Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins (Print)

Moist, tender muffins featuring fresh raspberries, lemon zest, and creamy ricotta for a bright breakfast treat.

# What You 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)

→ Topping

14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

# How To Make It:

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, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to distribute evenly.
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 the raspberries into the batter, taking care not to crush them and cause excessive color bleeding.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar for a crunchy finish if desired.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Let the 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 impossibly moist for days, so you can bake on Sunday and still enjoy them Wednesday morning without any sadness.
  • Lemon and raspberry together hit that sweet tart balance that makes you close your eyes after the first bite, every single time.
02 -
  • I once overmixed the batter trying to get every last flour pocket and the muffins came out rubbery, so truly stop folding while a few streaks remain.
  • Folding the lemon zest directly into the sugar before mixing releases essential oils and doubles the lemon flavor without adding more zest.
03 -
  • Toss the raspberries in a spoonful of flour before folding them in and they will stay suspended throughout the muffin instead of sinking to the bottom.
  • Measure the oil in the same cup as the milk first so the oil coats the measuring cup and slides out cleanly without sticking.

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