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    Home » Breads & Pastries

    Ricotta Lemon Muffins

    Published: Feb 19, 2021 · Modified: Jun 11, 2021 by Jere Cassidy · This post may contain affiliate links. · 25 Comments

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    Lemon muffins stacked on top of each other.
    Pinterest muffin pin.
    Pinterest pin for muffins.

    Today's recipe takes the standard lemon muffin up a notch with this made from scratch Ricotta Lemon Muffins recipe. Adding some Tuscany flavors with ricotta cheese and fruity olive oil makes these muffins rich and delicious.

    Ricotta lemon muffins stacked on white plates.
    Ricotta muffins

    This page may contain affiliate links, please see my disclosure for policy details.  I earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page.

    Let's get all lemony today and bake some gloriously rich muffins that are made with two unusual ingredients for muffins.  What makes these pastries so good is the addition of creamy whole milk ricotta cheese and olive oil that takes an ordinary muffin and adds a deep rich flavor and a fluffy tenderness that is a bit like a cake.

    Everyone needs a good lemon muffin recipe and you will love the bright lemon flavor and the super simple recipe. And if you bake with lemons a lot, make sure to read this guide on The Juice of One Lemon - How Much Is That, so you will know the correct measurements.

    Jump to:
    • Why add ricotta cheese in baking
    • Ingredients
    • Let's bake muffins
    • Baking Tips
    • More baking inspiration
    • Faq's
    • Baking Essentials
    • One Hot Oven recipes
    • Recipe

    Why add ricotta cheese in baking

    • We need to get past the fact that ricotta is only for pasta dishes because it is really delicious in baked goods like cakes, bread, and cookies.
    • The creaminess of the ricotta adds moisture to baked goods and this cheese has more of a milky texture to it, which is perfect for a lighter crumb.
    • Ricotta has a very mild, sweet taste, so it does not impart a strong flavor to what you are baking.
    • Use Ricotta instead of heavy cream cheese or mascarpone cheese for a lighter texture.
    • Have you ever wondered what to do with leftover ricotta? Bake a batch of these delicious muffins.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make lemon ricotta muffins.

    Let's bake muffins

    This recipe is so simple using the basic muffin mix technique which means adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mixing them together.

    One thing you will find is these muffins stay a fairly light brown color.

    Step 1.  Prepare the muffin tins with paper cup liners. This is optional, but you can add a small layer of rice to the bottom of the muffin tin before adding the paper liners to reduce the browning of the baked muffin. See the tips below.

    A paper-lined muffin tin with rice in one cup.

    Step 2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix well.

    Step 3. In another bowl add the ricotta cheese, olive oil, water, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and the beaten egg and mix completely

    Step 4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour is incorporated and moistened. Be easy on mixing so the batter doesn't get overworked and in return, your muffins will reward you with the perfect texture. You will have a nice thick batter.

    Making lemon muffin step by step.

    Step 5.  Scoop the batter into the paper-lined muffin cups and fill ⅔ full and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

    Muffin batter in muffin pans with lemons.

    Step 6.  Make the lemon glaze by mixing the powdered sugar with lemon juice and lemon zest and drizzle over the cooled muffins.

    lemon glaze and lemon muffins.


    Drizzle on plenty of lemon glaze and a sprinkle of lemon zest on top of each muffin to add even more of that fresh lemon flavor everyone loves. Don't you just want to take a bite?

    Cut open lemon muffins on a white plate.

    Baking Tips

    • Whole milk ricotta works best for baked goods because of the added fat content.
    • When using ricotta cheese, mix it into the butter to make sure it is whipped well before adding it to dry ingredients.
    • To get that beautiful domed top on the muffins, start baking them at a high temperature for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to finish baking.
    • Add a small layer of white rice to the bottom of each muffin cup to keep the bottom of the muffins from turning brown and the rice absorbs the oils from the batter. Try it!

    More baking inspiration

    • Try this Lemon Baked Ricotta Cheese Dip that is ultimately creamy and baked with lemon and herbs. Perfect with a good loaf of bread.
    • These tender Italian Ricotta Cookies are a perfect lemony cookie to make all year long.
    • Instead of ricotta cheese, these two recipes use cottage cheese for the base. Cottage Cheese Crescent Rolls and Cinnamon Crescent Rolls.
    • For scone lovers, bake these Lemon Scones that are filled with fresh blueberries.
    • Let's add some more favorite muffins to this list. Maple Walnut Muffins are always a delicious fall flavor and the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins are a favorite all year long.

    Faq's

    Can you use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese?

    For this recipe, ricotta cheese works the best because of the difference in moisture content of the cheeses.

    Baking Essentials

    This recipe requires a few items for baking and I have found a good set of glass bowls are necessary for mixing batters, and this set with ten different size bowls will cover your mixing needs.

    Try to invest in good heavy standard muffin pans that heat evenly and do not warp. These muffin pans have never failed me.

    Don't forget the paper liners for your muffin tins.

    One Hot Oven recipes

    • Earl Grey Scones
    • Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
    • Irish Apple Cream Scones
    • Chocolate Chip Peppermint Scones

    Like what you see? Make sure you are following One Hot Oven for more tasty, sweet, and savory recipes!

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    Recipe

    Three lemon muffins stacked on each other.

    Ricotta Lemon Muffins with Olive Oil

    Jere' Cassidy
    Light and lemony, these muffins are bursting with flavor and are made with healthy olive oil and creamy ricotta cheese that makes theselemon glazed muffins so rich and tender.
    5 from 24 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    0 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Bread
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 12
    Calories 172 kcal

    Equipment

    • 6 cup Muffin Pan
    • paper liners
    • Set of glass bowls

    Ingredients
      

    Muffin Ingredients

    • 1¾ cup AP flour
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoons salt
    • ½ cup water
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • ¾ cup ricotta cheese
    • 1 tablespoon zested lemon
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 large egg beaten

    Lemon Glaze

    • ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
    • lemon zest zest of one lemon

    Instructions
     

    Mixing the muffins

    • Preheat oven to 425° F.
    • Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Optionally, place a teaspoon of white rice in the bottom of the muffin cups then add the paper liners which helps to absorb the grease and keeps the bottom of the muffin from getting too brown.
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
    • In another bowl mix the water, olive oil, ricotta, lemon rind, lemon juice, and the beaten egg until well combined.
    • Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened.
    • Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin pans about ⅔ full.
    • Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F then lower the temperature to 375°F for 10-12 until the muffins are brown. These muffins do not get deep brown.
    • Let cool in the pans for about five minutes then remove to a cooling rack.

    Lemon Glaze

    • Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl and use a wire whisk to break up any clumps.
    • Zest one lemon and then juice the lemon. Add 1 tablespoon of the juice to the powdered sugar along with most of the lemon zest. Reserve some of the zest to sprinkle on top of the glazed muffins. If the glaze is too thick add a small amount of lemon juice or water until it is the desired consistency.
    • Mix the glaze until it is smooth then drizzle on top of the cooled muffins and sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest.

    Storing the muffins

    • Keep the cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to three days.

    Notes

    Read this handy guide about How Much Juice is in a Lemon. 
     
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffinCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 27.7gFat: 5.6gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 71mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    First Published: June 11, 2021… Last Updated: June 30, 2022, with updated content for better readability.

    Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? My contact information is on my about page, and I’ll be happy to help.                                                                                                                                                     

    About Jere'              

    From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ivana

      March 06, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      This recipe is fantastic!
      I used GF AP and it worked out well!
      So fluffy and light!
      I added a few fresh blueberries on top before baking!

      Reply
    2. Dee

      December 18, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Could not think of a better way to add ricotta to baked goods. These muffins are so soft and tender and full of flavor.

      Reply
    3. Amy Liu Dong

      December 18, 2021 at 5:54 am

      5 stars
      These muffins look really delicious.
      I am so excited to make this and pair it with my black coffee.

      Reply
    4. Stine Mari

      December 18, 2021 at 2:03 am

      5 stars
      These are just the change of pace I needed today. It's been so many heavy, chocolatey treats lately, and these are so light, airy and lemony. Delicious!

      Reply
    5. grace

      June 11, 2021 at 7:30 am

      This looks wonderful! However, im confused the recipe does not mention water or butter, but the step by step instruction shows "mixing butter" and "add water", could you please clarify that, thank you!

      Reply
      • Jere Cassidy

        June 11, 2021 at 9:55 am

        Hi Grace, all fixed and thanks for catching my mistake.

        Reply
    6. Kim Guzman

      April 01, 2021 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Yum! I can't wait to try these. I love anything lemon and I have some ricotta cheese leftover from lasagna last night. It's a perfect win-win.

      Reply
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    Jere Cassidy owner of One Hot Oven

    Welcome, I am Jerè. I love sharing recipes both sweet and savory that inspire you to bake at home. Food has a way of bringing us all together, from a simple batch of cookies to a three-tier cake.

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