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.
Our most popular muffin recipe, these are a simpler version of the raspberry streusel muffins.
It's our basic berry muffin recipe that can also be made into a muffin loaf.
But raspberries are a classic and much-loved flavor, so it was about time I posted this great recipe.
What our readers are saying:
Made these exactly as the recipe indicates and my family loved them! Especially my toddler. 10/10 would use this recipe again. (Marls)
Best muffin recipe I’ve ever used, they were delicious. (Sue)
I made these 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! (Jessie)
About this recipe
- Easy to make: the batter comes together in no time so you can whip them up at a moment's notice.
- Eating them: they are great warm after 10-15 minutes of cooling time.
- Make ahead: they keep well for a day at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container, and freeze wonderfully. In both cases, I suggest warming them in a medium oven (350°F/180°C) before eating.
- Adaptable: use fresh raspberries or frozen ones. Lemon zest is the best combination in my opinion, but if you don't have any you can have amazing raspberry muffins using only vanilla extract as a flavoring.
Ingredient list
- Raspberries: you can use fresh or frozen berries.
- Lemon: we use the zest, and a Microplane zester/grater is a great tool.
- White granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar.
- Milk: whole, reduced-fat, and even almond milk can be used.
- Unsalted butter.
- Sunflower oil.
- Eggs: large, fresh.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder: make sure it's not expired.
- Salt: I use kosher salt for my baking, but table salt also works.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
Variations & substitutions
- Sugar: use all white or light brown sugar.
- 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).
- Oil: instead of melted butter and oil, use only the latter. It can be sunflower, canola or coconut oil. A light olive oil also works if you like it for baking (I certainly do).
How to make raspberry muffins
This is an adapted old-fashioned muffin recipe 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 spatula to fold the raspberries at the end.
2. The wet ingredients are whisked together. There's no need to beat. This is not the recipe to use the electric or stand mixer.
2. The dry ingredients are stirred together to make sure they're well combined. Both mixtures are then combined.
3. Flavorings are added and it's all stirred lightly with a rubber spatula.
4. The berries are folded in at the end being careful not to smash them; or as little as possible.
Vintage Kitchen tip: muffins need to be stirred, not beaten. It's important you don't overmix the batter to get light and fluffy muffins.
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 simply 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.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- 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.
- Light mixing: you mustn't overmix the muffin batter. It might be slightly lumpy and that is fine.
- Raspberries: fresh berries 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.
- Extra lemon flavor: use a teaspoon or two of lemon juice in the batter in addition to the lemon zest.
- Variations: 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.
Have the ingredients and oven at the right temperatures specified in the recipe. Don't overmix the batter and take them out as soon as a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
They sink when the batter doesn't hold them because the berries weigh more and naturally sink due to gravity. This is not the case with this great raspberry muffin recipe; they won't sink.
Too much mixing or beating the batter is, in my experience, the main culprit. The ingredients have to be lightly mixed *just* until integrated. Use a spatula or whisk for best results, as it's hard to overmix a muffin batter by folding it by hand.
A mix of oil and butter, not overbaking the muffins and not overmixing or beating the batter. Using oil adds richness and moisture, while butter adds flavor.
Related recipes you might like:
Before you go
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Raspberry Muffins (easy recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups 280g all-purpose or cake flour
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 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 60g unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups raspberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
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 dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the sugars and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl whisk eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and lukewarm melted butter. Do not beat but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
- Add the lemon zest.
- Add the mixed wet ingredients at once to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do not overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed and that is fine.
- Add the raspberries and mix lightly. Be careful not to mash them. I do it with a rubber spatula.
- Divide evenly among the muffin cups or muffin liners.
- Bake for 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.
Notes
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.