Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners and spray them lightly with oil. Or simply spray a non-stick muffin pan with oil and skip the liners for golden edges.

Step 2

Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a glass measuring cup or small bowl and set aside to curdle. This is your vegan buttermilk.

Step 3

In a large bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest and stir well with a large spoon until fragrant and combined. Now add the flour, baking powder, salt, cornstarch and poppy seeds to the bowl with the lemon sugar and stir to combine.

Step 4

To the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour in the vegan buttermilk, oil, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract, if using. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix or your muffins will be dense and rubbery.

Step 5

Fill liners or muffin cups 3/4 of the way full and bake in the center rack of the oven for 22-25 minutes, until the tops are done and a toothpick comes out clean in the middle.

Step 6

Let them cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely before drizzling with glaze.

Step 7

For the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. If too thick, add more lemon juice. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. Drizzle over cooled muffins, and enjoy!