These homemade raspberry muffins will rise, crack, and bake to a golden brown. They're moist and soft, with a subtle lemon flavor mixed with bursting raspberries that can be fresh or frozen. They are ready in 45 minutes and freeze wonderfully.
Bakery-quality muffins
There's something about raspberry bakes that feels both cozy and a little fancy.
This is my most clicked and requested muffin recipe. It's my basic berry muffin recipe that we adapt slightly for the muffins with blackberries, and can also be made into a muffin loaf.
Raspberries are a classic and much-loved flavor, so it was about time I posted this great recipe, which is a simpler version of the raspberry muffins with crumb topping.
They're very easy to make. The batter comes together in no time, so whip it up at a moment's notice and eat them after 10-15 minutes of cooling time; they're fantastic warm and at room temperature.
I like to bake a batch, eat some the same day and freeze the rest. They keep well for a day at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container, and frozen for 2-3 weeks. In both cases, I suggest warming them in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.
Unlike cupcakes, muffins are sturdier and part of the coffee shop culture, meant for breakfast, brunch, or a snack.
- Marls ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made these exactly as the recipe indicates, and my family loved them! Especially my toddler. 10/10 would use this recipe again.
- Sue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Best muffin recipe I've ever used. They were delicious.
- Jessie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I made these for the first time tonight and they came out amazing! My son is 9, and he ate 2 of them in one sitting. These will be an often-baked muffin in our house from now on. Thank you!
Testing Notes
- Melted butter: use it while still pourable and warm, but not hot.
- Why use oil and butter? While you can use only one of them with good results, oil adds excellent moisture and butter a wonderful flavor and richness.
- Stir the batter; don't beat! This is one of the keys to these soft and fluffy muffins. Light mixing avoids dense muffins. You mustn't overmix the muffin batter. It might be slightly lumpy, and that is fine. The two preparations are just integrated. Use a spatula or whisk for best results, as it's hard to overmix a muffin batter by folding it by hand.
- The raspberries won't sink. That happens when the batter doesn't hold them. This is not the case with this great raspberry muffin recipe; they distribute well.
- Fresh raspberries are always my first choice, but these homemade muffins can be made year-round with frozen raspberries. Add them to the batter straight from the freezer; no need to thaw them.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Flavorings: for extra lemon flavor, use a teaspoon or two of lemon juice in the batter in addition to the lemon zest. Use orange zest that goes very well with raspberries, and add a pinch of ground cinnamon for a different flavor. Substitute blueberries for the raspberries.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Milk: whole, reduced-fat, and even almond milk can be used.
- Vegetable oil: I like sunflower oil, which is neutral and works with any flavor. You can use coconut oil if you don't want seed oils. The flavor might be a tad different. Or use a light olive oil if you're used to baking with it, like I am.
Variations & substitutions
- Fruit: Use chopped strawberries or another berry instead of raspberries, or a mix of several.
- Sugar: Use all white (sweeter) or light brown sugar (more of a caramel tone).
- Citrus: besides lemon, raspberries pair very well with orange.
- Chocolate chips: Use semisweet chips in the batter for a strong flavor pairing (like the chocolate raspberry tart) or white chocolate chips for a mellower muffin (like the extremely popular white chocolate raspberry cake).
Process steps
These are old-fashioned raspberry muffins made by mixing the wet part of the ingredients in a medium bowl and the dry ingredients in another large mixing bowl, and then combining the two. So easy!
You only need a whisk and a spatula to fold the raspberries at the end.
- The wet ingredients are whisked together. There's no need to beat. This is not the recipe to use the electric or stand mixer.
- The dry ingredients are stirred together to make sure they're well combined. Both mixtures are then combined.
- Flavorings are added, and it's all stirred lightly with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix! A few lumps are okay.
- The berries are folded in at the end, being careful not to smash them, or as little as possible. Use a spatula for this step.
Baking berry muffins
- Muffin tin: I like to use paper liners (paper cups or muffin liners) because it's easier to clean afterward; they keep the muffins moist and are great if you want to transport them. But you can butter or use baking spray for the muffin pan.
- Crunchier topping: you can add a sprinkling of sugar (half a teaspoon) to each muffin top before baking.
- Filling the pan: Make sure you distribute raspberries in all of the muffin tins. I use a cookie scoop to fill them with the same amount of batter. Don't go over ¾ of their capacity.
- When are the muffins done? Take the baking time in the recipe as your guide and check five minutes earlier. See if the cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. All ovens are different, so it might take a few more or less minutes than specified.
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Raspberry Muffins Recipe (quick and easy)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, cake flour also works
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar, dark also works; the color will be deeper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm, not hot
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries, unthawed, straight from the freezer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners or butter/spray the pans. The yield can vary depending on the size of the berries.
- In a large bowl, mix the sifted flour mixture: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add ½ cup white granulated sugar and ½ cup packed light brown sugar and mix to combine. You can sift them before in a separate bowl or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture when prompted (my choice).
- In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm (not hot), and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Do not beat but stir well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula or hand whisk until you barely have streaks of flour; do not overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely integrated, and that is fine.
- Fold in 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries and stir lightly. Be careful not to mash them. Use a silicone or rubber spatula.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners, filling no more than ¾ of their capacity to avoid overflowing during baking.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is cracked, golden brown, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack and eat warm or let cool down completely, plain, with a dab of butter, and a light drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
- They are best eaten the day they are made, but you can keep them for a day at room temperature, covered or wrapped. Store leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
Bob Morley says
Great muffins. Thank You!!!
Suzy says
I want to try this, but don’t have any lemon zest. Can I substitute with lemon extract?
Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Yes Suzy, you can.
Linda says
Very good. I always see recipes for stuff that is not in my pantry. Always have these ingredients.
DougM says
Very tasty, wife approved
Bob says
These are so good
Cheryl says
A keto-converted Winner! Wow!
I substituted the two sugars to Swerve (erythritol/monk fruit) sweeteners, substituted Farm Girl low carb flour, and wow! The “batter” was very thick, not pourable at all, but what a result! Yum! I used frozen raspberries for some, fresh blueberries for the others, and both are winners. Thank you for this recipe!
Paula Montenegro says
That's great to know Cheryl! Thanks for leaving this comment, as I have no clue how to bake for keto readers but sometimes get asked about substitutions. Have a great weekend.
Alan says
Brilliant
Kare says
I actually baked this in my Bundt pan for about 8 minutes longer and it turned out great!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Kare, that's great to know! I bake them in loaf pans, but never bundt. Will have to try it soon. Thanks for the feedback!
Pamela says
I had just picked some red raspberries and searched for a recipe to make muffin bread. Love this recipe, absolutely delicious.
Isabelle says
Easy recipe and turned out great. I appreciated the flour in grams too.
Liz says
This is one of the best muffin recipes I've used. Now a family favourite.