Lemon Poppy Seed Okara Muffins

Why You Will Love This Recipe

You will love this lemon poppy seed okara muffin recipe because:

• It is a delicious and easy way to use leftover soy pulp after making homemade soy milk.
• These muffins have a moist and soft texture and are light and fluffy.
• It is a simple recipe, with all the mixing done by hand.
• These are great for serving at breakfast or for enjoying as a snack.
• This recipe makes a small batch of six average size muffins.

What is Okara?

Okara is a Japanese term for the soya bean pulp leftover after making soy milk or tofu. 

It is high in fiber, calcium, protein, and other minerals, making it a healthy low-fat ingredient for many sweet and savory foods. 

Fresh okara is available to buy in Japan, Korea, and China, but not so easy to get elsewhere unless you make soya milk or tofu.

If you make soya milk at home and want to know more about using okara, we have an informative article on What To Do With Soya Bean Pulp. 

In the article we show you:

• How to cook raw okara
• How to store it
• How to dry it
• How to make it a powder
• and more

Or, read our What Is Okara? post to learn more about it.

Ingredients

Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Fresh okara - you will need about ½ cup soy pulp. When making soy milk, squeeze out as much milk from the soy pulp as possible. The soy pulp needs to look dry and not overly moist. 

Flour - use plain all-purpose flour.

Baking powder and baking soda - these rising agents will make the muffins rise nice and tall as they bake.

Sugar - use white granulated sugar for the muffin batter and the crumble topping.

Egg - we use large eggs with an average weight of 56 grams (2 ounces).

Milk - use your preferred milk, dairy, or plant milk like soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.

Oil - use a mild-tasting oil like vegetable or canola oil.

Vanilla extract - for added flavor, we used two teaspoons of vanilla, but you can use a little more or less depending on how much you like the taste of vanilla.

Poppy seeds provide a rich nutty flavor and a crunchy texture.

Lemon juice and zest are for flavoring the muffins. The lemon juice will also react with the milk making it similar to buttermilk which helps make the muffins softer and lighter in texture.

Equipment

Muffin tin

For this recipe, we used a 6-count muffin tin where each muffin hole has a ½ cup capacity.

Muffin liners

If you can, try and use muffin liners that are non-stick because the muffins tend to stick to the regular ones making it difficult to remove.

If you can not buy them, make parchment liners with baking paper as we do.

These liners are quick to make and look nice around muffins and cupcakes like these gluten-free chocolate okara cakes.

These liners also have high sides, which helps make the muffins rise nice and tall during baking.

And because the liners are tall, you can fill the muffin holes to the top of the tin and not worry about the batter and crumble topping spilling everywhere during baking.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 6-count muffin tin with non-stick muffin liners - see notes below.

Step 1 - Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the sugar and poppy seeds.

Step 2 - In another large bowl or mixing jug, add the egg, okara, and milk and beat until well combined. Add the lemon juice, oil, vanilla, and zest, and mix well.

Step 3 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until just combined, don’t overmix the batter because the muffins will turn out tough. 

Step 4 - Spoon the batter into the liners filling them to the top of the muffin tin.  

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven, leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Tips

Muffin liners

If you can, try and get muffin liners that are non-stick because the muffins tend to stick the regular ones making it difficult to remove without leaving them intact.

If you can not buy them, make parchment liners with baking paper as we do.

Don't over-mix the muffin batter

Avoid over-mixing the batter because the muffins can turn out tough. 

The wet and dry ingredients should be gently together until they combine, you may have some dry bits and lumps in the batter and this is okay.

Want more lemon flavor

Add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract to the wet mix with the juice and zest.

Serving Size

A serving is one lemon poppy seed okara muffin.

Calories Per Serve

Each muffin has about 275 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein.

Storage

Refrigeration – In cool climates, the muffins are okay overnight at room temperature when stored in a sealed container.

Or you can keep them in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. 

Freezing – these muffins freeze very well. Individually wrap the muffins or bulk freeze them in zip-lock bags or freezer-safe containers. 

When you need them, remove as many as you need from the freezer and thaw. 

Thaw them slowly on the kitchen bench for several hours, or do a quick defrost in the microwave oven.

FAQ

More Easy Recipes

If you liked this recipe for lemon poppy seed okara muffins, you might also like to see all our okara recipes or try these easy breakfast recipes.

• Savory muffins with sundried tomatoes
• Tofu banana smoothie
• Scrambled silken tofu