Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Real deal lemon raspberry muffins! These are bakery-style lemon raspberry muffins with a lemon crumble topping!
They are perfectly moist and the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert. Naturally vegan and delicious.
Lemon muffins studded with fresh raspberries and topped with the yummiest lemon crumble. I made these for so many friends over the past few weeks to rave reviews.
If you like blueberry muffins, then you’ll love this raspberry version.
They are bakery-style muffins — moist and fluffy — and a must for spring and summer!
See below for more details and tips for success.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love lemon desserts– my almond lemon cookies, lemon olive oil muffins, lemon crinkle cookies, and strawberry lemonade scones are some of my favorite spring recipes.
After making my lemon blueberry muffins, I wanted to create a raspberry version as my kids love raspberries and I knew they would make for a colorful, vibrant muffin!
I tested these a few different ways and there are a few secrets that make these lemon raspberry muffins incredible– lots of lemon zest mixed into sugar, applesauce for moistness, and a cinnamon-lemon crumble to finish.
These techniques really do make a difference, and I recommend reviewing them before making the recipe for best results.
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon Zest: This is the core of the flavor for these lemon raspberry muffins. I know it seems like a lot, but it really makes the lemon flavor pop in both the muffin and the topping.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice mixed into the non-dairy milk, this creates a DIY buttermilk that helps to tenderize the gluten and make for a more moist muffin. You can use most non-dairy milks in this recipe; I tend to use oat milk as its higher carbohydrate content improves browning, but soy milk is also great in baking.
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve tried baking muffins with various types of flour, but I find that all-purpose creates the best crumb and tender flavor. You can experiment with other types, like spelt or whole wheat pastry flour, but you’ll likely get the best results using an all-purpose.
- Raspberries: Fresh raspberries are best in these raspberry muffins. Frozen raspberries will work in a pinch, but as they are much wetter, they will make pink-colored streaks in the muffins when cooked, and you will end up with a slightly soggy muffin.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce acts as a fantastic fat replacer in muffin recipes, adding extra moisture in place of oil, resulting in tender and soft muffins. The natural sugars in applesauce also contribute a subtle sweetness.
- Neutral Oil: I use vegetable oil, but you can also use canola oil or avocado oil. I don’t recommend coconut oil in these lemon raspberry muffins as it will impart too much of a coconut flavor.
How to Make these Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Step 1: Make the Lemon Sugar
Mix the lemon zest into the sugar. It should be light yellow when you are done. This step is key to infusing the muffins with lemon flavor, so you’ll want to ensure your sugar looks like the photo above.
Step 2: Mix together the dry ingredients
Add the lemon sugar to the other dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: Make the Buttermilk
Another secret for moist muffins! The homemade buttermilk helps to tenderize the gluten in the flour.
Mix together the lemon juice and the non-dairy milk and mix together until slightly curdled. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: oil, applesauce and vanilla.
Step 4: Finish the Batter
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the fresh raspberries.
Divide into muffin tins
Divide the batter into a greased twelve-muffin tin, about 3/4 way full. You’ll use about 1/3 cup of batter in each muffin.
Isn’t this raspberry muffin tin gorgeous? I love the color, the brand is Great Jones!
Make the crumble
This is what makes this muffin a bakery-style muffin! You can skip if you’d like, but the crumble really does take the muffin over the top and I love the contrast of textures between the crumble and the moist muffins.
Mix together the lemon zest, sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter.
Add to the muffins and bake
Divide the crumble topping over the muffins and bake until tender. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Expert Tips
Don’t overmix the batter when combining the wet to the dry. A light hand ensures tender muffins with a delicate crumb. Gently fold the raspberries into the batter after mixing to prevent them from bleeding and turning the batter pink.
The lemon zest adds so much flavor to these muffins; make sure to mix it into the sugar well before adding it to the dry ingredients.
I prefer to grease the muffin tin instead of using paper liners as I find that they look nicer. You can also make these into mini muffins if you’d like; decrease the baking time by 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Variations
I love the combination of lemon and raspberry together– (if you agree, make sure to try my lemon raspberry ricotta pancakes.)
You can use the base of the same recipe to make other types of berry muffins! Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries also work.
Orange zest and orange juice can also be used in place of lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Frozen raspberries will work, though I prefer fresh ones as frozen raspberries release more moisture.
Add a tablespoon or two of flour if your batter seems too wet. Frozen raspberries also tend to color the batter slightly, but they deliver the same delicious raspberry flavor.
Can I make these raspberry muffins gluten-free?
You can make these muffins gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free 1:1 baking blend. Look for one that includes xantham gum or add 1/2 teaspoon of xantham gum to help with binding. Gluten-free flours can absorb moisture differently, so you may need to adjust the liquid slightly.
How do I prevent raspberries from sinking to the bottom?
This shouldn’t happen as this batter is thick enough, but if you are worried about the distribution of the raspberries, you can toss them with a little flour before adding them to the batter. Also, make sure to avoid overmixing the batter, as this will make it too thin.
How to Freeze
This recipe makes 12 muffins, and these raspberry muffins can be frozen if you want to make them for meal prep.
My kids are big muffin eaters, so I love to make a batch and then freeze leftovers to enjoy anytime.
To freeze muffins, allow them to cool completely after baking. Then, individually wrap each muffin tightly in plastic or foil to prevent freezer burn.
Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container, squeezing out any excess air. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, leave them at room temperature for a few hours or microwave them briefly.
If you make these lemon raspberry muffins, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps others, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Ingredients
Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- 2/3 cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice*, I used oat milk
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Crumble Topping
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons softened non-dairy butter*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the lemon zest into the sugar with your hands; the sugar should be slightly yellow after mixing.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the lemon sugar mixture.
- Add the lemon juice to the milk in a separate medium-sized bowl and let it curdle slightly, sitting for 5 minutes.
- Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla to the lemon juice mixture. Then, add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the raspberries.
- Divide the batter into the greased muffin pan 3/4 of the way up. Set aside while you make the crumble topping.
- Mix together the lemon zest, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and softened butter until crumbly. Then, divide the mixture among the muffins. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove and let cool on a cooling rack, then enjoy! We love these warm with plant-based butter on top!