The best, fluffiest blueberry ricotta muffins with streusel topping ever!
What could be better than to die for blueberry muffins loaded with ricotta cheese right? Okay, maybe a luscious lemon glaze if you must!
Browsing through this journal you probably figured out by now that I am not much of a baker, but when I do bake, it is most likely something with ricotta cheese in the mix. That stuff makes my world go around!
You know you could easily turn these into banana or Chocolate Muffins by just making a couple of simple changes. Like substituting the blueberries in the recipe below with diced banana or dark chocolate chips, and adding some melted chocolate to the batter.
You could even bake it into a loaf, just like a banana bread, or even better in a bundt cake pan for an even more impressive presentation.
The recipe calls for coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. So much better than vegetable or canola, but feel free to substitute with melted butter If you must, and coconut milk instead of regular cow’s milk.
The ultimate secret here is to not overmix the batter. Folding the dry and wet ingredients together is key. You can do this!
Fluffy and moist Blueberry Ricotta Muffins with a cheesecake like texture and streusel topping!
- 1 1/2 c flour
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 c coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup
- 5 Tbsp coconut milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3/4 c ricotta cheese
- 1 1/4 c fresh blueberries (or diced banana)
- 1/4 c sugar
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 tbs butter cold
- Preheat your oven to 375"
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients and add them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a spatula fold the two together until incorporated. Don’t over mix.
- Fold in the blueberries then fill 9 muffin paper cups 3/4 of the way full (or your favorite muffin pan or silicone muffin cups).
- Make the streusel topping by grating the cold butter over the flour and sugar mixture. Use your fingers to quickly work the mixture together until it looks like wet sand.
- Top each muffin with with 1 tbs of streusel topping if desired, or just sprinkle some sugar on top.
Bake for 20 minutes at 375"F or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the muffin cups on a wire rack for 10 min.
If using paper muffin cups you can just tear them around the muffin when ready to eat. If using silicone muffin cups turn them upside down and the muffins will slide out.
You’ll Also Love:
Ricotta Lemon Muffins
Blueberry Lemon Olive Oil Bread
Blueberry Muffin Cake
Berry Pizza
chef renee
November 20, 2010 at 9:34 pmstunning muffins. I must have one! the ricotta in the recipe sounds like it tastes terrific! I’ll try, not much of a baker either!
florentina
November 22, 2010 at 6:50 pmThanks Renee! I usually don’t eat muffins because they are just too dry for my taste but the ricotta cheese in these ones solves that problem. Now i bake them all the time ! Xo’s
Real Foodie
November 22, 2010 at 4:06 pmOh Ricotta cheese! On my way to the store now, adding these to my Thanksgiving Menu!
Rohan Dutta
November 26, 2010 at 12:21 pmMade them today. Turned out really good! Thanks for the recipe 😉
florentina
November 26, 2010 at 3:01 pmThat’s great Rohan! My pleasure 🙂
Elaine
December 3, 2010 at 12:22 pmThese were wonderful! Made them and took them into work- huge hit!!!
florentina
December 4, 2010 at 11:02 amSo happy to hear that. Enjoy!
Tom House
December 12, 2010 at 4:40 pmTina.. I am sitting here working on getting this piece for my new site, and I realize the recipe is gone! I need a dessert now if I cannot use this one! You are a shooting star! Go girl!
Neil @ Fit Pig Recipes
February 4, 2011 at 7:14 pmI made these muffins and they were delicious, they didn’t last very long! As you mentioned in an earlier comment the ricotta keeps them nice and moist 🙂 Here’s the end result http://twitpic.com/3wbic6.
florentina
February 4, 2011 at 9:53 pmThey look so cute! Are they minis ?
Neil @ Fit Pig Recipes
February 5, 2011 at 1:07 pmThey were more like cupcake size than muffin size, but the recipe still made a dozen at that size. They were a great size to go with a cup of tea.
Elaine
February 20, 2011 at 8:04 amHi there, I tried this recipe today, didn’t use the streusel topping and added more blueberries, and they turned out AMAZING! I love that there’s no butter or buttermilk in the muffins, it’s so much healthier 🙂 Thank you!
florentina
February 20, 2011 at 11:21 amHi Elaine, you can also use fat free ricotta cheese, if you are looking to cut down on the calories. I did that last week and couldn’t even tell the difference. So happy you enjoyed it !
Sanjeeta kk
May 16, 2011 at 8:19 amHow decadent and scrumptious the muffins look! Glad to have come to this lovely space and browse some of the delightful recipes here.
Adele Uddo
July 10, 2011 at 10:22 amI can’t go to this site without my mouth WATERING! Florentina, will you move in with me? I’ve got a kitchen with an ocean view – which is my excuse for not cooking (too distracted by beauty) 😉
Florentina
July 10, 2011 at 10:26 amhmmm… let me think about that… Yes, sure how’s next week ? I don’t have a lot of stuff, just pots and plates and dishes lol Let’s make some shrimp to go with the view too!
Adele Uddo
July 10, 2011 at 12:57 pmSounds like a plan! This kitchen deserves a great cook and I LOVE shrimp 😉
Tori
September 12, 2011 at 8:00 pmI just made these muffins! They are delicious, and unless I just got super lucky, they directions are also idiot proof! Thanks for the great recipe!
Florentina
September 12, 2011 at 8:55 pmSo happy to hear that Tori, enjoy! These are my favorite muffins ever.
Sarah
November 9, 2011 at 5:12 pmWould this recipe work with Quark? I’ve seen it interchanged with Ricotta cheese in other recipes.
Florentina
November 9, 2011 at 5:34 pmnot sure… you can try… In my opinion there’s nothing like Ricotta baby !
Naina
November 5, 2012 at 10:21 amI tried this recipe today for breakfast as it is my husband’s birthday. Turned out to be great – he loved it! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Linda
November 27, 2012 at 5:52 pmHi Florentina I made these muffins for family and also sent a few to work and everybody enjoyed them. They are absolutely delicious, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Florentina
December 3, 2012 at 9:13 pmHi Linda! So glad to hear that, i’ll be making them myself again this Christmas.
Kati
June 24, 2013 at 3:33 pmThey’re in the oven now. I’m feeling pretty confident that these will be amazing! I made them with strawberries instead of blueberries, using the dehydrating trick from this recipe, http://www.theparsleythief.com/2011/04/strawberry-ricotta-muffins.html?m=1
Thanks for the recipe.
lisa g.
February 18, 2014 at 3:21 pmThose sure look delicious! Big Q..if fresh blueberries are not available..then would frozen blueberries work? Please tell how to prepare them if using frozen..and have you used frozen ones in this recipe before? Thanks!
Florentina
February 28, 2014 at 2:13 pmHi Lisa, yes frozen blueberries would work fine, they might stain the muffin a little but still delicious! make sure to toss them in some flour first to absorb any extra moisture! Enjoy!
savvychef2013
April 3, 2015 at 10:49 amJUST took a batch out of the oven…I used whole wheat pastry flour, only 1/2 cup sugar. Skipped the streusel- just dusted muffins with sugar and dried lime zest. The texture and lightness of these muffins are amazing!! Forget any other ‘blueberry muffin’ recipe in favor of using this one!! Great addition to Easter brunch feast!! Thanks!!
Florentina
April 5, 2015 at 6:50 pmThat’s so wonderful to hear! These are my favorite muffins too, I am glad you loved them and I hope they will become a tradition in your home as well Xo’s
Deidre
July 16, 2015 at 8:57 pmDo you think this recipe would work using a gluten-free flour mix?
Florentina
July 17, 2015 at 2:11 pmHi Deidre, I think you would be okay using rice flour, it would however change the texture but overall I think still a winner 🙂
Courtney
September 5, 2015 at 4:40 amWe absolutely LOVE these muffins…they are a family favorite. However, when I tried to switch to the coconut oil, it hardened right up when combined with the other wet ingredients and would not incorporate. How do you use the coconut oil in this recipe?
Florentina
September 5, 2015 at 9:47 amHi Courtney, did you make sure that your eggs are at room temperature ? It is vey very important that they are so when whisked together with the coconut oil nothing hardens. I would start by whisking together those two first and then add the rest. Also make sure the coconut oil is in liquid form, or you need to warm it up for a minute. Let me know if that helps. P.S. You can also opt for an extra light olive oil instead 😉
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets
September 21, 2015 at 7:59 pmThese are really gorgeous! I came back to comment, I love the use of the paper….these look just delicious!
Florentina
September 23, 2015 at 2:13 pmthanks Sara, I fell in love with that paper myself, which I could find it again.
Lucy
October 29, 2015 at 10:11 amThey were amazing!
Florentina
October 31, 2015 at 9:32 pmI’m so happy to hear, my favorite muffins ever, I’ve been making these for years and we never get tired of them. I mean Ricotta cheese makes everything perfect xo’s
Scott
March 10, 2016 at 11:58 amI came back to comment because this is the only way we are doing blueberry muffins from now on. There is something magical to that ricotta cheese in the mix. The most perfect muffins I ever had.
Deb
March 15, 2016 at 4:06 pmHow much coconut oil? There is a block where the amount should be?
Florentina
March 15, 2016 at 9:27 pm1/3 cup of coconut oil. Not sure why the plugin is showing a block for you..I’ll look into it, thank you !
Lori
June 1, 2016 at 4:01 pmOMG! Soooo good! Used the coconut oil but I didn’t have coconut milk so I used 2% milk. What I didn’t realize (because I am new to using coconut oil) is that when I added the cold ricotta cheese and cold milk to the oil, it hardened into what looked like lumps of whites plastic! I got through that and they still turned out great! Thank you! I do have one question: what is the best way to store them? They are so light and fluffy, I hate to harden them in the refrigerator but, because of the ricotta cheese in them, don’t they have to be refrigerated?
Florentina
June 1, 2016 at 6:18 pmHi Lori, so excited you love the ricotta muffins. You can always use a light extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil, it works really great too. To store them, loosely wrap them in aluminum foil and keep them on the kitchen counter. They keep great for about 3 days, tough I’d admit, unless I’m home alone a batch never makes it through the night haha
Alarie
July 10, 2016 at 6:09 pmJust made and ate (way too many) of these amazing muffins! I’ll never go back to the regular kind! Pure heaven.
Florentina
July 11, 2016 at 12:19 pmSo happy to hear! i know that feeling, I can’t keep a batch till the next day. Ricotta muffins are everything 😉 ~ Florentina
ERIN SABATINE
July 31, 2016 at 1:18 pmI made these muffins today, they are the BEST muffins I ever ate! I absolutely love them!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Florentina
July 31, 2016 at 1:58 pmThis makes me so happy, and so excited to go bake some more ricotta muffins.Enjoy! ~ Florentina
stephanie
August 27, 2016 at 6:25 pmdelizioso! This recipe was moist and delicious. Will definitely make again. I made a loaf instead of the muffins, used only 1/2 cup sugar, and baked for 40 minutes and it was still perfect.
I will leave off the crumble next time, it didn’t really work out as I had hoped.
Florentina
August 28, 2016 at 2:00 pmSo happy to hear! I also make a blueberry lemon bread based on this recipe, so lovely. The secret to the crumb topping is for the butter to be extra cold, actually I pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes before t grate it over the flour sugar mix. My favorite blueberry muffins ever.
Christina
March 28, 2017 at 10:46 amIs it coconut milk for cooking like in the can or just coconut milk in the refrigerated section next to the dairy milk?
Florentina
March 31, 2017 at 4:12 pmHi Christina, just regular coconut milk from the refrigerated section, NOT the cans.
Effie Sorrentino
June 7, 2017 at 3:14 pmI made this as a loaf instead of muffins. I tested the loaf in multiple places for doneness and every spot came out dry. However, after cutting an end slice off to taste it (it was amazing!), I noticed that the loaf was still very wet in the middle. I don’t know if the streusel top masked the tester when pulled out of the loaf. I am an experienced baker. I put it back in the pan and back in the oven. It’s definitely not perfect, but still very yummy. I’m wondering if a lower temperature and longer bake time would work better. Next time I may stick with muffins or just anticipate baking for a longer time, even if the loaf initially seems done.
Florentina
June 9, 2017 at 4:57 pmHi Effie, there is another recipe for a loaf with blueberry, lemon and ricotta. You might wanna go with this next time If you prefer a loaf instead of muffins: https://ciaoflorentina.com/blueberry-lemon-olive-oil-bread-recipe/
Maureen Wadsworth
July 12, 2017 at 7:35 pmHi Florentina: This recipe sounds yummy. Does this recipe make 12 muffins or 9? The top of the recipe says makes 12 but you say to use only 9 muffin liners? Please confirm. Also if Coconut milk from the refrigerated section is not available at my grocery can I use canned coconut milk?
Florentina
July 13, 2017 at 9:52 amHi Maureen, you can actually do 9 or 12 depending on the size of your muffin cups. I’ve done both so up to you. I’ve never used the canned coconut milk variety but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. You can always just use plain cow’s whole milk If that’s all you got.
Maria Rebello
September 26, 2017 at 3:33 pmHi Florentina,
I just wanted to say these are my best bake! After reading the reviews I had to try it.im so glad I did..they are so light and fluffy. A hint of sweetness and moist. The blueberries coloured sections of the muffins colourfully. I used butter instead of olive oil and milk instead of coconut milk. Fan assisted oven at 170 for 20 mins. Absolutely beautiful thank you
Maria
Florentina
September 26, 2017 at 7:36 pmAww thank you Maria! That’s wonderful, so happy you enjoyed them! Xo’s ~ Florentina
Coco
February 20, 2019 at 6:07 amI was looking for a less-flour ricotta muffin (this is not it) and I just want to say GOOD LORD THAT IS A LOT OF OIL. Also, maybe sub in some whole wheat flour. If you think canola oil is evil, I’m surprised you’re not at LEAST suggesting unbleached white flour.
Florentina
February 27, 2019 at 10:28 amHi Coco, this is a decadent treat, not a healthy recipe. You are correct, oil is terrible so is the ricotta and flour and sugar and eggs. If you truly want to eat healthy a whole foods plant-based lifestyle is the way to go. No oil, no salt, no animal products. This is an old recipe and I now encourage everyone to switch to a cruelty-free WFPB diet. I share all new recipes on my new site VeggieSociety.com ~ Florentina