Ricotta Lemon Muffins taste like they’re fresh from the bakery, but are made right in your kitchen in just over 30 minutes. They’re full of delicious lemon flavor, and the muffins are extra moist.
I love lemon desserts. If you do too, try my Raspberry Lemon Bread and my Lemon Curd (Lemon Filling). You won’t be disappointed.
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Why this Ricotta Lemon Muffin Recipe is a Keeper
You’ll love these lemon moist muffins because they’re as easy to make as they are delicious. Perfect for breakfast or a snack.
- Moist Texture: Ricotta keeps the muffins soft and tender.
- Bright Lemon Flavor: Fresh lemon zest and juice add a fresh citrus taste.
- Easy Baking Recipe: Simple mixing method and pantry ingredients.
- Perfect for Breakfast: Great for brunch, snacks, or grab-and-go mornings.
- Serve With: Serve this recipe with Strawberry Scones or Banana Chocolate Chip Bread.
Why Add Ricotta to these Easy Lemon Muffins?
Ricotta is naturally high in moisture but low in free water, so it hydrates the batter without making it runny. This gives muffins a soft, plush crumb that stays moist longer than oil‑only or milk‑only batters.
Avoid This Common Mistake
Overmixing muffin batter creates dense muffins. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated to keep the texture light and fluffy.
Ingredient Notes to Make Lemon Muffins
You only need a few simple ingredients and most are pantry staples. The lemon juice and sugar really brighten the flavor of these muffins.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Ricotta: The addition of ricotta cheese makes these fluffy lemon muffins nice and moist.
- Lemon: You will need both fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice.
- Baking Powder: Be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda.
Variations and Substitutions – Lemon Blueberry Muffins
This moist and delicious bakery muffin recipe is super easy to customize. I like to take it to the next level by using different ingredients or trying different flavors.
➡️ Add Lemon Glaze: Make a simple lemon drizzle for over cooled muffins using sugar and lemon juice. This will add lots of lemon flavor.
➡️ Add Blueberries: Fold fresh blueberries into the base recipe batter to turn it into a quick and easy lemon blueberry muffin recipe. Coat the blueberries in flour so they do not sink.
➡️ Poppy Seeds: Stir in a tablespoon of poppy seeds.
➡️ Add Streusel Topping: Sprinkle a crumb topping on before baking to make them more like lemon streusel muffins.
➡️ Use Orange Zest: Swap lemon zest for orange zest to make them like orange muffins.
➡️ Milk: Use any kind of milk to help mix the batter together.
Kitchen Tools To Make and Love These Lemon Muffins
Sometimes a specific piece of equipment/item is needed to make a recipe just right. In this case, all that’s really needed is a muffin tin and a zester.
- Muffin Pan: A standard 12-cup muffin pan ensures even baking.
- Cookie Scoop: Helps portion batter evenly for consistent muffin size.
- Microplane Zester: Perfect for finely grating lemon zest for strong flavor.
How to Make Moist Lemon Ricotta Muffins
This tart lemon recipe comes together in 4 quick and easy steps. This lemon ricotta muffin recipe is so good, it quickly became one of my favorite muffin recipes.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Preheat Oven and Mix Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven and add liners to a muffin tray. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Lemon Sugar: Add white sugar to a bowl, then zest the lemon directly on top. Rub the sugar and zest together, and be sure to save 2 Tablespoons for later.
- Make the Batter: Add the oil and ricotta to the sugar mixture, and beat until smooth and fluffy. Then, mix in the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice before adding the dry ingredients. When no flour streaks remain, stir in milk.
- Assemble & Bake: Portion out the batter into the prepared muffin pan, then top with the remaining lemon sugar. Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the center muffin comes out clean.
Zest a Lemon Ahead and Short Cut Tips
Preparing a recipe in advance is great to be able to enjoy it whenever. I love to make these muffins and have them on hand.
➡️ Measure Ingredients Early: Pre-measure flour and other dry ingredients.
➡️ Zest Lemons Ahead: Zest lemons before juicing. The zest gives these muffins the right amount of lemon flavor to really shine, without being too much lemon flavor.
➡️ Line Muffin Pan: Use liners for quick cleanup.
Alternate Cooking Methods for Making the Muffins
Alternatively, you can make your muffins mini. They are fun and poppable or add them to your kids lunches.
- Mini Muffins: Bake in mini muffin tins for shorter baking time.
Can I Add Lemon Extract to add More Lemon Flavor?
Yes! If you want even more extra lemon flavor, start by adding just a little bit of extract. You don’t to overpower the lemon flavor.
How to Store and Use Leftover Bakery Style Muffins
- Storing: Keep muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Warm muffins in the microwave for 10–15 seconds to refresh the texture.
- Using Leftovers: Slice muffins and toast them lightly with butter for a breakfast treat. Crumble over yogurt or parfaits or use as a topper for ice cream.
Expert Tips to Make a Lemon Muffin
➡️ Do Not Overmix: Stir batter just until combined.
➡️ Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Helps batter mix evenly.
➡️ Fill Muffin Cups Properly: Fill about ¾ full for tall muffin tops.
➡️ Zest Before Juicing: It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon.
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Ricotta Lemon Muffins
Equipment
- Lemon Squeezer
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Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup White sugar
- Lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup Olive oil
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin liners and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Place the white sugar in a large bowl and zest the lemon directly over top. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to impart the flavor. Remove 2 Tablespoons of the lemon sugar and set aside for topping the muffins.
- Add the oil and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Stir in the flour mixture until combined and no dry streaks remain, then stir in the milk until completely incorporated.
- Portion out the muffin batter into the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon sugar.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and muffins are golden.
Christina’s Notes
- Mix Gently: Stir the batter just until everything comes together to keep the muffins tender.
- Use Room‑Temperature Ingredients: They blend more smoothly, giving you an even, consistent batter.
- Fill the Cups ¾ Full: This gives the muffins enough room to rise into those tall, bakery‑style tops.
- Zest Before You Juice: It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon than one that’s already been squeezed.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Lemon and ricotta are such a great combination.