These soft, delicious Lemon Ricotta Muffins are made with fresh lemon, ricotta cheese and a simple lemon icing. This easy recipe comes together without a mixer and takes less than an hour to make!
Lemon ricotta muffins are fluffy, perfectly sweet and lemony. Ricotta makes them extra rich and adds some protein. They are topped with lemon icing and make the perfect treat for brunch or snack!
I love baking with ricotta! These ricotta lemon muffins are adapted from my lemon blueberry ricotta pound cake and my chia seed lemon muffins.
If you’re looking for more ricotta recipes, try my Cranberry Almond Ricotta Cake and my Raspberry Ricotta Cake.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Muffins with ricotta cheese are moist, perfectly sweet and full of lemon flavor just like my baked lemon donuts.
- These muffins take less than 1 hour from start to finish!
- A handful of pantry friendly ingredients are used to make these! No special equipment required.
- You can enjoy ricotta lemon muffins them anytime of the day. Be sure to try my cherry and chocolate muffins for another yummy muffin recipe.
Ingredients
Below are useful notes on some of the ingredients needed for this lemon ricotta muffins recipe.
- Butter: You’ll need unsalted butter. The butter doesn’t need to be room temperature since we’re melting it.
- Eggs: Use 1 large room temperature egg.
- Ricotta cheese: Use room temperature whole milk ricotta. Ricotta is mildly flavored but it makes the muffins a little bit richer than regular muffins. For some leftover ricotta recipes, try my ricotta donuts and ricotta raspberry cake.
- Almond extract: Almond extract is optional. It adds to the overall delicious flavor, but almond isn’t a standout flavor. Leave it out or add extra vanilla extract.
- Lemon: Lemon zest gives the batter a lemony flavor. The icing gets its tart, fresh flavor from lemon juice! If you love lemon, try these lemon iced shortbread cookies and lavender lemon scones.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add fresh or frozen unthawed blueberries into the batter just before pouring it into the muffin tins. Be sure to also try my lemon and blueberry muffins.
- These also pair well with chocolate chips!
- Swap in vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil in place of butter.
- Instead of lemon icing, top muffins with lemon sugar. Rub some lemon zest into turbinado sugar. Sprinkle some over the muffins before baking!
Ingredients
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)– In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. In a medium size bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– Add the melted butter, ricotta cheese, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon juice into the lemon sugar. Whisk to combine.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Combine the dry ingredients.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Use a spatula to stir the ricotta mixture into the dry ingredients til just combined. Do not over mix.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake tin. . Bake 15-18 minutes.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add a little extra lemon juice if needed. Spoon or drizzle icing over cooled muffins.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Gently fold in fresh or frozen unthawed blueberries into the batter just before pouring it into the muffin tins.
My preferred way is to use an ice cream scoop. It helps ensure the muffins are the same size. It also helps to avoid spilling.
Lemon and ricotta muffins are best the day they’re made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Measure your ingredients accurately.
- Avoid overmixing.
- Bake til tops are no longer wet and a toothpick comes out without any wet batter when inserted in a muffin.
- Make sure muffins have cooled before topping with icing. If the muffins are warm, the icing will melt.
- For thicker icing, add less lemon juice. For thinner icing, add more lemon juice.
- Lemon icing can be drizzled or spooned over the cooled muffins.
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Lemon Ricotta Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Ricotta Muffins
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest zest of about 2 lemons
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- 1 cup ricotta cheese room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to bring out the lemon flavor.
- Add the melted butter, ricotta cheese, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon juice into the lemon sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold the ingredients together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake tin. (The cupcakes will be filled to the rim with batter). Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without wet crumbs when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without wet crumbs when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- Let cool in tin for 5-10 minutes then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Icing
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add a little extra lemon juice if needed. The glaze is best if thick but add a touch extra lemon juice if needed to make it pourable.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Kathryn Leavey
I’m making the recipe for the first time. It doesn’t include how much sugar to add to the muffins – only lists sugar for the topping! Help!!!😳
Natalie
Hi Kathryn, So sorry for that inconvenience! It should be 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Will update the recipe now. Thank you for bringing that to my attention and apologies again! -Natalie