Imagine biting into a wonderfully moist muffin bursting with bright lemon zest, sweet juicy raspberries, and a delicate tropical whisper of coconut. These muffins are truly an irresistible treat that brings pure joy with every bite. I find making a batch makes any morning feel special, whether you enjoy them fresh from the oven or tucked into a lunchbox later. They’re surprisingly easy to whip up, perfect for bakers of any skill level and ready to enjoy in under an hour.
How to Bake These Beautiful Muffins
Making these delightful muffins is simpler than you might think. You’ll follow a straightforward process, mixing wet and dry ingredients separately before bringing them together with the star fruit. The result is a tender crumb and perfectly distributed raspberries.
Combining the Dry Ingredients
Start by grabbing a large mixing bowl. Into this bowl, measure your all-purpose flour, unsweetened desiccated coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt. Give these dry ingredients a good whisk until you see everything is evenly combined. You can set this bowl aside for just a moment while you prepare the wet mixture.
Preparing the Wet Ingredients
In a separate large bowl, place your granulated sugar and the fresh lemon zest. Now, this is a little trick I love (just like I do for my favorite lemon bar recipe) Gently rub the lemon zest into the sugar using your fingers. This simple step releases all those lovely citrus oils, making the lemon flavor incredibly fragrant and vibrant throughout the muffins. Once that’s done, whisk in the full-fat coconut milk, melted butter, large eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Keep whisking until all these wet ingredients are well combined and look uniform.
Mixing the Batter
Now it’s time to bring the two bowls together. Pour the bowl containing the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a whisk or a spatula to mix them gently. You only need to mix until the dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated. Don’t worry if you see a few small spots of dry flour remaining; overmixing at this stage can lead to tough muffins, and we want them wonderfully tender. A lumpy batter is actually exactly what you’re aiming for.
Folding in the Raspberries
This next step is crucial for getting those beautiful pockets of fruit without turning your batter purple. Gently add the frozen raspberries directly to the batter. It’s important that they are frozen and not thawed. Use a spatula to carefully fold the frozen raspberries into the batter. Mix just enough so they are distributed throughout. Be very careful not to overmix here; handling the frozen berries too much can cause them to break apart and bleed their color into the batter.
Filling the Muffin Cups
Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Using a large scoop or a 1/3 cup measuring cup makes portioning the batter really easy and helps ensure you get evenly sized muffins. Scoop the batter into each prepared muffin cup. You’ll want to fill the cups quite full; the batter should sit slightly above the rim of the liner. This helps create those desirable tall, domed muffin tops, just like you find in a bakery.
Baking and Topping
Before they go into the oven, prepare the simple lemon sugar topping. In a small bowl, rub the quarter cup of granulated sugar with the teaspoon of fresh lemon zest, just like you did for the batter. Sprinkle this fragrant lemon sugar generously and evenly over the top of the batter in each cup. Carefully place the filled muffin pan into your preheated 425 F (218 C) oven. Bake at this high temperature for exactly 8 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C) and continue baking for another 19 to 23 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and a thin skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Cooling Your Muffins
Once baked to perfection, take the muffin pan out of the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. This allows them to finish setting up slightly. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the muffins from the pan. Transfer them directly onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely. This prevents the bottoms from getting soggy from trapped steam. Enjoy them warm, or let them cool entirely for storage.
Storing and Freezing Tips
Proper storage ensures your delightful muffins stay fresh and delicious for as long as possible. It’s important to let them cool completely before you store them to prevent moisture buildup which can make them soggy.
Once fully cooled, store the muffins at room temperature. Place them in an airtight container to help maintain their freshness and moisture. A resealable plastic bag works well too, or you can wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. For an extra touch to help absorb any excess moisture and keep the muffins moist, you can place a slice of fresh white bread or even a piece of paper towel inside the storage container along with the muffins. They should stay fresh stored this way for up to five days.
If you want to keep your muffins longer, they freeze beautifully. Make sure each muffin is completely cool. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Once wrapped, place them into a freezer-safe container or a sturdy freezer bag. Stored properly in the freezer, they will keep well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a frozen muffin, simply take one out and let it thaw at room temperature before eating.
Common Questions About These Muffins
Yes, you can use fresh raspberries. However, frozen raspberries are often recommended because they hold their shape better when folded into the batter and are less likely to bleed color. If using fresh, handle them very gently.
Starting with a high temperature (425 F / 218 C) and then reducing it helps the muffins rise quickly and create those tall, domed tops in the initial phase of baking.
Full-fat coconut milk provides richness and moisture. While other milks might work, the texture might be slightly different. Using coconut milk specifically adds to the delicate coconut flavor noted in the recipe.
Make sure you fill the muffin cups quite full, ideally with the batter sitting above the rim of the liner. Also, starting with that initial high oven temperature is key for a good rise.
Stored correctly in an airtight container at room temperature after cooling completely, they will stay fresh for up to five days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
You can skip the lemon sugar topping if you prefer, but it adds a lovely brightness, texture, and that signature bakery-style finish to the muffins.
Insert a thin skewer or toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out with only a few moist crumbs attached, not wet batter. The tops should also look golden brown.
Easy Lemon Raspberry Muffins (with a Coconut Twist!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 12 large muffins
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Oven
Description
These Coconut Lemon Raspberry Muffins are incredibly moist and tender, bursting with juicy raspberries and bright lemon flavor, plus a delicate hint of coconut! Topped with a sweet lemon sugar crust, they are an irresistible treat perfect for breakfast or brunch!
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) full-fat coconut milk, shaken well in the can before measuring
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (130 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (115 g), at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 cups (240 g) frozen raspberries, kept frozen until ready to use
For the Lemon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- Get the oven ready. Heat your oven to 425 F (218 C). Put paper liners into a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Set the prepared pan aside.
- Mix the dry things. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until everything is combined evenly. Put this bowl aside for now.
- Mix the wet things. In a separate large bowl, add the 1 cup granulated sugar and the 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it smells fragrant and citrusy. Whisk in the full-fat coconut milk, melted butter, large eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Mix until all the wet ingredients are well combined.
- Combine wet and dry. Add the bowl of dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a whisk or spatula to mix them together just until the dry ingredients are almost fully incorporated. It’s okay to have a few small dry flour spots remaining.
- Add the raspberries. Gently add the frozen raspberries to the batter in the bowl. Use a spatula to carefully fold the raspberries into the batter until they are just distributed. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.
- Fill the muffin cups. Use a large scoop or a 1/3 cup measure to divide the muffin batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin liners. The cups should be quite full, with the batter sitting above the rim of the liner.
- Make the lemon sugar topping. In a small separate bowl, add the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant.
- Add the topping. Sprinkle the lemon sugar mixture generously and evenly over the top of the batter in each muffin cup before baking.
- Bake the muffins. Carefully place the muffin pan into the preheated 425 F (218 C) oven. Bake for exactly 8 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C). Continue baking for another 19 to 23 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a thin skewer or toothpick into the center of a muffin; it should come out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool. Once baked, take the muffin pan out of the oven. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully remove the muffins from the pan and place them directly onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Notes
Ingredient Tip: For best baking results, measure dry ingredients like flour correctly. Avoid scooping measuring cups directly into the flour bag, which can pack it down and result in using too much. Instead, first fluff the flour in its container, then spoon it gently into your measuring cup. Level off the top with a straight edge. Using a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure ingredients.
Storage: Ensure the muffins are completely cool before storing them to prevent them from becoming soggy. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh and moist. A resealable plastic bag or wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap also works well.
- To help maintain moisture while storing, you can place a slice of fresh white bread or a piece of paper towel inside the storage container with the muffins. The bread or paper towel can help absorb excess moisture.
Freezing: Baked muffins freeze beautifully. Wrap each cooled muffin individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped muffins into a freezer-safe container or a sturdy freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen muffins at room temperature before enjoying.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 288 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 248 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
