These Lemon Raspberry Muffins are absolutely the best, fluffiest muffins I have ever had. I am not even kidding - I thought my Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins were it, and then these came along. There aren't too many things in life more wonderful than a warm, fresh, homemade muffin on a Sunday morning as the sunshine hits your face, and my recipe is so simple and tasty that you can have that every day if you want! These soft, moist and fluffy lemon muffins are bursting with buttery lemon flavor and studded with juicy fresh raspberries. And yes, these are SO much better than Costco muffins (I know you were thinking it!).

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE:

Moist and tender muffins - this recipe makes the most moist muffins with a delicate tender crumb texture.

Soft and fluffy texture - you won't believe how fluffy these muffins are! They have the softest texture with minimal effort.

Perfect crumb - just look below at how perfectly even this crumb texture is!

Lemon muffins - there is so much lemon flavor packed into the batter and there's a special technique to make sure you get the most lemon flavor possible out of your lemons. Make sure to read the tips below in the post to find out how.

Fresh raspberry muffins - I love to use fresh raspberries to make this recipe. They won't weigh down the batter and it helps to give you such a fluffy texture. You can also use frozen berries, and if you do, then I recommend that you read my tips at the bottom of the post.

Easy to make - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this recipe. It is so super simple!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUFFINS AND CUPCAKES?

The difference between muffins and cupcakes is the method! If you are creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then you are making cupcakes my friend! Muffins are quick breads, NOT cake. Muffins have a soft, moist open, spongy texture instead of a fine, tight crumb structure like cake.

Quick breads are batters that are made by first mixing wet ingredients in one bowl. Then, mix dry ingredients separately in another bowl. Simply combine the two with minimal stirring to form the batter. It is a very simple method.

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON RASPBERRY MUFFINS

All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for spongy-textured muffins. If you have bleached cake flour, then you can replace half of the unbleached all-purpose flour with cake flour and it will actually give you an even more exaggerated muffin top. That's because bleached flour absorbs moisture more readily and sets more quickly.
Unsalted butter - this recipe uses a combination of butter and oil. Butter adds incredible flavor and I highly recommend that you follow this method for the best results! You can use unsalted or salted butter - it won't make much of a difference here.
Oil - liquid oil will keep these muffins extra soft and helps with movement of leavening gases through the batter for a nice tall muffin top. I recommend sunflower for the cleanest taste, but you can use any neutral cooking oil.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps these muffins moist and helps develop the golden crunchy top.

Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure and help with the moist spongy texture.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will elevate and complement the lemon flavour. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Yogurt - use full fat plain yogurt to add tanginess to this recipe and complement the lemon.
Raspberries - you can use fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe, but beware that frozen berries tend to bleed too much into the batter so be sure not to thaw them. Frozen berries may also turn the batter blueish grey as the red juice leach in and react with the baking soda. Also, you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time since the frozen berries will cool down the batter.
Lemon zest - you almost can't have too much! Use a full tablespoon of lemon zest which you can get from about 2 lemons. You don't need the lemon juice for this recipe, so you can save it for something else like lemon tea, lemonade or on your favourite pasta dish.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Infuse the sugar. Add sugar to a large bowl with the lemon zest and rub it together with your fingers or using the back of a large spoon until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a hint of yellow. This helps to release more essential oils from the zest.
STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl with the lemony sugar and whisk it to blend evenly.
STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together eggs, melted butter, oil, yogurt, vanilla and milk in a medium bowl.
STEP 4). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Fold gently to combine the ingredients until mostly combined, but a few streaks of flour still remain (i.e. before completely combined).

STEP 5). Add raspberries. Add the raspberries and fold them in gently. Do not over-mix. A few small lumps are just fine, but you don't want there to be dry patches of flour.
STEP 6). Rest the batter. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
STEP 7). Bake. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling them to the rim. Top each muffin with a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven to 350°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON RASPBERRY MUFFINS

Infuse the sugar with lemon flavour. To get the most out of your lemons, rub the sugar with the lemon zest first before mixing with the liquid ingredients. The friction will release the essential oils in the yellow zest and they will coat sugar crystals to carry all of that wonderful flavour through the batter!

Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter.

Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is mostly combined (with a few light streaks), then the batter is ready for baking. Since muffin batter is more lean with less sugar than cake batter, it is more likely to develop gluten and result in a tougher texture.

Fold the berries in gently. Mixing too vigorously will cause juices from the berries to bleed and can cause the batter to turn grey.

Let the batter stand for 30 minutes before baking. This will give you such a nice fluffy texture and it will create those nice tall high muffin tops. This time allows the flour to fully hydrate to keep the moisture locked in so that they stay moist and fluffy.

Top with some coarse sugar before baking. It provides a lovely crunchy top and really makes a difference.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make these muffins with all melted butter?

Yes, you can make this recipe using ½ cup total melted butter and omit the oil; however, the result will be a firmer texture. They will taste amazing though!

Can I make these muffins with all oil?

If you make this recipe using ½ cup total oil, the muffins will be very soft but the flavour will be a bit more bland. Also, the batter will be slightly more runny and it won't hold up the berries as well.

What makes a muffin moist?

Muffins will be moist if you do not add too much flour and you bake them at a higher temperature so that they set quickly without drying out. The right amount of sugar is also important for moist muffins, and allowing time for the batter to rest will let the flour fully hydrate so the moisture is locked in.

Why are my muffins not fluffy?

If your muffins turn out dense, then it could be a couple of things: you over-mixed the batter, or your raising agents are not active. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Also, be very gentle with mixing and stop once the flour is just incorporated.

What causes muffins to be dry and dense?

Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why muffins can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients in a muffin recipe. A lower and slower baking process will also dry them out so follow the baking instructions carefully. Do not over-mix, I repeat... do not over-mix!

How can I achieve a domed muffin top?

Muffins with super tall pointed tops look nice but are often dry. That's because the batter needs to be quite dry and dense to get that way. A denser batter will dry out quickly on the surface and crack. Nice soft moist muffins will have a flatter top and be DELICIOUS! If you want a pointed top for these muffins, there are two things you can do:

Rest the batter for 1 hour, covered, before baking. This will allow the flour to hydrate further so there is less evaporation through the surface during baking.

Bake at a high temperature - bake at 400°F for the first 5-10 minutes. This will give the batter an initial bolt to kick-start that baking powder and set the surface quickly.

What can I use as a substitute for yogurt?

I really recommend using plain yogurt for this recipe (2-5% fat) because it gives the perfect amount of fat and acidity, however you can make these muffins with Greek yogurt or sour cream. The texture will just be slightly firmer from the higher protein content.

Can I use fresh or frozen raspberries for this recipe?

You can use either! Fresh raspberries are ideal because their cell walls are still intact and the juices are kept inside until they are penetrated by heat. They also won't bleed into your batter like frozen berries would.

Frozen raspberries still work wonderfully though! Just make sure that you do not defrost them because all of the juice will leach out. You may need to add a couple more minutes to the baking time since your batter will obviously be very cold. In these photos, I used fresh raspberries.

Why did my raspberry muffin batter turn grey?

When using frozen raspberries it is important not mix too much after adding adding them because the reaction of baking soda (which is alkaline) with the antioxidants (the colour compounds responsible for that vibrant red colour of raspberries) will actually cause the colour compounds to turn more blue and make the batter look grey since baking soda will increase the pH of the batter. To prevent this, just scatter the berries evenly over the surface of the batter and fold them in with just a few strokes.

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