Ricotta Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
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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 these tangy mini lemon curd cheesecakes.
You need lots of lemon zest
This recipe uses a hefty amount of fresh lemon zest so make sure you have 3-4 big lemons on hand. Besides that, all you need to make this recipe is poppy seeds, ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, Kosher salt, eggs, whole milk, neutral oil, and raw sugar for topping.
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’s very fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Bake the muffins
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!
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, cover the muffins with a clean linen and store at room temperature for 1-2 days at most.
Or freeze them
The good news is that freezing muffins is way less technical. Just place the muffins on a sheet pan and pop them in your freezer until firm, about 1-2 hours. 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.
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!
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Ricotta Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest (about 3-4 large lemons)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 large eggs, room-temperature
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Raw sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line every other cavity of a muffin tin with jumbo muffin liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow, very fragrant, and starting to clump together a bit. This should only take about 30-60 seconds. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds until combined. Set aside.
- Add the eggs, ricotta, whole milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the lemon sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Add half of the flour to the wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk or rubber spatula, just until you have a couple streaks of flour left. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick. A few lumps are ok!
- Divide the batter evenly between the 8 muffin liners. Make sure to fill the liners to the very top with batter. Sprinkle each muffin generously with raw sugar.
- Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5-6 minutes until the muffins have a good rise on them. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake the muffins for 12-15 more minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to set in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh with hot coffee or tea!
