Deliciously moist and fluffy, these muffins are bursting with lemon and raspberries!
If you have young ones in the house, you know they snack a lot. I mean a lot, especially in the summer! Muffins can be a hearty breakfast or a filling snack, even for those with seemingly bottomless pits in their stomachs. The best part is they can be made ahead of time making them an easy option for those of us with things to do that don’t involve tending to the never-ending “request” for another snack.
This recipe uses simple pantry staples making it friendly for the budget. You can make several batches of this homemade recipe for less than one or two store-bought packages. It also doesn’t include all of the extra “ingredients” so typically found in pre-packaged offerings in grocery stores. Those are things that I am looking for when it comes to offering healthier versions of snacks for my family.
Check out my other muffin recipes!
What You’ll Need to Bake Raspberry Lemon Muffins
Flour
For this recipe, I use organic, unbleached all-purpose flour. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Salt
Salt helps to preserve the flavor and prevent staleness.
Sugar
Sugar helps to keep baked goods soft and moist while adding sweetness.
Eggs
Fresh eggs help not only add flavor and moisture but also help create structure and stability within the batter.
Unsalted Butter
We love the richness real butter adds to baked goods. Using a high-quality butter helps the muffins to have a firmer texture. If you are dairy-free, butter can be replaced with a neutral oil like olive or avocado oil. Keep in mind that using oil may cause the batter to be thin and runny.
Buttermilk
The tanginess in buttermilk pairs perfectly with the lemons and raspberries adding complexity to each bite.
Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest
To ensure we’re getting that lemon flavor in every bite, we are adding it wherever we can. Lemon juice helps to activate our leavening agents, baking powder, and baking soda. Lemon zest contains lemon oil, which is where you’ll find the most flavor. When using the grater, you want to stop when you reach the white pith. This has a very bitter taste, and we definitely don’t want that in our muffins! I typically do two scrubs against the grater then move the fruit slightly to get more zest.
Lemon Extract
I absolutely love my homemade lemon extract and will likely never return to the store-bought version again! Homemade extracts offer a cleaner flavor, meaning they don’t taste artificial like the common store brands. They are also really affordable to make and easy to customize. If you don’t have lemon extract on hand, vanilla will do just fine.
What’s the Difference Between a Muffin and a Cupcake?
You’ll find that texture is the primary difference between muffins and cupcakes. While cupcakes are typically lighter and fluffier, muffins have a moister and denser consistency.
Helpful Tips
Raspberries - I typically use fresh or freeze-dried raspberries for this recipe. If using freeze-dried, you’ll want to reconstitute them by adding a little bit of water and allowing them to sit for a few minutes. Drain the water off of the raspberries before adding them to the batter.
If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them before mixing them into the batter.
Folding the berries in gently will help to avoid your batter turning grey.
Rest - Allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes before spooning into muffin pan. This will allow the flour time to absorb all of the wet ingredients and create a thicker batter. If the batter is on the thicker side, it's less likely to have spreading and “flat muffin tops.”
Over-mixing - Do not over-mix the batter. Doing so will cause the muffins to become dense.
Yield: 22-24 muffins
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
½ Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 ½ cups raspberries
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 24-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or baking liners.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture.
Add sugar, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
Mix all ingredients well until thoroughly combined.
Gently fold in raspberries.
Carefully spoon muffin batter into prepared muffin tin ensuring each cup is approximately ¾ of the way full.
Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of one muffin, if the toothpick comes out clean and free from any wet batter, the muffins are baked completely.
Allow muffins to cool in pan for approximately 5-7 minutes.
Carefully remove muffins from pan and allow to cool completely on wire baking rack.
Glaze
In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice until well combined and all clumps have been removed.
Drizzle glaze over the tops of the muffins.
Muffins may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.
How to Freeze Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Place muffins on a cookie sheet and place them uncovered in the freezer for approximately 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and place the frozen muffins in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months.
To thaw, simply remove the desired amount of muffins from the freezer-safe storage bag and place on a plate. Allow to thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes or reheat from frozen in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes.
If you tried this Lemon Raspberry Muffin recipe, we would love to hear how they turned out. Be sure to let us know in the comments below, tag us on Instagram @TheAzaleaHomestead, or share with us on Facebook!
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