Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins (Printable)

Moist muffins with fresh raspberries, lemon zest, and creamy ricotta 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)

→ Topping (Optional)

14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

# How-To Steps:

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, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix to keep muffins tender.
05 - Gently fold in the raspberries, being careful not to crush them so they stay intact throughout the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar for a crunchy finish.
07 - Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
08 - Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta keeps these muffins incredibly moist for days, which means they actually taste better on day two.
  • Lemon and raspberry together create this bright, almost candied flavor that feels fancy without any extra work.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter produces tough, tunnel filled muffins with tight crumbs, so stop stirring the moment the flour disappears.
  • Tossing the raspberries in a spoonful of flour before folding them in prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
03 -
  • Let the ricotta drain in a fine mesh strainer for ten minutes before using it, because excess whey can make the batter too wet and dense.
  • The coarse sugar topping is not optional in my kitchen because that shattering crunch on the first bite is what makes people close their eyes and smile.

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