Muffins are a favorite treat any time of day and a perfect recipe to use fresh strawberries in season. Whether they are a quick breakfast dusted with confectioners’ sugar or a sweet treat topped with a Ricotta Glaze or Mascarpone Frosting they are always welcome in my family.
Ricotta gives an ultra-moist texture and richer taste to the muffins. The “tang” of the ricotta balances out the sweetness of the strawberries.
Strawberry Ricotta Muffins
Adapted from Bake From Scratch blogger Shiran Dickman
- 2-1/4 cups flour, sifted with the baking powder and sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon zest (I added)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1-1/4 cups fresh strawberries, diced (see Note 1)
- confectioners’ sugar to garnish (optional – see also Ricotta Glaze or Giada’s mascarpone frosting below)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 16 regular muffin wells with cooking spray or use liners.
Combine the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl; set aside. I always combine the dry ingredients (except the sugar) and sift them together.
In a medium bowl whisk the ricotta cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, milk and lemon zest; whisk until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla and stir until combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and fold in with a spatula; gently fold in the strawberries. Divide the batter among the prepared wells, filling about three-fourths full.
Bake for 15-25 minutes (25 minutes in my oven) until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes; remove. Finish cooling on the racks.
Ricotta Glaze:
- 1/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp. whole milk
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Whisk ricotta until smooth in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, milk and vanilla bean paste; whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over muffins just before serving.
You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow the glaze to come to room temperature and whisk (if needed) to combine.
If you are looking for more of a dessert make Giada’s mascarpone frosting:
- 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 3 tbsp. honey
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (optional)
Combine above ingredients and spread over the muffins.
Note 1: If you think your berries are too juicy you can toss with a little flour before adding to the batter. Or you could roast the whole berries (cut into 1/4’s), place on a rack over a baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven until they are partially dried; allow to cool before adding to recipe.
Me – I personally love juicy berries!
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Strawberrylicious. What a great idea! 🍃🍓
Thanks Gail – the muffins were definitely yummy 🙂
Looks like a great recipe for all those strawberries coming in!
Thanks – I can’t get enough of them 🙂
These cupcakes look divine….it’s surprising that I hv never tried ricotta cheese…it’s pretty rare here..
Thanks Lina – ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from different milk sources (cow, sheep, etc.) It is a perfect choice for so many Italian recipes or like these muffins.
I found a great recipe to make ricotta at home..surely gonna try it
That’s great Lina – it’s supposed to be easy to make. Good luck!
These look so moist and tasty. You’re really celebrating strawberries season! I wasn’t lucky enough this year to get really good ones. Still hoping…
Yes I am – strawberries have been so good this year, unlike how they were in the winter 🙂
Hopefully we’ll also get some soon. 🙂
These muffins look super delicious!
They were Zaza – the ricotta cheese was a nice addition to the sweet strawberries 🙂
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I made these yesterday- They were wonderful. 🙂 I hope to try them with the ricotta glaze next time. Thanks, Judi!
Thanks Josette – I’m so glad you made them and liked them too 🙂 The glaze would add a nice finishing touch with the ricotta in the batter and the juicy, fresh strawberries.
I agree! I will try it next time 🙂
You are on a roll with your strawberry desserts, I don’t know where to start. 😁
Yes I am Karen! I have some extra time to bake and cook – surprise! surprise! The strawberries have been so good this summer. I like them on top of cereal and salads but also fun to make desserts and these muffins. I liked the ricotta addition 🙂