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Moist Lemon Ricotta Zucchini Muffins with Easy Poppy Seed Streusel Recipe

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These moist lemon ricotta zucchini muffins feature a tender crumb with fresh lemon zest and a crunchy poppy seed streusel topping, perfect for brunch or a snack.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour (or almond flour for gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240g) ricotta cheese (whole milk preferred)
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted butter
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 ½ cups (150g) shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (for streusel)
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (for streusel)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional, for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it.
  2. Prepare streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, poppy seeds, and cinnamon if using. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Shred zucchini using a box grater. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. In another bowl, whisk ricotta, sugar, eggs, oil or melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in shredded zucchini.
  7. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, filling about ¾ full.
  8. Sprinkle chilled streusel topping evenly over each muffin.
  9. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Streusel should be golden and crisp.
  10. Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Squeeze zucchini well to prevent sogginess. Keep butter cold for streusel to achieve crumbly texture. Use fresh lemon zest and juice for best flavor. Room temperature eggs and ricotta blend better. Tent muffins with foil if browning too fast.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon ricotta zucchini muffins, poppy seed streusel, moist muffins, zucchini muffins, lemon muffins, easy muffin recipe, brunch muffins

Find it online: https://tablemira.com/moist-lemon-ricotta-zucchini-muffins-with-easy-poppy-seed-streusel-recipe/