Raspberry Lemon Muffins With Cream Cheese

4.62 from 21 votes

Raspberry lemon muffins are loaded with bright lemon zest, raspberries, and tangy cream cheese—like muffins and cheesecake in one!

Prep Time15

Cook Time24

Total Time39

Course: Muffins & Scones

Cuisine: Canadian / American

Servings: servings

Calories: 215kcal

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray then place a paper muffin cup in each cavity. Set aside.
Use your hands or a knife to section the cream cheese into small chunks. Set aside.
Have one medium and one large mixing bowl ready. Wash the lemon and then use a citrus zester or Microplane to finely grate all of the zest into the medium bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the large mixing bowl (approximately ¼ cup).
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the medium-sized bowl with the lemon zest. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
Add the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla to the bowl with the lemon juice. Whisk well to combine.
Add the dry flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients. Gently stir the mixture until it's about halfway mixed. Add the frozen raspberries and cream cheese chunks. Continue to stir until the berries and cream cheese are well distributed and the flour is just mixed in.
Spoon the muffin batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of coarse sugar if using.
Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 14 to 16 minutes more. Transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack and cool the muffins for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the tin and place them directly on the rack to cool completely.

Starting the muffins off at a higher oven temperature encourages a higher rise but it can be inconsistent. Regardless of how tall your muffins are, they will be delicious.

Storing these muffins in plastic zipper-top bags at room temperature can lead to a soggy texture by the next day. Once the muffins have completely cooled, I find it best to place them in a freezer bag and store them directly in the freezer. This preserves freshness and texture. Let the muffins thaw on the countertop for about 20-30 minutes, or warm them up briefly in the microwave.