Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins (Printable)
Moist muffins filled with fresh raspberries, creamy ricotta, and bright lemon zest for breakfast or snacking.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
02 - ½ cup whole milk
03 - ⅓ cup mild vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - Zest of 1 large lemon
07 - Juice of ½ lemon
→ Dry Ingredients
08 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
10 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
11 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
12 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Fruit
13 - 1½ cups fresh raspberries (or frozen, unthawed)
→ Optional Topping
14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with butter or oil.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, whole milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this will make the muffins tough.
05 - Gently fold the raspberries into the batter using a spatula, taking care not to crush them and spread color throughout.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar for a crunchy, crystallized finish.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden.
08 - Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The ricotta keeps these muffins impossibly moist for days, which means they actually taste better on day two.
- Lemon zest and raspberry together create this bright, almost candied flavor that makes people think you spent way more effort than you did.
02 -
- Fold the batter no more than eight to ten strokes total once the flour goes in, because overmixing activates gluten and turns tender muffins into rubbery disappointments.
- If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them first, because thawed berries release a flood of juice that dyes the entire batter grayish purple and makes the texture soggy.
03 -
- Reserve a small handful of raspberries and press a few into the top of each filled muffin cup before baking, which guarantees pretty berry placement on every single one.
- Let the ricotta drain in a fine mesh strainer for fifteen minutes if it seems watery, because excess moisture will make the muffins collapse in the center.