Name: Ricotta Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 Muffins
Cuisine: American

Sunday Table

February 19, 2025

These muffins are the best! They're fluffy, tender, and bursting with lemony flavor. I love making them for breakfast, brunch, or just a simple weekend bake! *Please keep in mind that this is a high-altitude baking recipe. Please see recipe notes for sea-level recommendations.

12 Ingredients

MEDIUM

From the Cook

1/5

Ricotta Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Sunday Table

Ingredients

Muffins

WarningMilk and 4 other allergens identified

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line every other cavity of a muffin tin with jumbo muffin liners.**

In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Using your fingers, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow, very fragrant, and starting to clump together a bit. This should only take about 30-60 seconds. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds until combined. Set aside.

Add the eggs, ricotta, whole milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the lemon sugar. Whisk until smooth.

Add half of the flour to the wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk or rubber spatula, just until you have a couple streaks of flour left. Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick. A few lumps are ok!

Divide the batter evenly between the 8 muffin liners. Make sure to fill the liners to the very top with batter. Sprinkle each muffin generously with Demerara sugar.

Bake the muffins at 400°F for 5-6 minutes until the muffins have a good rise on them. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F. Bake the muffins for 12-15 more minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until an inserted toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it.

Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to set in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Enjoy fresh with hot coffee or tea!

Video Tutorial Bite Tutorial

Smart Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Lemon Zest Magic 🍋
Grate lemon zest directly into the dry ingredients to maximize the essential oils and intensify the citrus flavor throughout the muffins.
Poppy Seed Distribution 🥄
Toss poppy seeds with flour before mixing to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.
Ricotta Moisture Technique 💧
Drain excess liquid from ricotta cheese using a fine-mesh strainer to prevent overly wet muffin batter and ensure a perfect tender crumb.
High-Altitude Baking Hack 🏔️
Reduce sugar by 1-2 tablespoons and increase flour by 1-2 tablespoons to compensate for the lower air pressure in high-altitude baking.
Muffin Mixing Method 🥣
Mix wet and dry ingredients just until combined to prevent gluten development and maintain the muffins' light, tender texture.

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About the Cook

Sunday Table

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