Ricotta Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

These ricotta lemon poppy seed muffins are the absolute best! Unlike many muffins, these ones are tender, fluffy, super flavorful, and are bursting with bright citrus. They are great for breakfast, brunch, or just a quick weekend bake!

Should you ever find yourself with an excess of lemons and an extra 30 or so minutes on your hands, I sincerely hope you give yourself the gift that are these muffins. Muffins honestly get a bad rap and it’s not entirely unjustified. I think we’ve all had our fair share that were just straight up a bummer. I swear I could count the number of really great muffins I’ve tasted on half a hand.

When it comes to these though, I can assure you that is not the case. Thanks to some tricks I learned when I was in pastry school, these muffins are light and fluffy and have the *most* lemon flavor. Plus, they have a nice rich tanginess thanks to the addition to ricotta.

I also went bakery-style with them and made sure that they are very tall with a crunchy, sugary top. And if you don’t want all of that wrapped up in a little folded square of parchment, then I think it’s about time we have a heart-to-heart about our priorities. Let’s chat about muffins, ok?

P.S. If you’re looking for more lemony sweets, try these lemon curd cookies or ricotta strawberry lemon cake!

These muffins are the actual best

In case you actually needed a reason to make cake for breakfast, let me talk you into it real quick! First off, these muffins are super tender and fluffy but still a bit dense like a good muffin. There’s no stale, dry, gummy, rubbery muffins going on here, promise. I would even go so far as to say that they’re…moist. I know, sorry. Anyways, here’s a few other highlights!

• Thanks to my secret trick, these have a ton of lemony flavor without extract. No shade to lemon extract but in these muffins, I wanted pure lemon flavor to shine through.
• They are basically one bowl. (Ok, and one small bowl, but you get the gist).
• All you need is a whisk to whip them up. No need to pull out your mixer.
• The batter takes just minutes to stir up. The hardest part is zesting the lemons.
• The muffins are lovely with a cup of coffee or tea. While I like enjoying them at breakfast or brunch, they also make for a nice quick weekend bake when you are in the mood for baking but not necessarily the commitment of a project.

Everything you need

• Lemons – we’ll need plenty of fresh lemon zest, so plan on getting at least 3-4 big ones. I usually just buy a bag. Never a bad idea to have extra lemons around!
• Poppy seeds – these muffins are poppy seed heavy for extra crunch and a little earthy flavor.
• Ricotta cheese – make sure it’s whole milk and not part skim!
• Vanilla extract – this will give the muffins even more flavor.
• Demerara sugar – for sprinkling over the top. My favorite part to be honest!
• Baking basics – sugar, flour, baking powder, table salt, eggs, whole milk, & neutral oil.

The secret to lemony flavor

To get a super concentrated lemony flavor, I rely on a secret ingredient: homemade lemon sugar! To make the lemon sugar, you’ll just combine the zest and sugar in a bowl. Then, using your fingers, rub the mixture in-between your finger tips until it is very fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. The lemon sugar is ready when it’s pale yellow and starting sticking together a bit due to the oils in the zest.

Bake the muffins

1. Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. To the lemon sugar, add the eggs, ricotta, whole milk, oil, and vanilla.

3. Whisk the wet ingredients until they’re nice and smooth.
4. Then, stir in the flour mixture in 2 batches. The batter will be thick.

Don’t over-mix the batter! Over-mixing can cause the gluten in the flour to over-develop which will make the muffins dry, dense, and/or gummy. A few lumps are ok!

5. Divide the batter between 8 muffin cups. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
6. Bake the muffins at 400°F for about 5-6 minutes until you have a good rise on the muffins. Then, reduce the heat to 350°F and bake another 12-15 minutes until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it.
7. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tins for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a rack to cool completely.

The right way to store muffins

Honestly, I always recommend enjoying muffins the day you make them. But, I know leftovers happen. So make sure to store them right because if not, they can come out soggy, gummy, and sticky.

To store the leftovers, line the bottom of a large, airtight storage container with paper towels. Place the cooled muffins on top and cover them with another paper towel on top of the muffins. Cover the container with a lid and store at room temperature for 1-2 days at most.

I have also seen that you can place a few crackers (like Saltines) or a slice of sandwich bread in with the muffins to absorb the extra moisture. I’ve never tried it but it’s worth a shot if you don’t have paper towels!

Or freeze them

The good news is that freezing muffins is way less technical.

1. Place the muffins on a sheet pan and pop them in your freezer until firm, about 1-2 hours.
2. Next, wrap each frozen muffin in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Place them into an airtight bag or container. Freeze the muffins for up to 2 months.
3. To reheat, unwrap the muffins and let them defrost at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.

Prevent the muffins from drying out

Although these muffins don’t get too dry thanks to the ricotta, dryness is always a concern with any quick bread. Here are a few tips to keep the muffins from drying out!

• Measure your flour correctly. I use a scale but the fluff, spoon, & sweep method will work in a pinch.
• Do not over-bake. The muffins are ready when an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Don’t let them cool in the pan. Since the pan is hot right out of the oven, it will cause the muffins to continue baking and could cause them to become over-baked. Let them cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely.
• Enjoy the muffins day-of. While they can last for a day or so, muffins really are best when you eat them right away.

The bakery-style look

If you want to get those tall bakery-style muffins, the key is to fill tall muffin cups all the way to the top. While we try to avoid doing this with cakes, it’s actually what gives muffins that signature dome! I like to use a large ice cream/cupcake scoop to divide the batter into the muffin tins.

My other trick is to start baking the muffins at 400°F for a few minutes to help them rise quickly. Then, I bump down the temperature to 350°F and finish them off just until they’re baked. Works every time!

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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