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.
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Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins
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.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
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!
Key Ingredients for Lemon Muffins with Ricotta
- Ricotta Cheese
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Extract
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
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Gluten Free Lemon Ricotta Muffins
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 to the sugar/zest 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.
Video
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.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
These sound so good! I’m going to try them asap. Wondering if I could add in blueberries without effecting the final product too much. I have always wanted to try a really lemony blueberry muffin. I may try it and report back! 🙂
While I haven’t tried it, fresh blueberries would be an excellent addition!
I made them tonight. Really good. I used gf flour from Trader Joe’s. I like to put a little raspberry jam inside.
I love your idea of adding a little raspberry jam!
So airy and delicious. Didn’t frost them. There are amazing. My husband really liked them. Easy recipe with great directions.
I made this recipe as sugar free using stevia for baking. It is not one to one with sugar so read the directions, I used half. I also made them as mini muffins so I could have bite size. They were cute. The icing I need help with. Used stevia and corn starch and lots of lemon zest. It was good but had slight aftertaste. Need to experiment with that. They were very good and were gone quickly.
Thank you for sharing your sugar free sub, I’m sure there are quite a few people who will find this helpful!
The recipe does not add the sugar back into the mix.
The dry ingredients are whisked into the sugar/zest.
These look so delicious! Can’t wait to make them!
Sharon these muffins sound amazing! I need to find a dairy-free ricotta so I can make them.
Wow I loved the lemon flavors in this recipe, I will make it again for sure!
Thank you Noelle!