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Close-up of a freshly baked lemon poppy seed muffin with a golden top

Zesty Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Ricotta

These delightful Zesty Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are made with ricotta cheese, resulting in a wonderfully moist and flavorful treat. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, they feature a bright lemon flavor and a delicate crumb, optionally topped with a sweet lemon glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 250 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Muffin pan
  • Paper liners
  • Large bowl
  • Whisk
  • Medium bowl
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Toothpick
  • Wire rack
  • Small bowl

Ingredients
  

For the Muffins:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • large egg room temperature
  • ½ cup milk (120ml) (dairy or non-dairy), room temperature
  • ½ cup full-fat ricotta cheese (120g)
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (60ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the Optional Lemon Glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120g) (confectioners' sugar)
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to desired consistency)

Instructions
 

Preheat & Prep

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease it thoroughly.

Combine Dry Ingredients

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until they are well combined.

Mix Wet Ingredients

  • In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, ricotta cheese, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until the mixture is smooth.

Combine Wet and Dry

  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold them together with a spatula or spoon until just combined, avoiding overmixing.

Fill Muffin Cups

  • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately two-thirds full.

Bake

  • Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool

  • Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare Glaze (Optional)

  • While the muffins cool, whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually to achieve desired consistency.

Glaze & Serve

  • Once the muffins are cool, drizzle or spread the lemon glaze over the tops. Allow the glaze to set slightly before serving.

Notes

For extra lemon flavor, you can add an additional ½ teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter. Ensure all cold ingredients, especially the egg and milk, are at room temperature for a well-combined and evenly baked batter.