These delicious lemon raspberry muffins are sweet, moist, and easy to make! Made with simple ingredients you might already have on hand, they come together any day of the week and can be enjoyed any time of day.
This recipe was inspired by my lemon curd muffins — I love those so much I wanted an easier lemon muffin, and naturally I had to add raspberries. If you love the lemon-raspberry combo like I do, you'll also love my lemon raspberry sweet rolls.
Quick Look: Lemon and Raspberry Muffins
⏱️ Ready In: About 35 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: About 20 minutes (two-temperature method)
🍽️ Serves: 12 muffins
✨ Calories: Approximately 246 per muffin
🥄 Main Ingredients: Lemon, fresh raspberries, vegetable oil, vanilla
🌿 Dietary Info: Vegetarian (easily made dairy-free)
💛 Why You'll Love It: Moist, fluffy, bakery-style lemon raspberry muffins from simple ingredients.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and simple: Made with pantry staples and no fancy equipment — easy enough to whip up with a toddler at your feet and a baby on your hip.
- Bright lemon-raspberry flavor: Fresh lemon zest and juice with pockets of tart raspberry, the same pairing I love in my lemon raspberry cookies.
- Bakery-tall tops: A two-temperature bake gives you those tall, domed muffin tops you usually only get at a coffee shop.
- Year-round treat: Lemon feels like spring and summer, but if you're a lemon lover, these are wonderful any time of year.
- Easy to customize: Swap the berries, add citrus, or crown them with streusel — they're endlessly adaptable.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour + leaveners: Both baking powder and baking soda give the muffins a tender, even rise.
- milk powder (optional): A nice-to-have for extra richness — leave it out if you don't have it.
- granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps the tops brown.
- lemon zest + fresh lemon juice: The brightness here — fresh is best, the same citrus punch as my lemon blueberry mascarpone cake.
- eggs, room temperature: Bind the batter and add structure.
- vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb moist and tender for days.
- vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor.
- milk: Loosens the batter to the right consistency.
- fresh raspberries: Tossed in flour so they don't sink. Use the same trick I use in my sourdough lemon muffins.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free: Use a high-fat non-dairy milk like full-fat oat milk.
- Citrus: Try orange zest, or a combination of lemon and orange.
- Change the berries: Blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries all work — just toss them in flour first to prevent sinking.
- Sweet streusel topping: Add the streusel from my lemon curd muffins — mix ½ cup sugar, ½ cup flour, and 4 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle over the batter before baking.
- Sourdough version: Want to use up discard? Try my sourdough lemon muffins.
Instructions
Note: I bake by weight for accuracy. Cup measurements are approximate and may vary depending on how you scoop.
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line or grease a 12-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, vegetable oil, and eggs.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder (if using), and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined, then stir in the flour-tossed raspberries.
Step 3: Check your batter: It should be thick and studded with raspberries. Don't overmix.
Step 4: Scoop and bake: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the batter between the 12 cups. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then — without opening the door — lower to 350°F and bake 12–15 minutes more, until domed and slightly firm to the touch. Cool in the pan 5 minutes before moving to a rack.
Weigh your ingredients! Using a kitchen scale ensures your measurements are accurate, which is key for getting consistent results in baking. It takes the guesswork out of measuring and helps your recipes turn out exactly as intended every time.
Expert Tips
- Toss the berries in flour. This keeps the raspberries suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Trust the two-temperature bake. The hot start sets tall tops; the lower finish bakes them through. Keep the oven closed during the switch.
- Don't overmix. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear — overmixing makes muffins tough and dense.
- Pull them at just-done. Take them out when the tops look set with no wet batter; too early and they can sink as they cool.
- Use fresh lemon. Fresh zest and juice make a real difference over bottled — bloom the flavor by whisking the zest into the wet ingredients.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most lemon muffins taste faintly of lemon extract. These get their brightness from real zest and juice, and the tart raspberries cut through the sweetness for a balanced, fresh bite — the same lemon-raspberry magic in my lemon raspberry sweet rolls.
The two-temperature bake is the other secret. Starting hot and finishing low is the classic bakery move for tall, domed tops — the same finish you'll find on my lemon curd muffins. Simple ingredients, big payoff.
If you're baking with berries this season, my strawberry rhubarb crumb bars, strawberry rhubarb galette, and blueberry crumb bars are other easy spring and summer favorites. For something more lemon-y, try my lemon crumb bars!
Lemon Raspberry Muffins FAQs
This is an age-old trick to help create tall, round muffins like the kind you get at the bakery. You can bake them for 15-20 minutes at 350F if you would rather keep it simple.
Yes! Use a high-fat non-dairy milk like full-fat oat milk, and leave out the optional milk powder.
Yes — don't thaw them, and toss them in flour straight from frozen so they don't bleed or sink. They may need a minute or two longer in the oven. I use the same approach with frozen fruit in my sourdough discard blueberry muffins.
No, it's entirely optional. It adds a little richness, but the muffins turn out great without it.
Lemon Raspberry Muffins Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Berries sank to the bottom | Raspberries weren't floured. | Toss them in flour before folding them in. |
| Flat tops | Oven wasn't hot enough at the start. | Start at a true 425°F, then drop to 350°F. |
| Tough, dense crumb | Batter overmixed. | Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear. |
| Muffins sank while cooling | Pulled from the oven too early. | Bake until the tops are set with no wet batter. |
| Pale, gummy centers | Underbaked. | Bake until domed and slightly firm to the touch. |
Storage
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or bag for 5–7 days.
- Freeze for up to 6 months — thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
Other Muffin Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe?
If you try this recipe, I’d love if you left a quick rating and review below! It really helps support my blog and lets others know how the recipe turned out for you. Also, don't forget to tag me @kneadedthat on Instagram and use the hashtag #kneadedthat so I can see what you made and share it!
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- A whisk
- A spatula
- A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop
- A 12-muffin pan
- Muffin liners (optional)
Ingredients
- 270 grams all-purpose flour 2 ¼ cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk powder optional
- 150 grams granulated sugar ¾ cup
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest roughly 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 120 milliliters vegetable oil ½ cup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 60 milliliters milk 4 tablespoons
- 60 milliliters fresh lemon juice 4 tablespoons
- 1 cup fresh raspberries tossed in flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Zest two regular lemons (or one large) and set aside. Line a 12-muffin pan with liners, or grease the pan if not using liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla extract, milk, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs.150 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 large eggs, 120 milliliters vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 60 milliliters milk, 60 milliliters fresh lemon juice
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, milk powder (optional), and salt.270 grams all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons milk powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. Stir in the flour-tossed raspberries.1 cup fresh raspberries
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then lower to 350°F (without opening the door) and bake 12–15 minutes more, until the muffins are domed and slightly firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. I prefer to let mine cool completely before enjoying!
Leave a Reply