Lemon Ricotta Muffins are a delicious lemony breakfast treat made with ricotta cheese. These fluffy muffins take just minutes to put together and stay moist for days!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Love, love, love them, and so do all my family and friends! The perfect combo! Light and tasty ! A great use for ricotta!
If you are looking for something truly special for your next brunch, you have to try these Lemon Ricotta Muffins. They are perfectly sweetened with a delicious and simple lemon glaze.
For another crowd favorite lemon treat, don’t miss this Lemon Ricotta Cake or these Soft Lemon Cookies. And, if you love muffins, try these Blueberry Ricotta Muffins, Chocolate Chip Ricotta Muffins, or Lemon Coconut Muffins. If you love coffee, don’t miss these Cappuccino Muffins either!
Why You Need to Make these Muffins
One bite of these Lemon Ricotta Muffins and you’ll want to make them again and again. They are a deliciously soft and moist muffin with so much flavor.
These muffins are great for breakfast, brunch, or a midday treat. They have the perfect balance of flavors and sweetness.
Plus, you can make these ahead of time! Lemon Ricotta Muffins stay super moist thanks to the ricotta cheese. So, they are perfect to make ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This is also a great recipe to have on hand if you have leftover ricotta cheese. Ricotta is a perfect addition to baked goods because it adds moisture without a lot of additional fat.
Whether you are hosting a brunch or holiday meal, or just looking for a delicious and simple muffin, this recipe is for you! Give them a try today!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- flour: just use regular all purpose flour for this recipe.
- leavening agents: I like to use both baking powder and baking soda here to give the muffins the perfect texture.
- sugar: regular granulated sugar works best. You can reduce the sugar by a third if desired.
- butter: unsalted, room temperature butter works best. If you are using salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
- egg: here, I use a large room temperature egg.
- ricotta cheese: when baking with ricotta, it’s best to use whole milk ricotta cheese instead of part skim. If the ricotta seems wet, drain it before using.
- lemon: since you are using the lemon zest and juice, try to use a large organic lemon if you can find it.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Muffins
These Lemon Ricotta Muffins come together fast and are perfect for any occasion. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. You can either line a muffin tin with liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients.
In a separate large bowl, use a handheld mixer to mix together the softened butter, sugar, and ricotta cheese. Mix until light and fluffy; about two minutes. Then, mix in the egg along with the zest and juice of one lemon, until just combined.
Step 3: Finish batter scoop the muffins.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined. Use a muffin scoop or cup to measure out the batter into the prepared muffin tins.
Step 4: Bake and cool.
Lastly, bake the muffins on the center rack of the oven for about 21-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely.
Make a Lemon Glaze
At this point, you can eat your Lemon Ricotta Muffins as is, or you can top them with a simple lemon glaze.
To make the glaze, simply whisk together powdered sugar and either lemon juice or milk. You can adjust the amount of liquid to get the desired consistency.
Then, drizzle the lemon glaze overtop of the cooled Lemon Ricotta Muffins. Let the glaze set for a couple of minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- If your ricotta appears wet, be sure to drain it before using. You can do this by placing a cup of the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve. Note that most store brand ricotta cheeses won’t require draining.
- I like to use whole milk ricotta when baking, but you can use part skim in a pinch.
- This recipe calls for the zest and juice of a lemon. This translates to approximately 1 tablespoon of zest and 3-4 tablespoons of juice.
- The muffins will not change color much when baking. Be sure to test for doneness using a toothpick and be careful not to over bake.
- Make a quick glaze for the muffins using powdered sugar and lemon juice. If you don’t have any extra lemon juice, you can add milk instead.
- Lemon Ricotta Muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moist store-bought ricotta cheeses will not need to be drained before using unless they seem really wet. Then you can just pour off the excess water before using in your muffins.
Drain ricotta by placing the amount you are using in a fine mesh sieve. Set it over a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator until it dries out, about 2-4 hours.
Leftover Lemon Ricotta Muffins should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze the muffins in an airtight container for up to two months. Defrost in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
More Lemon Recipes!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or review in the comments section further down the page.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or review in the comments section further down the page.
Lemon Ricotta Muffins
Equipment
- 12 cup muffin tin
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (270 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, drained
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
Lemon Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (could also use milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar, ricotta cheese, and butter. Use a handheld mixer to mix the ingredients until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and zest and juice of one large lemon. Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Use a muffin scoop to divide the batter equally into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 21-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool on cooling rack.
- To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice (or milk). Drizzle the glaze overtop of the cooled muffins.
Video
Notes
- If your ricotta appears wet, be sure to drain it before using. You can do this by placing a cup of the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve. Note that most store brand ricotta cheeses won’t require draining.
- I like to use whole milk ricotta when baking, but you can use part skim in a pinch.
- This recipe calls for the zest and juice of a lemon. This translates to approximately 1 tablespoon of zest and 3-4 tablespoons of juice.
- The muffins will not change color much when baking. Be sure to test for doneness using a toothpick and be careful not to over bake.
- Make a quick glaze for the muffins using powdered sugar and lemon juice. If you don’t have any extra lemon juice, you can add milk instead.
- Lemon Ricotta Muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to a month.
These were very good and everyone loved them. Could you add lime juice or zest to them?
Yes! That would be delicious 🙂
Can you make this in as a loaf bread? If so, how long in the oven? Thx!
Yes! I would bake for about 50-60 minutes, then check for doneness using a toothpick.
Love anything with lemon,and ricotta cheese. Thank you for this recipe.
So good you should have a cook book
Thank you! 🙂
I loved the flavor and texture of the Lemon Ricotta muffins.
Love, love, love them, and so do all my family and friends! The perfect combo! Light and tasty ! A great use for ricotta!
A very nice recipe. As mentioned by others the muffins were tender and packed with flavor. Next time I make them I want to add a little culinary lavender to the glaze.
Love the lavender idea! Thanks so much 🙂
Oh my goodness!! These are so light and delicious. I love the ricotta cake I make often, but these muffins are like little clouds. My grandsons love them and suggested I add frozen blueberries before baking. I do use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce instead of the egg. Thank you these are perfect.
Baked these muffins this morning, wow they are delicious!
I make home made extracts ,so I added my lemon extract.
Easy to make and definitely will be baking these again.
This recipe is a keeper.😎
Hi Camille. I’m so happy you enjoyed them. I bet that homemade extract added the best flavor! 🙂
Can you use a sugar substitute instead of real sugar?
I’ve never made these with a sugar substitute. You’d have to follow package instructions to see what the conversion is.
I made a batch of these muffins this morning and they were wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
These muffins are so tender and tasty, and the fresh lemon glaze takes them over the top! Another winning recipe from This Italian Kitchen!
I adore the combo of lemon and ricotta – and making a batch of these this weekend!
Ricotta cookies are a FAVORITE of mine, so I’m sure these muffins will be a delight! i can’t wait to try them – I have lemons in my backyard tree, so this weekend is a good time! Wonderful!
I love the tang the ricotta gives to these lemon ricotta muffins. They are a fabulous breakfast treat.