Blueberry Ricotta Muffins Recipe
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The best Italian blueberry ricotta muffins with streusel topping ever!
Blueberry Ricotta Muffins
Everything you could ever want from a muffin and then some: fluffy, sweet, moist and decadent! You can opt for a luscious lemon glaze if you must but I personally prefer the streusel topping here.
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 Italian cookies or something with leftover ricotta cheese in the mix. That stuff makes my world go around!
Ingredient notes:
- Blueberries – fresh + dry is ideal. If you must use frozen berries make sure to toss them in some flour before adding them to the batter to prevent staining.
- Ricotta cheese – go for full fat whole milk, although you could really use a dairy-free version if you wanted to. A thick ricotta cheese doesn’t need draining but if it is watery please drain.
- Olive oil – extra light olive oil is best if you want a totally neutral taste, I happen to like a fruity extra virgin so i used that but any vegetable oil works in a pinch.
- Vanilla extract – it adds that special something to your muffins so please use it if you have some. A little bit goes a long way.
- Streusel topping – pop the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before grating it into the flour and sugar mixture. Quickly mix it in with your fingers until a wet sand texture is achieved.
- Don’t overmix the batter – folding the dry and wet ingredients together is key. You can do this!
Recipe Tips + Variations:
- Substitute the blueberries with diced figs, apricot, banana, strawberries or dark chocolate chips to turn these into chocolate muffins.
- Bake the batter into a loaf just like a banana bread, or even better in a bundt cake pan for a more impressive presentation.
- Make sure that your baking powder is fresh!
- Storage – even tough there is ricotta cheese in the mix refrigeration is not necessary. You can store the muffins at room temperature for a couple of days loosely covered with aluminum foil. They can also be be frozen individually in plastic bags or wrapped in foil.
Blueberry Ricotta Muffins Recipe
Italian Blueberry Ricotta Muffins, fluffy and moist with a cheesecake like texture and streusel topping these are the best muffins you will ever make!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra light or virgin olive oil
- 5 Tbsp coconut milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (or diced banana)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375"F.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- Don't overmix the batter - folding the dry and wet ingredients together is key. You can do this!
- Storage - even tough there is ricotta cheese in the mix refrigeration is not necessary. You can store the muffins at room temperature for a couple of days loosely covered with aluminum foil. They can also be be frozen individually in plastic bags or wrapped in foil.
Nutrition
Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 12
Calories: 243kcal
Italian Desserts:
I loved these muffins very flavorful! I now want to make this in a loaf pan. What adjustments need to be made? More baking powder? Lower temperature? Thanks for your advice
Here is the Blueberry Bread version of these: https://ciaoflorentina.com/blueberry-lemon-olive-oil-bread-recipe/
Thanks for this recipe! These lemon ricotta muffins are so delicious! They are light and fluffy and taste heavenly! 1Tbsp of poppy seeds gives them an added pop!! From now on, this is my go-to recipe for a mouthwatering, special treat!! FIVE STARS!!!
Hi Florentina!
These were phenomenal! I shared some with my neighbors and got rave reviews! In fact I’m making them a second day in a row because we loved them so much ❤️ Thank you for sharing the recipe
I 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.
Hi 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
Hi 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
Aww thank you Maria! That’s wonderful, so happy you enjoyed them! Xo’s ~ Florentina
Hi 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?
Hi 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.
I 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.
Hi 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/
Is it coconut milk for cooking like in the can or just coconut milk in the refrigerated section next to the dairy milk?
Hi Christina, just regular coconut milk from the refrigerated section, NOT the cans.
delizioso! 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.
So 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.
I made these muffins today, they are the BEST muffins I ever ate! I absolutely love them!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
This makes me so happy, and so excited to go bake some more ricotta muffins.Enjoy! ~ Florentina
Just made and ate (way too many) of these amazing muffins! I’ll never go back to the regular kind! Pure heaven.
So happy to hear! i know that feeling, I can’t keep a batch till the next day. Ricotta muffins are everything 😉 ~ Florentina
OMG! 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?
Hi 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
How much coconut oil? There is a block where the amount should be?
1/3 cup of coconut oil. Not sure why the plugin is showing a block for you..I’ll look into it, thank you !
I 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.
They were amazing!
I’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
These are really gorgeous! I came back to comment, I love the use of the paper….these look just delicious!
thanks Sara, I fell in love with that paper myself, which I could find it again.
We 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?
Hi 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 😉
Do you think this recipe would work using a gluten-free flour mix?
Hi Deidre, I think you would be okay using rice flour, it would however change the texture but overall I think still a winner 🙂
JUST 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!!
That’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