These moist raspberry lemon muffins are full of fresh raspberries! The lemon glaze on top puts them over the edge. Perfect for breakfast…or dessert! Originally published January 24, 2014.
Table of Contents
So, if I’ve understood correctly, you all are tired of this whole winter thing. I don’t think a day has passed in the new year that I haven’t seen a social media post of someone’s snow-blanketed backyard. I’m not complaining, I’ve been there.
But…I’m not there anymore, and I have to say that I felt pretty fabulous today as I drove around town with the sunlight streaming into my rolled-down windows. California may be full of a bunch of crazy people, but the weather kind of makes up for it.
Moist raspberry lemon muffins with fresh lemon glaze
To all of you who are virtually clawing my eyes out right now, I offer you springtime muffins. Look! They’re so happy! When you eat them (all of them…at least I did), close your eyes and think of tulips, and you will be able to forget about the massive snowstorm out your window. I promise.
Key ingredients
- We’re using the zest of a whole lemon (plus the juice!), which is where that bright, citrusy flavor really shines. Just be sure to avoid the white pith when zesting. It can give your muffins a bitter taste.
- Fresh raspberries add juicy pops of sweetness to these muffins. You can also use frozen raspberries. Just toss them into the batter straight from the freezer; there’s no need to thaw them.
- Sour cream is the secret to ultra-moist, ultra-tender muffins.
How to make raspberry lemon-glazed muffins
Preheat your oven and grease your muffin pan. Let your raspberries dry completely after rinsing.
Mix your dry ingredients separately, then stir together the wet ingredients until smooth. When you combine everything, don’t over mix. Stop when the batter is just coming together for the most tender muffins.
Don’t forget to lightly flour the raspberries so they don’t sink to the bottom. Be gentle so they don’t fall apart.
Fill each space in the muffin tin with about 3 tablespoons of batter and bake until lightly golden and set in the center. Let them cool slightly before glazing.
To make the glaze, simmer lemon juice and sugar until syrupy, then brush it over the warm muffins and dip them in lemon sugar for that extra pop of flavor. I like to serve these warm, but they are also delicious at room temp.
How to store
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, pop them in the fridge to keep them fresh a little longer (about 4–5 days total).
How to reheat
Warm the muffins in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds to bring back that soft, just-baked texture. If they’ve been refrigerated, give them a few extra seconds.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes! These muffins freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave straight from frozen for a quick treat.
More muffin recipes you’ll love
Breads, Muffins & Rolls
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins
Breads, Muffins & Rolls
Bran Muffins with Buttery Molasses Glaze
Breads, Muffins & Rolls
Cinnamon Sugar Dipped Muffins (French Breakfast Puffs)
Breads, Muffins & Rolls
How to make Pancake Muffins
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
Raspberry Lemon-Glazed Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 lemon, completely zested
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 stick, melted
- 1 & 1/4 cups sour cream
- 1 & 1/2 cups raspberries
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh
- 1/3 cup sugar
- lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan; set aside.
- Rinse the raspberries and let them sit out to dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, stir together the egg and 1 cup of sugar until it forms a paste. Add half of the lemon zest, or at least a teaspoon. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, stirring until just combined.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour mixture. Stop when it is not quite combined all the way.
- Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour over the raspberries, toss to coat, and immediately fold them into the batter. Be gentle, those little guys are fragile. Mix until the raspberries are incorporated, but don’t overdo it.
- Spoon the batter into the greased muffin pan. You want about 3 tablespoons of batter per muffin.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let set for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- While the muffins are setting up and cooking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan combine the ¼ cup sugar with the ¼ cup fresh lemon juice. Turn the heat to medium and stir to combine. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has become syrupy, about 5-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup sugar with the remaining lemon zest, or at least a teaspoon.
- Brush the top of each muffin liberally with the lemon glaze. Dip the tops of the glazed muffins into the sugar-zest mixture. These are best served warm.
These muffins are AMAZING!!! 10/10
best wishes,
-Trina the 3rd
I have a wonderment.
Am I able to use frozen raspberries in this recipe if that’s all I have on hand?
They look amazing, but I’m not able to get to the store to get fresh berries for a bit.
Hi Ann! Yes frozen raspberries will work great for this recipe. Enjoy the muffins!!
What does it mean to “completely zest a lemon” I’m planning on making these this weekend as I just picked several bushels of lemons off our tree and needing to do something with it.
Hi Evita! To completely zest a lemon, use a microplane grater to remove all the yellow zest from the lemon, avoiding the white pith (if you zest that it’ll make these muffins bitter). Enjoy!
I used 1/2 a stick of butter by mistake. They came out excellent! Happy accident. I also cut the raspberries in half.
The muffins looks so great. I wish I had them now. :) I do have 2 questions i’d like to ask. Can you use dried cranberries in this recipe? And also, how long will they last in the fridge?
Hi Ging! Yes you can use dried cranberries but they won’t taste the same! And I would think they would last in the fridge 2-3 days before drying out too much.
These muffins really are amazing! They are moist and flavorful:) My daughter and I made them and they recieved great ‘reviews’!!!
So happy to hear that Meredith! Moist muffins are the best muffins :) Thanks for reviewing!
I made these and they turned out great. Made 18 muffins and definitely should use silicone tray. I made mine in both the silicone and a regular muffin. Tray and the ones in the silicone tray turned out more moist. Wish I could leave a picture.
I’m so glad you liked the muffins Daisy! Thanks for reviewing!
Love these muffins and they were so moist!
My kids are not a fan of lemon so I was trying to find an alternative with the raspberries.
If you like lemon and raspberry these are definitely worth making!!
Hi Karen, last night we had breakfast for dinner. My husband unfortunately is a workaholic so Sunday brunches are a very rare event around our home. This is why I make breakfast for dinner from time to time. I made an amazing casserole loaded with all kinds of goodies like, bacon, potatoes peppers and onions, yeah, anyone hungry yet ?! :) and I also made these freaking awesome muffins of yours. New favorite and that’s a fact. I love the smell of the sugar & lemon zest you put on top :)~ Yeah, that’s drool. I shared with everyone on Snap Chat 😆. Thank you for sharing. You Rock ✌
Haha!! I love your drool face! :)~ I’m totally using that. I’m so glad you liked the muffins Esther! Nothing is better than breakfast for dinner!!
I actually had a bunch of those bueaty’s left over and we had them for breakfast with coffee. Yummmy …. Anyway, when I went to share on Snap Chat, I took a picture of my breakfast and used it as my selfie so as to show it off. Again, thank you 😎
I’m going to try it!