Moist lemon raspberry muffins are bursting with juicy raspberries, fresh lemon flavor, and a hint of coconut. For that bakery style touch, top with lemon sugar. Made with basic ingredients and one bowl, you’ll love this easy breakfast recipe!
As a former pastry chef, I love recreating bakery-quality recipes, and these lemon raspberry muffins are just that!
The lemon raspberry flavor is the perfect balance of sweet and tart—every bite is bursting with bright raspberries and fresh lemon! Just like my lemon raspberry cupcakes, these muffins are easy to make, quick to bake, and turn out perfect every time!
Try my raspberry cream scones, lemon bar cookies, and lemon brownies next!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Desiccated coconut: The finely grated coconut brings a rich and sweet flavor to the raspberry muffins, pairing perfectly with the citrusy lemon flavor! Avoid regular shredded coconut, as it can alter the texture of the muffins.
Raspberries: I recommend frozen raspberries so these muffins can be made year-round, but fresh raspberries can be substituted! Use any leftovers to make my chocolate raspberry cookies!
Sour cream: For more richness and moisture, this is a classic ingredient added to bakery muffins (also my moist lemon cake!) to keep them soft and moist for days! Substitute with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Coconut milk: Coconut milk is known for its high moisture content. Adding it to the muffin batter results in a more moist and tender crumb. The fats also contribute to the overall moisture of the muffins, preventing them from becoming dry. Substitute with buttermilk if needed.
Recipe Instructions
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients together. Boost the flavor by rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar. This pastry school technique releases essential oils in the lemon, enhancing the flavor!
Whisk this infused sugar with melted butter, coconut milk, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and sour cream.
Step 3: Mix the dries into the wets. Whisk the dries into the wets until almost combined, with some flour pockets remaining.
Step 4: Fold in the frozen raspberries. Fold the raspberries gently into the batter until just combined.
Don’t mix too aggressively; the raspberries will break apart and bleed into the batter.
Step 5: Scoop into a muffin pan. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the batter into the lined tin.
As shown above, the batter should sit higher than the liner for tall, bakery-style domed muffins!
Step 6: Bake the muffins. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with lemon sugar and bake until golden brown, inserting a skewer into the center to check for doneness.
Cool the pan on a wire rack, then top it with lemon icing if desired, and enjoy!
Top Tips for Bakery-Style Muffins
Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is my #1 baking tip! If your muffins are turning out dry and dense, it’s almost always due to using too much flour.
Use room temperature ingredients. Bring ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk to room temperature before mixing. This allows for better incorporation and a smoother batter.
Fold in ingredients carefully. When adding the raspberries, fold them gently to avoid smashing them.
Gently mix the ingredients to ensure a light, fluffy texture. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins!
Storing and Freezing for Freshness
- Allow muffins to cool completely: Ensure the raspberry muffins cooled completely before storing. Storing warm muffins in an airtight container can lead to condensation, making them soggy!
- Airtight container: Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days to prevent exposure to air, which can dry them out. Alternatively, use a resealable plastic bag or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
- Add a slice of bread or paper towels: Place a slice of white bread or a paper towel with the muffins to maintain moisture. This will absorb excess moisture and help keep the muffins moist.
- Separate layers: If you need to stack multiple layers when storing, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
- Freezing for longer storage: Freezing is the way to go if you want to store muffins for an extended period! Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
FAQs
If you use fresh raspberries, you may need to adjust the baking time because they hold more water than frozen raspberries.
No, the berries must be frozen. Otherwise, they will break down and bleed into the batter. If that happens, you won’t have chunks of berry in every bite!
Depending on where the berries are when scooping the batter, a few will be towards the bottom. If desired, reserve a few tablespoons of the flour and toss them with the raspberries before adding them to the batter.
Overmixing the muffin batter can lead to excess gluten development, resulting in a dense and tough texture. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined to avoid overworking it.
Using too much flour or mismeasuring it can lead to dense muffins. Use the spoon-and-level method to measure flour, where you spoon flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with a flat edge if you don’t have a kitchen scale.
Follow the recipe instructions for overfilling the liners and starting at a high temperature. This burst of heat helps the muffins rise and set quickly to form a domed top, while overfilling the liners allows the muffins to rise upward into a domed top.
More Delicious Muffins
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Coconut Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin liners
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk, *shake the can well to make sure the coconut milk is emulsified before measuring*
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted European butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large whole eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 cups frozen raspberries, *measured, then kept in the freezer until ready to use*
Lemon Sugar Topping
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Before you start. Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and set it aside.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon (63 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut, 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then whisk in the coconut milk, melted butter, eggs, sour cream, and oil.1 1/2 cups (300 g) full-fat coconut milk, 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (132 g) unsalted European butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 (110 g) large whole eggs, 1/4 cup (60 g) sour cream, 2 tablespoon (22 g) vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk until almost combined, with some dry flour pockets still remaining. Then gently fold in the frozen raspberries until just combined.2 cups (240 g) frozen raspberries
- Scoop the muffin batter. Fill the muffin liners with about 1/3 cup of batter. The batter should sit above the liner See the process shot in the post above for a visual. This is best done with a cookie or ice cream scoop!
- Make the lemon sugar topping. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar, then evenly sprinkle it on top of all of the muffins.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- Bake the raspberry muffins. Bake at 425 F/220 C for 8 minutes, then without opening the oven, decrease the temp to 350 F/180 C and bake for another 19-23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and let them continue cooling on the rack. Enjoy as is, or drizzle with a lemon glaze!
Video
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Where can I find desiccated coconut? I have looked everywhere and I cannot find a place that carries this item.
Hi Lu! You can find it on Amazon if you can’t find it in stores!
These were delicious….nice & light bakery style muffin. They’re great with coffee/tea. I’ll definitely make again.
Is there something you can substitute for the desiccated coconut by chance?
It should be fine if you leave it out!
Can the batter be frozen before baking?
Hi Jeane, I don’t recommend freezing the batter as it will alter the texture of the muffin. You can store it in the fridge for up to one week and it should be fine. You can also bake the muffins first, then wrap each one in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer.