Simple and easy Lemon Ricotta Muffins are made with leftover ricotta cheese – less kitchen waste! These are gluten free, tender, and full of bright lemon flavor.

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins in a wooden bowl lined with wax paper

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What a month! The Gluten Free Quick Breads Cookbook was released, we celebrated 5 years of gluten free recipes on What The Fork Food Blog, we celebrated my grandparent’s 71st anniversary, had a holiday, and April vacation.

And we’ve battled several rounds of strep throat 😷😬

We definitely could have done without that last bit!

I’ve been promising you this lemon muffin recipe since March and it’s finally here, at least there’s time for you to plan it into your Mother’s Day brunch.

Muffins are always a great make-ahead dish for brunch and get togethers because they freeze so well. Just make the muffins without the glaze and freeze until ready to use. Then defrost them before serving and drizzle on that glaze once they’re fully defrosted. Hit them up with a little extra lemon zest for garnish if you want! It makes a really gorgeous presentation.

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins on a wire rack garnished with lemon slices

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I used leftover ricotta cheese in these muffins because I find that when I use ricotta, I always, always get the large container and then have a ton leftover. Since I don’t want to be making ALL THE PASTA for a week straight, I’ve started baking with it and it’s my newest love.

I’ve got a few other ricotta baked goods planned but I’m not promising when I’ll post them because we all know how that turns out 🤣

Since I’m still in the early planning stages – help me out! What’s your favorite thing to BAKE with ricotta cheese? Let me know in the comments, I’m going to be making a list for my editorial calendar. Thank you, friends!

Wondering what to do with leftover Ricotta cheese? Bake some gluten free Lemon Ricotta Muffins with it! Theyâ€™re light, fluffy, and a tasty way to reduce waste in the kitchen. These lemon muffins are perfect for spring, brunch, holidays, and baby or wedding showers! Gluten free breakfast recipe from @whattheforkblog - visit whattheforkfoodblog.com for more | #glutenfree #lemon #muffins

Key Ingredients for Lemon Muffins with Ricotta

Ricotta Cheese
Fresh Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest
Lemon Extract

Closeup of Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins in a wood bowl lined with wax paper

How to Make Ricotta Muffins

Step 1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Step 2. Whisk together the wet ingredients.

Step 3. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until just incorporated.

Step 4. Bake then serve warm or room temperature.

Tips for Making Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Don’t let the batter rest before baking. Once you get the batter in the muffin tin, get it in the oven as soon as possible.
Don’t use bottled lemon juice in place of the fresh lemon juice.
You may need to use an extra 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum if you’re using a flour blend other than my nightshade free mix.
Omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe if the flour blend you’re using already contains it.
The glaze is optional but adds a sweet burst of flavor!

Other Lemon Recipes To Try

Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (dairy free)
Lemon Poppy Seed Bread (gluten free + dairy free)
Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes

A gluten free lemon ricotta muffin split open

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Yield: 12

Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Name: Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup powdered sugar; zest from 1 medium lemon; 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 2/3 cup (150 g) granulated sugar; zest from 1 medium lemon; 2 cups gluten-free flour mix (see notes); 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum; 2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 cup ricotta (8.5 oz), room temperature; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1/3 cup milk, room temperature; 1/3 cup avocado oil; 2 teaspoons lemon extract; juice from 1 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Simple and easy Lemon Ricotta Muffins are made with leftover ricotta cheese - less kitchen waste! These are gluten free, tender, and full of bright lemon flavor.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Muffins

2/3 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
zest from 1 medium lemon
2 cups gluten-free flour mix (see notes)
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup ricotta (8.5 oz), room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup avocado oil
2 teaspoons lemon extract
juice from 1 medium lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

For the Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
zest from 1 medium lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar to release the natural oils.
Whisk in the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, egg, milk, oil, lemon extract, and lemon juice.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Evenly divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups then bake for 14-16 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.

Notes

I use my nightshade-free flour mix in this recipe. If you use a different mix, you may need to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
If you use a gluten free flour mix that already contains xanthan gum, omit the amount called for in this recipe.