Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Fluffy raspberry muffins made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey. These healthy raspberry muffins taste amazing!

168 Reviews
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Healthy raspberry muffins recipe (so fluffy and delicious!) - cookieandkate.com

Last weekend, I drove home to Oklahoma for my baby brother’s college graduation. I remember when he was tiny, and I was terrified of dropping him. Now he’s all grown up, and a few inches taller than I am.

A couple of years ago, he developed an interest in videography out of nowhere. Now, he’s made a business of it. He’s going to come up to Kansas City soon and help me make some Cookie and Kate videos! We’re both stubborn perfectionists, and we’re both always right, so stay tuned for how that turns out.

muffin ingredients

My mom asked me to bring home some muffins to help with breakfast. I was already planning to make these with some berries from my freezer, so it was perfect timing. Usually, when I bake muffins for the blog, I just freeze them for later. Watching my family enjoy them was way more fun.

These raspberry muffins are based on my carrot muffins and apple muffins. Like the others, they are marvelously fluffy and moist, but made with 100 percent whole grains, and naturally sweetened, too. I added some lemon zest, which infuses the muffins with light lemon flavor, in between bursts of jammy raspberries.

raspberry muffin batter

Raspberries won’t be in season for a couple more months, and strawberries are just beginning to ripen up, so frozen berries were the perfect solution. Since raspberries (also blueberries and blackberries) are so small, you can fold them right into muffin batters without defrosting them first.

Berries are are typically treated with pesticides on the field, so it’s best to buy organic when possible. In fact, strawberries are at the top of the Dirty Dozen list this year, so they are the most important fruit to buy organic.

Frozen organic fruit is a great year-round option, and it’s less expensive than buying fresh organic fruit. I love to use frozen fruits in baked goods and desserts, and savor fresh, in-season fruit in its delicious raw state. You can enjoy these muffins any time you’re craving a sweet, fruity breakfast treat!

Watch How to Make Lemony Raspberry Muffins

Raspberry muffins dusted with turbinado sugar

These delicious lemon raspberry muffins are so easy to make with frozen raspberries! cookieandkate.com

Amazing healthy raspberry muffins made with whole wheat flour, honey and frozen raspberries! cookieandkate.com

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Lemon Raspberry Muffins

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 22 mins
  • Total Time: 32 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 168 reviews

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These delicious raspberry muffins are moist and fluffy. They’re healthier than most, too, since they are made from whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey. Recipe yields 1 dozen muffins.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 medium lemon (about ½ teaspoon)
  • 1½ cups frozen raspberries (from one 10-ounce bag)
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and doesn’t require any grease).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend well with a whisk.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and honey or maple syrup and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts.)
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). Gently fold the raspberries into the batter. The mixture will be thick, but don’t worry.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (I used an ice cream scoop with a wire level, which worked perfectly). Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar. Bake the muffins for 22 to 24 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  6. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.

Notes

Recipe adapted from my carrot muffins.

Make it vegan: You can replace the eggs with flax eggs. Replace the yogurt with a smaller amount of vegan buttermilk—just mix ⅔ cup non-dairy milk with 2 teaspoons vinegar. Let it rest for 5 minutes before adding it to the other liquid ingredients. Or, use 1 cup vegan yogurt.

Make it dairy free: See buttermilk option above.

Make it egg free: Substitute flax eggs for the regular eggs.

Make it gluten free: Substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the whole wheat flour. Bob’s Red Mill makes a GF blend that works well.

*Note on Greek yogurt: I’ve used a variety of fat percentages and the muffins have always turned out well. Higher fat yogurt will yield a somewhat more rich muffin. You can also substitute plain (not Greek) yogurt, but your muffins might not rise quite as high.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Nicole

    I used buttermilk because that is what I had on hand, AP flour, and honey. These were bright and delicious! Will be putting in our breakfast rotation. Thank you for such a great recipe!

  2. Julie

    These are delicious muffins!! I followed the recipe using almond milk with vinegar and subbed one teaspoon almond extract for one of the teaspoons of vanilla extract. Soooo good. I made these in full size and mini. Thanks for the tasty treat!

    1. Adina

      Omggggg sooooo good. I made it dairy free with unsweetened soy milk + vinegar and also squeezed half a lemon in there for extra tang. These were INCREDIBLE. Definite go to. If I were to freeze these, how would you go about warming them back up? I don’t have a microwave unfortunately.

      1. Kate

        I’m not sure how to warm them up. Possibly the warm function in your oven?

  3. Meghan Benner

    Very easy to make and they tasted so good. I made them with maple syrup and not honey.

    1. Kate

      Thank you for your review, Meghan!

  4. Madison

    I really enjoyed these muffins! Almost like a fruit explosion! I did tweak it a little because I only had sweetened vanilla bean Greek yogurt – I halved the maple syrup, and omitted the vanilla extract. I also used whole wheat pastry flour as I didn’t have regular whole wheat flour. Turned out great!

    1. Kate

      I love it! Thank you for sharing, Madison.

  5. Robin

    Delish. Made with white ww flour, maple syrup, and frozen raspberries. I may have put in more lemon zest because I really wanted it to shine. Excellent muffins. Thanks.

  6. Danielle Mangnus

    They look good. How many calories?

    1. Kate

      Hi Danielle! The nutritional information is below the recipe.

  7. Kelly

    I tried these with flax eggs and Bobs Red Mill GF flour, they turned out gooey. Any suggestions? I cooked them longer than the receipt called for.

    1. Kate

      Hi, I’m sorry to hear that! It’s likely since you used flax eggs and gluten free flour. That combination can be tricky.

  8. Margaret

    I did not like this recipe. It was pretty fussy, having to remelt my wet ingredients was extra work (the coconut oil hardened, and I had to temper my eggs to keep the pull 3 from cooking them), and the muffins emerged with greasy bottoms, which did not look nice at all. The flavor was pretty good 3 star), but would have benefitted from lemon juice.

    1. Kate

      Hi Margaret, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe.

  9. Sally

    These muffins are AMAZING!! I use avocado oil and honey and the muffins always turn out so light and perfect. My husband requests them before any other kind of muffins or cookies:)

    1. Kate

      I love that! Thank you for sharing, Sally.

  10. Carrie

    Hi Kate! This is the second recipe of yours that I have made to perfection!! I love that you make creating in the kitchen fun and easy. I didn’t have a cupcake pan so I made this one as a loaf. I followed the baking time for your banana bread, which is what I will make next (waiting for the bananas to ripen). Thank you for another hit in the kitchen! I feel so empowered to make wonderfully, healthy recipes that taste great, and you have made that possible. My next purchase will be your Love Real Food Cookbook. Thank you again for making cooking and baking fun, easy and delicious!!!

    1. Kate

      That’s great to hear, Carrie! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes.

  11. El Brownlie

    Easy and delicious. I added some lemon juice for a little extra kick, plus they weren’t too sweet which I always appreciate!

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing, El!

  12. Lysanne

    Hi! Can I use fresh Raspberries?

    1. Kate

      Hi, they may work ok. I prefer frozen for this recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you!

    2. Donna

      I used fresh raspberries. The muffins came out great!

      1. Kate

        Great to hear, Donna! I appreciate your review.

  13. Annick

    These came out insanely delicious! Super sweet and so full of flavor. They make a wonderful breakfast or snack!! Everyone was asking me to share the recipe :)

    1. Kate

      Great to hear! Thank you for your review.

  14. Erica

    Love this recipe, muffin in healthy ways! Thanks so much for sharing

  15. Roz

    Hello! Would this work with natural coconut yoghurt? I have some that needs eating and I want to make muffins for a dairy free friend. I love your recipes, thank you!

    1. Kate

      Hi! See my vegan notes and that should help. I hope your friends enjoy them, Roz.

  16. Luca

    I made this with what I had on hand, so I had to make a few substitutions – I used wholemeal flour instead of wholewheat flour, regular yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt, and no raw sugar on top. (I also added some walnuts and orange zest, in addition to the lemon zest.) They still turned out DELICIOUS! I did have to fiddle with the baking time a little, but the fact they weren’t a complete disaster is a testament to how great this recipe is.

    I can’t wait to try these once I have all the proper ingredients, as well as your other ‘Healthy Muffin’ recipes – I’m sure they’ll be even more delicious than the ones I made. Thanks so much!

  17. Francene

    Thanks for this beautiful and easy recipe. I also used the juice from the grated lemon and was really nice. Will make again!

    1. Kate

      Great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to review.

  18. HR

    Would this recipe work with regular all purpose flour? I don’t have any whole wheat and we are on holiday today with grocery stores closed

    1. Kate

      Hi, it should be ok. Let me know how it goes!

  19. Maureen Walker

    I used your recipe today with a couple additions and love them. I used sprouted Spelt flour, one egg and one flax egg, fresh raspberries, some coconut and pecans. They turned out fabulous!

  20. Priscilla

    Hey can I use sugar instead of honey or mapple syrup? Thank you!

    1. Kate

      Hi, the liquid sweetener helps with the overall moisture. Changing that will impact your results. Sorry!

  21. Denise

    I made these but they were flat and stuck to the paper muffin cups, could it have anything to do with eggs not at room temperature? I had all ingredients too.
    Thank you,

    1. Kate

      Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you grease your tins? Are you sure you added the leveaner?

  22. Miriam

    Hi Kate! Getting ready to make them rn, but how long can the muffins last in a good form??

    1. Kate

      Hi Miriam! See step 6.

  23. Bev

    Can I use frozen peaches ?

    1. Kate

      Hi Bev, changing the fruit would impact the results most likely. Baking can be tricky, so I can’t say for sure without trying it.

  24. Bianca

    I LOVED these muffins. Extremely quick and easy to make. I added walnuts for a crunchy element and it worked really nicely with the raspberries. My family loved them!
    Thank you for sharing the recipe. I will definitely be making them again!

    1. Kate

      You’re welcome, Bianca!

  25. Sara

    I followed the recipe exactly and they turn out perfect! Love that they are not filled with sugar but have a nice light sweet and fruity taste! Oh also I did add chopped pecans :) and delish!

    1. Kate

      I’m happy you liked them and that the pecans turned out well! Thank you for your review.

  26. Jerad Allen

    Hi Kate!
    I love your recipes. Tried these with AP, sugar and lemon juice- used a 6 cup tin and even though I baked them for longer they didn’t rise at all? I’m pretty confused as ive used the bigger tins on a longer time with good results. I have 5 baking in a smaller tin right now, looking forward to comparing results.

    1. Kate

      Hi Jerad, Sorry to hear they didn’t turn out! Unfortunately baking is quite precise and changing the ingredients can impact your results.

  27. Hannah

    Hi, I’m really looking forward to making these! Is no fat greek yogurt okay? That’s what I can find at the store. Thanks!

    1. Kate

      Hi Hannah, I’ve used a variety of fat percentages and the muffins have always turned out well. Higher fat yogurt will yield a somewhat more rich muffin. You can also substitute plain (not Greek) yogurt, but your muffins might not rise quite as high.

  28. Ruth

    The perfect muffin is the meeting place between a cake and a bread. It has good volume, a domed cauliflower-looking top, and a perfect dry/moist crumb. Following this recipe as written yields flat, dense muffins. Leavening or temperature is usually the culprit, but also flour type. I made them as written and wasn’t happy with the results. I adjusted the recipe by increasing the baking powder to 1 tablespoon, the temperature to 375, and changed the flour to A&P. They were perfect.

    1. Kate

      I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work well as is, Ruth. Only thing I can think of is the amount of flour and how it was measured.

  29. Jacki C.

    Great weekend muffin! Made these with my daughter this morning and they were a hit. We used fresh raspberries because that’s what we had. There was a little extra batter so we filled a mini-muffin tray as well. Will make again!

    1. Kate

      Wonderful, Jacki!

  30. Suzann

    Delicious! We used Besti sugar substitute instead of honey/maple syrup and topped with a lemon glaze. Love all your recipes

  31. Anita McMahon

    Hi, I would like to make these in a 24 mini muffin tin. Could you please advise how long to cook for? Thanks Anita

    1. Kate

      Hi Anita! Typically it is about half the time, but it can range. Keep an eye on them. Enjoy!

  32. Trudy Martinez

    They tasted delicious however they were very wet. I used almond flour instead of regular flour is that why?

    1. Kate

      Hi Trudy, almond flour isn’t a great substitute for wheat flour. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out!

  33. Theresa

    This recipe is a gem! I made it yesterday and subbed in blueberries and they all disappeared. I added a bit more zest than the recipe calls for and an added tbsp of lemon juice and used extra virgin olive oil. I made the recipe again today using raspberries. This is probably the best muffin recipe I have come across!

    1. Kate

      That’s great, Theresa!

  34. Andeline

    Is it possible to use almond flour with this recipe?

    1. Kate

      Hi Adeline, almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitute. I would suggest oat flour if you need them to be gluten free or an all purpose gluten free flour.

  35. Hanna

    I used honey, olive oil and added some lemon juice and they grew beautifully and tasted amazing

  36. AshleyMara

    Delicious. I used strawberry yogurt (not greek) and they turned out great.

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing how you made these, Ashely!

  37. Sharon

    I want to make the lemon raspberry muffins but we are at 6000 ft elevation…..any changes for high altitude?

    1. Kate

      I wish I could help, Sharon. I don’t have much experience in Kansas City.

      1. Deborah Hogeboom

        I think these are the best whole wheat muffins I have ever made. I didn’t have frozen raspberries or enough fresh, so I used the fresh I had and finely chopped apple. I used honey and the lemon juice- milk mix since I was out of Greek yogurt. I didn’t asd vanilla – never do for muffins.

        I am making this my basic muffin recipe to add fruit and nuts. The options are endless.

        Thank you for this great recipe

        1. Kate

          Wonderful, Deborah! Thank you for sharing your experience.

  38. Elsa

    Can I replace honey with granulated sugar? I did your blueberry muffin recipe with honey last time and the batter came out too runny :(

    1. Kate

      Hi Elsa, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t had that experience. I wouldn’t recommend replacing it with granulated sugar.

  39. Helen

    Hi Kate. I am new to your blog. Love your recipes and stories but would it be possible to have the ingredients in metric as well please as across the pond we tend to weigh our ingredients. Just a suggestion. Thank you Kate.

    1. Kate

      Hi Helen, sorry to disappoint but I don’t provide those at this time. Maybe someday! I appreciate your feedback.

  40. Bev

    This recipe for raspberry muffins is now our favourite. DELICIOUS!

    1. Kate

      Great to hear, Bev! Thank you for your review.

  41. Lara

    Delicious! I used blueberries instead of raspberries and it worked perfectly. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Kate

      I’m happy it still turned out for you, Lara! I appreciate your review.

  42. Sharon

    I alternate between your pumpkin muffins and this recipe. This is my families favourite! Frozen raspberries have become very expensive for some reason, so I have been using cranberries instead – still delicious!

    1. Kate

      I love that you make these and my pumpkin muffins! I appreciate your review, sharon.

  43. Shiree

    These are wonderful! I use 1 cup of white flour and 3/4 whole wheat. I subbed the Greek yogurt for silk vanilla yogurt for my kids dairy allergy. They are delicious and will be a regular recipe in my house. Thank you!

    1. Kate

      That’s great, Shiree! Thank you for your review.

  44. Kathryn

    Hello! Am hoping to make these with puréed raspberries as my toddler son doesn’t like “bits” Would I then need to reduce the liquids in the recipe?

    1. Kate

      I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. Sorry, Kathryn!

    2. Jane

      Hi Kate!
      I made these as per the recipe but mine fell apart a bit when I was taking them out of the silicon muffin tray. The raspberries were super moist. They still tasted amazing though and I regularly make your banana bread and other muffins with no issues. Any tips for me on how to get them to firm up? Thank you!
      Jane

      1. Kate

        Oh no! How did you measure the flour? You may have had too much. Or too much liquid if you had really juicy raspberries.

  45. Kelly

    These were easy to make and tasted amazing like all of your muffin recipes! I omit the sugar on top and serve with a side of whipped cream, definite hit with my toddler :).

    1. Kate

      That’s great, Kelly!

  46. Cirstin Newland

    i don’t have plain greek yogurt, can i use milk with lemonjuice?

  47. Jessica

    Hello, I don’t have frozen raspberries from where I live. Can I use fresh raspberries instead?

    1. Kate

      Hi, they may work ok. I prefer frozen for this recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you!

  48. Sam

    Thanks for the great raspberry recipe. (I’ve used other recipes of yours and have had good results) Your muffin recipe was easy to follow, moist, and light texture with full on flavor. Perfect with morning coffee.

  49. XC

    I was so skeptical how it might turn out because I only had frozen raspberries and I used soy milk mixed with sherry vinegar as a substitute for yogurt, but oh wow I was mind blown how great they turned out! Made my morning!

  50. Aaliyah

    Absolutely love this recipe!
    I ran out of greek yogurt so replaced it with 100% full fat coconut milk and its even better in my opinion.
    Can’t thank you enough for this beautiful recipe, my family loves them!

    1. Kate

      Great to hear, Aaliyah! I appreciate your review.