These homemade orange and raspberry muffins are light, fluffy, and wonderfully moist bakery quality treats, bursting with juicy raspberries and a touch of citrusy orange flavor. With 11 grams of protein and a good source of dietary fiber, this healthy raspberry muffin recipe is sure to become your new favorite breakfast snacks.
These homemade orange and raspberry muffins are a crowd-pleaser every time we bake them. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, you’ll want to double the batch as they vanish quickly! With a touch of orange, lots of tart raspberries, and a soft, fluffy texture, these from-scratch muffins are effortlessly delicious – no mixer required! The golden brown muffin tops feature a delightful raspberry and sugar topping that makes them a bit prettier and adds an extra burst of flavor to each bite.
If you’re planning to make a few batches of muffins to freeze for later, don’t forget to include Morning Glory Recipe. These are also a fantastic breakfast muffin that is perfect any day of the week.
Why you’ll love this raspberry muffin recipe
- Perfect Quick Breakfast – these grab-and-go breakfast muffins are a perfect breakfast on busy mornings. With 11g of protein and a good source of dietary fiber, they’re healthy and satisfying, keeping you full until your next meal.
- Easy Muffins – whipping up these homemade muffins is quick and easy, requiring just a few simple steps and two bowls for delicious reward of fresh warm muffins.
- No Vegetable Oil or Butter – This recipe skips butter or vegetable oil in favor of coconut oil and Greek yogurt, resulting in muffins that are both flavorful and healthier.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
- Flour – we recommend using a general all purpose flour for this recipe. You could substitute cake flour in a pinch, but check if it has any rising agents added and adjust as needed.
- Wheat Germ – this is the nutritious heart of the wheat kernel, it has a nutty toasted flavor. It adds both flavor and texture to these orange and raspberry muffins. Wheat germ can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, we normally use Bob’s Red Mill.
- Sugar – for this recipe we recommend using regular white sugar for the batter, and raw sugar for topping the muffins. If you don’t have raw sugar, you can substitute white or brown sugar.
- Rising Agents – to get a great rise and texture in these homemade muffins we recommend using both baking soda and baking powder in these muffins.
- Coconut Oil – we recommend using coconut oil as it is full of nutrients and lower in fat than other oils. If you don’t have any in your pantry you can substitute with an equal amount of vegetable oil. You could also replace it with applesauce but this may have an impact on the flavor of the muffins.
- Eggs – for this recipe we recommend using large eggs at room temperature.
- Oranges – this recipe calls for 2 naval oranges which should give you 1/8 cup of orange zest and 3/4 cup of orange juice for the recipe. If you are interested in making lemon raspberry muffins, you could consider substituting lemon zest and lemon juice for the orange juice, but we would recommend reducing the total lemon juice considerably to avoid the muffins being too tart.
- Vanilla – for best results we always recommend using pure vanilla extract.
- Yogurt – we typically use 2% fat plain Greek yogurt in this recipe for its higher protein content and lower sugar. If you only have sweetened yogurt, such as vanilla, consider reducing the sugar amount in the recipe..
- Raspberries – this recipe is fantastic when its made with fresh raspberries, but is also very tasty when its made with frozen raspberries which are often more affordable and easier to find when raspberries aren’t in season. If you are using frozen raspberries you do not need to thaw them before baking, just mix in frozen raspberries directly into the muffin batter. If you want to try this recipe with a different kind of berry we would recommend substituting blueberries for the raspberries.
How to make this orange and raspberry muffin recipe (with pictures)
Prepare a muffin tin with muffin liners and preheat the oven to 375. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, add melted coconut oil, 1/8 cup of orange zest, 3/4 cup orange juice and give it a good stir to combine everything. Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla and stir until fully mixed.
Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture and stir until they’re almost mixed. Add the cup of raspberries and gently stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. We find the best way is to fold the raspberries in with a wooden spoon.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling the muffin cups almost to the brim, as these muffins don’t rise much during baking.
Arrange 2-3 whole raspberries on top of each muffin and a sprinkle lightly with raw sugar.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. The muffins should have risen and be slightly golden brown on the top. To test if they are fully done an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Allow to muffins to cool for 1-2 minutes in the muffin pan before placing on a wire rack to fully cool.
Questions
How to store orange and raspberry muffins?
Cooled muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature. These orange and raspberry muffins can be kept in the freezer for 3-4 months. Before freezing, allow the muffins to cool completely. Arrange the cooled muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and placing in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once frozen solid, place in an airtight container or freezer bag for long term storage.
Why are my muffins dry or dense?
Dry or dense muffins often stem from common baking errors. If you’re dissatisfied with your muffins’ texture, consider these corrective measures below.
- Overmixing: When you mix muffin batter too much, the flour’s gluten gets too active, making the muffins dense and chewy. Just mix the wet and dry ingredients until they’re barely combined.
- Temperature: Baking muffins at too high a temperature or for too long can dry them out.
- Rising ingredients: Adding too much baking soda can make muffins rise too fast, then collapse and become dense. Use only 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of flour.
- Too much liquid: If there’s too much liquid in the mix, the muffins will turn out dense. Use the right measuring cups for wet ingredients to avoid mistakes.
Should I let my muffin batter rest?
Many experienced bakers advocate for letting muffin batter rest, with many suggesting an overnight rest period for optimal results. This rest period allows flavors to blend and gluten to strengthen, promoting better rising. However, baking them immediately still yields delicious results. And honestly we usually can’t be bothered to wait for the batter to rest overnight. But if you are planning a brunch or breakfast and want to have fresh muffins to serve, preparing the batter then night ahead can be a fantastic timesaver.
Both options cater to preferences and time constraints, but if you can let raspberry muffin batter rest overnight you will likely have a better rise.
Raspberry and Orange Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Tray
- 2 Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup wheat germ
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large navel oranges should give ¼ cup zest and 3/4 cup juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla pure is best
- ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup raspberries fresh or frozen
Toppings
- 12-18 fresh raspberries optional
- 1 tbsp raw sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat: prepare a muffin tin with muffin cups, preheat the oven to 375F
- Mix Dry Ingredients: mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: zest and juice the naval oranges. In a small bowl, add melted coconut oil, 1/8 cup of orange zest, 3/4 cup orange juice and give it a good stir to combine everything. Add the eggs, yogurt, vanilla and stir until fully mixed.
- Combine: add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just before it has come together. Add the cup of raspberries and stir until the dough just comes together, be careful not to overmix as this will make the muffins tough. Divide the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, I usually fill the cups nearly to the top as this recipe doesn't have a huge rise.
- Bake: bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. The muffins should rise and an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes in the train before placing on a wire rack to fully cool.
