
Variations / Substitutions
- Make it lemony: Replace almond extract with 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest and 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Add a simple lemon glaze (powdered sugar + lemon juice) for extra flavor.
- Nuts: Add chopped toasted almonds on top for crunch.
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour. Add ½ tsp. xanthan gum if your flour blend doesn’t already include it.
Storage / Freezing
- Poppy seed muffin storage recommendations:
- ✔Room Temp: Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.
- ✔ Refrigerate: Keeps fresh for up to 1 week.
- ✔ Freeze: Wrap muffins individually and freeze for up to 3 months—just thaw or warm in the microwave before eating!
FAQs
Can I make standard-sized muffins with this recipe?
Yes For standard size muffins baked in a 12-count muffin pan, reduce baking time to about 20 total minutes: 5 initial minutes at 400°F and 15 minutes at 350°F. You will get 12 muffins.
Why did my muffins sink in the middle?
It could be for a variety of reasons.
✔ Overmixing the batter—too much air can cause collapse.
✔ Underbaking—test with a toothpick; it should come out clean or with a few crumbs.
✔ Opening the oven door too early—this causes temperature fluctuations.
Why are my muffins sticking to the muffin liners?
Be sure to use high-quality parchment liners (cheaper ones tend to stick). Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before peeling off the liner. You can also lightly spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray before filling.
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Copycat Costco Almond Poppyseed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 heaping cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the muffin pan and oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 6 count jumbo muffin tin with jumbo muffin liners. Set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, sugar, salt, poppyseeds, baking powder, and baking soda.2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds, 1 tsp. fine sea salt, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Whisk wet ingredients: Whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract in another bowl until smooth.1/2 heaping cup full fat sour cream, room temperature, 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 tsp. almond extract, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold until combined. The batter will be somewhat thick.
- Divide into muffin tin: Spoon or scoop into the prepared jumbo muffin pan, filling up almost to the top. You should get 6 muffins.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, and then without taking the muffins out of the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the muffin pan for about 5-10 minutes, remove to a wire rack, and enjoy!! PS: I think these are *even better* the next day; so yummy with some morning coffee or tea!
Video
Notes
- Room Temperature: 2–3 days in an airtight container.
- Refrigerated: Up to 1 week in an airtight container.
- Frozen: 2–3 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
