Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins (Printable version)

Moist, tender muffins loaded with fresh raspberries and creamy ricotta, brightened with lemon zest for a perfect morning treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Components

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 Components

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, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
05 - Gently fold in the raspberries, taking care not to break them apart and bleed color into the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if desired for a crunchy finish.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta keeps these muffins moist for days, which means they are just as good on day three as fresh from the oven.
  • Bright lemon zest and juicy raspberries balance each other perfectly, so they never feel too sweet or too tart.
  • They come together in one bowl plus one bowl, with no fancy techniques required.
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender muffins, so stop folding the moment the dry ingredients disappear into the batter.
  • If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them first or you will end up with purple streaked batter instead of distinct berry pockets.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon directly into the sugar and rub it between your fingers to release all the essential oils before mixing.
  • Filling the muffin cups almost to the very top is the trick to getting those beautiful bakery-style domes.

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