Ricotta cheese gives these lemon poppyseed muffins a lightness that makes them so soft and sweet! The perfect muffin for a spring brunch with friends.
One of my favorite cookies to make at Christmas and Easter is an Italian lemon ricotta cookie. I love the taste of lemon. But the ricotta gives the cookies such a light, fluffiness. So cakey it has the appeal of the top of a muffin–light, soft, and sweet.
So I decided it would be fun to try the same experiment with lemon poppyseed muffins. Would the ricotta have the same results? To my delight, it absolutely does. The ricotta addition here keeps these muffins light and soft. My youngest son calls them cupcakes because of that texture. They have a springiness that’s so appealing while the little poppyseeds give them that crunch. A really pretty combo.
These muffins are the perfect treat for a spring brunch. They’re the right amount of lemon-y. If you’re really looking to sweeten them up, you could always add either a light frosting or a lemon glaze on top. For the lemon glaze, I would probably do it the way I do for lemon ricotta cookies–3 tablespoons of lemon juice, the zest of 1 lemon, and then a cup and a half of powdered sugar mixed together. Drizzle on top and then let it harden. That would make these little muffins a wonderful celebration treat, super lemon-y, and perfect with a cup of coffee. I left them plain here as I like them for a breakfast bite and a bit less sweet.
How to make Lemon Ricotta Poppyseed Muffins
To make the muffins, I start with room temperature butter and sugar in the bowl of my mixer. I get the mixer going and combine them, looking for a texture that’s both fluffy and pale yellow. Then add in the egg and vanilla and give it a whirl. Then add in the ricotta cheese and mix. Be careful here to mix until just combined, which will help keep the lightness from the ricotta cheese intact. Add in the lemon zest and juice as well. I used a large lemon and was able to use just one lemon in this recipe.
In a separate bowl, mix all your dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, baking soda). Then, working in batches, mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Finish it off by adding in the poppy seeds and your batter is ready to go! The batter here is fairly thick but still moist. Fill up your baking cups, then bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes and your muffins are done! Let them cool on a baking rack.
Your whole house will smell so lemony and delicious when these are done. They’re a delight to add to a brunch buffet or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Perfect for spring! Enjoy!
Lemon Ricotta Poppyseed Muffins
12
muffins30
minutes20
minutesRicotta cheese gives these lemon poppyseed muffins a lightness that makes them so soft and sweet! A perfect addition to a spring brunch.
Ingredients
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons juice
1 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin paper liners.
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Mix until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the vanilla and eggs in and mix to combine. Add in the ricotta cheese. Mix until just combined–be careful not to over mix. Add the lemon zest and juice. Give it one more mix to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Working in batches, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix. Then add the poppyseeds and give the batter a final mix to spread them evenly.
- Using a spoon, fill the muffin cups almost to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are beginning to brown and the muffin is set. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy!
