The BEST Raspberry Streusel Muffins (Easy Recipe!)

These raspberry streusel muffins are soft, bursting with juicy berries, and topped with an irresistible buttery crumble. I just know you’ll fall in love with them from the very first bite. They are wonderfully easy to make and perfect for a cozy breakfast or a delightful snack any time.

Why You’ll Absolutely Adore These Raspberry Muffins

Honestly, these raspberry streusel muffins are my go-to for everything from a quick breakfast to a comforting dessert or even just an afternoon pick-me-up. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think you’ll love baking and eating them as much as I do.

• Incredible Flavor: Every single bite of these muffins is bursting with the bright, tangy taste of fresh or frozen raspberries. The hint of lemon zest we add brings a lovely brightness, making them truly unforgettable. Finishing them off with a simple vanilla glaze takes these muffins to a whole new level of deliciousness that’s hard to beat.
• Perfect Texture: You get this wonderful combination of textures here. The muffins themselves are incredibly light and fluffy on the inside, while the buttery streusel topping bakes up perfectly crisp and crumbly on top. It’s such a satisfying contrast in every mouthful.
• Simple to Bake: You might think something this delicious would be complicated, but whipping up a batch is surprisingly easy. You can have these ready to go in the oven in under an hour. You only need a few basic ingredients and standard kitchen tools, no fancy equipment required at all.

Essential Ingredients You Will Need

These berry-filled morning treats come together beautifully with just a handful of everyday ingredients. Most of them you probably already have in your pantry. While raspberries are definitely the star here, this recipe is quite forgiving and you can easily swap in other berries or even some diced fruit like peaches. Let’s look at what you’ll need.

• Raspberries:Please take my word for it, these muffins are absolutely worthy of using those beautiful, plump, ruby-red raspberries you might have picked up. That little burst of sweet and tart berry flavor in every single bite feels like pure heaven. Don’t worry if fresh aren’t available, frozen berries work wonderfully too. This means you can enjoy these delightful muffins all year round, no matter the season.
• Flour: To achieve that lovely light and airy texture in our muffins, we are using a combination of both all-purpose flour and cake flour. Getting the flour measurement right is key for the best results. I always recommend using a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. Adding too much flour is a common reason for muffins turning out dry, and trust me, nobody wants a dry muffin.
• Eggs: This recipe calls for just two large eggs. They play an important role in giving the muffins structure and helping them rise nicely. For the very best texture and rise, it’s always a good idea to make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start mixing.
• Butter: We use melted butter in this recipe which contributes to the tender crumb. After melting your butter, let it cool down for about ten minutes before you add it to the batter ingredients. This prevents it from cooking the eggs.
• Sugar: Along with the natural sweetness that comes from the raspberries as they bake, we add a bit of granulated sugar. Sugar sweetens both the muffin batter itself and creates that wonderfully crisp, buttery streusel topping.
• Greek Yogurt: I find that incorporating yogurt into my muffin and loaf cake recipes consistently helps create an incredibly soft and moist crumb. Full-fat Greek yogurt is my preference, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can easily swap it out for full-fat plain yogurt or even sour cream.
• Lemon: The zest from one fresh lemon adds such a delightful little hint of bright citrus flavor. It really complements the sweetness of the berries beautifully without being overpowering.

Preparing These Delicious Raspberry Muffins

Baking these incredibly easy and totally delicious muffins truly is a simple process. You really only need a bowl and a whisk to get started. Just follow along with this straightforward guide. You can also check the recipe card for ingredient amounts and the complete detailed instructions.

1. Get your oven ready. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set the prepared pan aside for now.
2. Prepare the lemon sugar. In a small bowl, put the granulated sugar and the fresh lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest into the sugar for about fifteen to twenty seconds. This simple step helps release the oils from the zest and infuses the sugar with wonderful lemon flavor.
3. Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar that you just rubbed with lemon zest. Pour in the slightly cooled melted butter, the room temperature eggs, the Greek yogurt, and the vanilla extract.
4. Whisk wet ingredients. Use a whisk to combine all these wet ingredients together until the mixture looks smooth and well blended.
5. Add dry ingredients. Now, add all the dry ingredients you prepared in a separate bowl into the large bowl with the wet mixture.
6. Combine wet and dry gently. Use a large spatula or a wooden spoon to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. It is really important not to over mix the batter at this stage. Stop mixing as soon as you still see a few streaks of dry flour remaining in the batter. Over mixing will make your muffins tough.
7. Prepare the raspberries. Place your raspberries in a small bowl. Add about two tablespoons of all-purpose flour over the berries. Gently toss the berries with the flour to coat them lightly. This step helps prevent the raspberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while they bake. Fold the floured raspberries into the batter with just two or three gentle motions. Again, be careful not to over mix.
8. Rest the batter and make streusel. Cover the bowl holding the muffin batter with a clean dish towel and let it rest at room temperature for thirty minutes. While the batter is resting, you should prepare the streusel topping. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cold, cubed butter for the streusel. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to combine them until crumbly. Place the streusel mixture, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill while the batter rests. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit again if needed and ensure your muffin tin is lined.
9. Fill the muffin cups. Use a large cookie scoop or a measuring cup to evenly divide the rested batter between the prepared muffin tin liners. For the best possible rise and those nice, domed muffin tops, try filling every other muffin cup in the pan. This gives the muffins more space and allows air to circulate better as they bake.
10. Add the streusel topping. Generously sprinkle the cold streusel mixture over the top of the batter in each filled muffin cup. Work fairly quickly so the cold butter in the streusel doesn’t soften too much. Make sure to cover the tops of each muffin generously. Use your hands to very gently press the streusel down into the batter slightly so it adheres well.
11. Bake the muffins. Bake the muffins for eighteen to nineteen minutes. You will know they are done when the tops look slightly golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Be careful not to over bake them, as this can result in dry muffins.
12. Cool the muffins. Remove the pan of baked muffins from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for no more than ten minutes before carefully lifting them out. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle them with the vanilla glaze just before you plan to serve them.

Expert Tips for Baking the Best Muffins

Achieving those picture-perfect, bakery-style muffins is actually easier than you might think. Just follow these simple pro tips and tricks, and you will be well on your way to baking the very best muffins every time.

• Do not over mix the batter. This is one of the most crucial tips when it comes to muffin making. Less is definitely more when you are mixing the wet and dry ingredients together. I always recommend using a wooden spoon or a spatula and mixing only until the ingredients are just barely combined. It’s perfectly fine to see a few streaks of dry flour remaining in the batter. Over mixing your muffin batter can unfortunately lead to tough, dense muffins instead of light and fluffy ones.
• Coat the raspberries in flour. This tip might feel like an old trick, but I promise you, it works like magic every single time. Whether you are using fresh raspberries or ones straight from the freezer, make sure to toss them with just a couple of tablespoons of flour before you gently fold them into the batter. This simple coating creates a light barrier that helps prevent the berries from sinking all the way to the bottom of your muffins while they bake.
• Let the batter rest. If your schedule allows for it, I highly recommend allowing the prepared muffin batter to rest at room temperature for about thirty minutes before you scoop it into the muffin tin and bake. This resting time makes a truly significant difference in how high your muffins will rise in the oven, giving you those lovely tall domes.
• Fill every other muffin liner. This is genuinely my favorite trick for getting those perfectly domed, high muffin tops. By giving the muffins a little extra space around them in the tin, you allow for much better air flow during the baking process. This increased air circulation directly helps the muffin tops rise up higher and more evenly.
• Bake at a slightly higher temperature. Starting the bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit is your ticket to achieving those gorgeous, perfectly domed, bakery-style muffin tops we all love. Baking the muffins in a properly preheated oven at this temperature helps the tops set quickly and rise beautifully before the rest of the muffin finishes baking.
• Avoid over baking your muffins. To ensure your muffins turn out wonderfully soft and fluffy, it is important to keep a close eye on them while they are in the oven. Over baking is a sure way to end up with dry, crumbly muffins. Start checking for doneness around the eighteen-minute mark. The toothpick test should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached, not completely clean.
• Be generous with the streusel. If you ask me, you can never have too much streusel, and these muffins are certainly no exception. When you first sprinkle the buttery sugar crumble over the tops of the muffins, you might initially think it looks like enough. You’re probably wrong. Go ahead and add a bit more to each muffin top until they are really generously covered. They will bake up perfectly, and all that extra crumble creates plenty of wonderful nooks and crannies for the vanilla glaze to settle into later.

Exploring Different Swaps and Substitutions

While I honestly wouldn’t change a single thing about these incredibly buttery, berry-filled muffins (I truly adore them just the way they are), I also love how wonderfully adaptable this recipe is. It’s very versatile, allowing you to make easy swaps based on what you have or what you prefer.

• Fruit Swaps: You can easily swap out the fresh raspberries for other fruits. Strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries would all work beautifully and provide a similar burst of berry flavor. If you’re looking for something different, diced peaches would also be a fantastic choice, offering a sweet and slightly different texture.
• Frozen Fruit: Can’t get your hands on fresh fruit right now? No problem at all. Frozen berries work just as well in this recipe. Just make sure you coat them in flour as instructed before gently folding them into the batter. You can use them straight from the freezer, no need to thaw them first.
• Yogurt Substitutions: Greek yogurt is my preference because of its thickness and richness, but you can easily substitute it. Any full-fat plain yogurt will work nicely. Sour cream is another excellent option and will give you a similarly tender and moist crumb in your muffins.
• Gluten-Free Option: If you need to make a gluten-free version of these muffins, it’s simple to do. Just swap the all-purpose flour for any standard 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Most blends are formulated to be used cup-for-cup in recipes like this one.

This recipe truly is quite versatile, so feel free to experiment and make it your own. If you try a new swap, be sure to tell me all about how it turned out.

How to Properly Store Your Muffins

I bake these raspberry streusel muffins quite often, especially for breakfast or a quick snack, and usually, there isn’t a single crumb left in the kitchen for long. Muffins are generally at their absolute best when enjoyed the very day they are baked. However, they will certainly keep nicely if you store them properly.

Store your cooled muffins in a container with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature. They will stay fresh this way for up to two days. To prevent the streusel from getting soggy, you can place a paper towel in the bottom of the container and another one on top of the muffins before sealing.

If you are like me and always looking for a quick breakfast option for busy mornings, I love to store some unglazed extras in the freezer. Make sure the muffins are completely cool before freezing them. Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place the wrapped muffins in a freezer bag or an airtight container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to three months.

To enjoy a frozen muffin, simply take it out of the freezer and let it defrost on the kitchen counter for an hour or two. You can also warm it up gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds before serving. Sometimes I like to split a warmed muffin and add a smear of butter or a little extra glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Muffins

Here are answers to some common questions you might have about making these raspberry streusel muffins.

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