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I am in love with this new recipe for whole wheat lemon raspberry muffins! It’s soooo good I think I want one with frosting on top for my birthday (which is not until May, but a girl can plan ahead)! The raspberries and lemon compliment each other so well, and it’s such a nice diversion from the usual muffin flavors.
Lemon raspberry muffins with whole wheat flour and real food ingredients
These flavor-packed lemon raspberry muffins are made with whole wheat flour and have no refined sugar. I always advocate eating real food, and leaving out the processed ingredients really brings out the natural flavors of the fresh lemon zest and raspberries in this muffin recipe. Check out these red fruits too!
Instead of sugar, I used ½ cup of pure maple syrup to balance out the tartness of the raspberry and lemon. You can easily substitute the sugar with other natural sweeteners such as honey or applesauce, but I find the maple flavor compliments the fruit flavors perfectly.
How to use fresh or frozen raspberries in these lemon raspberry muffins
I love baking with frozen raspberries! Since they’re preserved immediately after picking, frozen raspberries can actually be more flavorful than the fresh ones you buy at the store. Frozen berries are also a great way to eat real food on a budget.
The downside to frozen raspberries is that they can become mushy very quickly, which means instead of delicious chunks of raspberry in your muffins you wind up with lemon and raspberry flavored muffins (and dyed batter). To avoid this, leave your raspberries in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. Once you add the berries, don’t let them warm up while you fold them into the batter or fill your muffin pan.
If you prefer using fresh raspberries you don’t need to worry about thawing, but you should still make sure to fold gently since raspberries, especially ripe ones, mash easily.
How to zest a lemon
The fresh lemon zest is what adds the lemon flavor in these lemon raspberry muffins! If you’ve never zested a lemon before, you’re essentially just grating the peel with a fine grater. I recommend using a microplane (over a zester) for the best texture.
To zest, first clean and dry your lemon. Then place the end of your microplane on the cutting board, holding it with one hand on an angle. With the other hand, run the lemon back and forth on the microplane; the grated lemon will fall on the cutting board below.
- Don’t grate the white part of the lemon peel. This part is bitter on all citrus fruit.
- You only need a small amount of lemon zest; adding too much can overpower the raspberry flavor in these muffins.
- Be gentle as you zest and don’t press down too firmly.
- The microplane is VERY sharp so be careful not to slip and cut your hand or fingers!
If you don’t have a lemon zester or microplane you can also use a box grater or cheese grater. Choose the smallest size option and then run the lemon back and forth until you have 1 teaspoon of zest.
For more baking resources, check out this Teaspoons and Tablespoons guide.
Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon zest?
Lemon zest and lemon juice have slightly different flavors and levels of acidity, but if lemon zest isn’t an option, 100% freshly squeezed lemon juice will work in a pinch.
To substitute the lemon zest with lemon juice in these lemon raspberry muffins, first skip the step where you add zest. Then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with the other wet ingredients.
Lemon juice can sometimes taste more tart than zest, but you probably won’t notice a huge difference in this muffin recipe because there are so many other flavors to balance it out.
How to store whole wheat lemon raspberry muffins
Cooled leftover muffins (if you even have any leftovers!) can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the microwave for a quick, healthy snack or grab and go breakfast.
I hope your kids gobble up these lemon raspberry muffins like mine did. I’d love to hear what they think in the comments below. :)
Other muffin recipes you might like
- Whole Wheat Banana (Nut) Muffins
- Whole Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
- Apple Walnut Muffins
- Blueberry, Fruit, Nut (or anything you want) Whole Wheat Muffins
Whole-Wheat Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup butter (softened but not melted (1 stick))
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen raspberries (no need to defrost)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest (I usually use a zester, but I just ordered a microplane because I’ve been told it’s much easier!).
- In a large bowl fitted with an electric whisk (or beaters), cream the butter until smooth.
- Turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the egg, syrup, milk and vanilla.
- With the speed still on low slowly add in the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Carefully fold in the raspberries with a spatula until well combined.
- Use a small ice cream scooper or large spoon to add the batter to the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes cleans when inserted in the center, about 18 to 20 minutes.
I have your Healthy Pumpkin Muffins in the oven right now – I make these all the time! Have you tried the Lemon Raspberry Muffins with spelt flour? I love that it gives the pumpkin muffins such a soft light texture – think it’s worth a try?
Hi! We haven’t, but I think they would be worth trying out. Let us know if you give them a try. – Nicole
Super easy, tasty recipe. I think I’ll be using it for school lunches this year. Thanks!!
How can I make these gluten free?
While we haven’t tried, you might experiment with almond flour for these. – Nicole
My children love muffins. Is there any substitute for butter?
While we haven’t tried it in this recipe, applesauce is usually a generic substitute. – Nicole
My daughter’s favorite muffin recipe
I made the muffins this morning wondering if I need to put in fridge.
Whole wheat lemon raspberry muffins
Hi Melissa, sorry we can’t respond back in real-time, but you can put them in the fridge or in an airtight container on the counter. – Nicole
Made these a few days ago – veganized it by using almond milk, vegan margarine and a flax “egg”. Mine ended up a lot flatter than yours, not sure if the veganizing caused that but no big fuss as they still tasted great. Love how hearty they are while still being moist, the last few wholewheat muffins I’ve tried to make end up like hockey pucks. Also appreciated the different flavour, usually I lean towards chocolate so this was a nice change, thanks for a great recipe!
Tried this tonight with blackberries – super delicious! Might add a touch of lemon juice next time for a little more lemony goodness.
Wonderful recipe! I’ve tried the original recipe along with different variations (with fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries and King Arthur White Whole Wheat Four). We are going to try the recipe with strawberries today! Agree with some of the other comments that the mixture of butter, egg, maple syrup, milk and vanilla can look a little clumpy. I have brought all the ingredients to room temp and while the consistency does improve a bit, it still looks clumpy. However, I now do not give it a second thought because the end product is fantastic. Another great recipe! Thanks. :-)