Easy raspberry muffins that stay moist for days, with jammy berry pockets in every bite and a crunchy turbinado sugar top. Two bowls, no mixer, ready in less than 1 hour.
Easy raspberry muffins made with oats and buttermilk are a completely different experience from standard muffins, and the difference comes down to two techniques most recipes skip.
First, the oats are soaked in buttermilk for 20 minutes before mixing, which softens them completely and creates an extraordinarily moist, tender crumb.
Second, the oven starts at 425F and drops to 400F once the muffins go in, giving you a high initial burst of heat that sets the tops beautifully before the inside has a chance to dry out.
Fresh raspberries go jammy and intensely flavored when baked, and a sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top adds just enough crunch to make these genuinely irresistible.
I developed this recipe from my backyard raspberry bushes, which, in some summers, produce so abundantly that I make these muffins every single week.
They work equally well with frozen raspberries straight from the freezer (no thawing needed), which means you can enjoy these any time of year.
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Quick Overview
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 20 minutes soaking time)
- Cook Time: 20 to 24 minutes
- Total Time: 50-54 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Special Touch: Soaking the oats in buttermilk for 20 minutes before mixing creates this recipe’s exceptionally moist, tender crumb. Do not skip it.
- Dietary Note: Vegetarian. Can be made dairy-free (see FAQ).
- Serving Suggestions: Serve warm straight from the oven for the best jammy raspberry experience, or alongside a fruit parfait and lemon ricotta pancakes for a complete summer brunch spread.
What You’ll Need
- Old-fashioned oats. Not instant oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats hold their texture after soaking and give the muffins a hearty, wholesome bite. Instant oats dissolve too completely, resulting in a mushier texture.
- Buttermilk (room temperature). The soaking liquid for the oats and the secret to this recipe’s extraordinarily moist crumb. Room-temperature buttermilk combines more smoothly with the other wet ingredients. If you don’t have buttermilk, see the FAQ for simple substitutes.
- All-purpose flour (142 grams). The structural base of the muffin. Always measure by weight for the most consistent results, or spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off with a knife. Never scoop directly from the bag, which packs the flour and can add up to 20% more than the recipe intends, resulting in dense, heavy muffins.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Used together. The baking soda reacts with the acidity of the buttermilk for immediate lift, while the baking powder provides a sustained rise during baking. Whisk them together with the flour to distribute evenly.
- Salt. Enhances every other flavor in the muffin, including the sweetness of the raspberries and the warmth of the vanilla. Do not omit.
- Brown sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture, and contributes a subtle caramel note that pairs beautifully with the tart raspberries.
- Egg (room temperature). Binds the ingredients and contributes to the muffin’s structure. Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly than cold eggs.
- Vegetable oil. Keeps the muffins moist for days after baking, unlike butter which can cause baked goods to dry out more quickly.
- Vanilla extract. Rounds out the flavors and adds warmth to the overall muffin without competing with the raspberry.
- Lemon zest. Just half a lemon, but it makes a noticeable difference. The citrus brightness complements the raspberries and lifts the whole flavor profile.
- Fresh raspberries. The star of the recipe. Rinse, pat completely dry before using to prevent excess moisture in the batter. Reserve a quarter cup to place on top of each muffin before baking for a beautiful presentation.
- Turbinado sugar (optional). Sprinkled over the tops before baking for a glistening, slightly crunchy finish that makes these look and taste like a professional bakery muffin.
How to Make Easy Raspberry Muffins
Let’s begin by preheating the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place the oven grate in the middle of the oven.
Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside for now.
Rinse 1 cup of fresh raspberries. Pat them dry with tea towels to remove the excess moisture. Set aside.
- Let’s soak 1 cup of old-fashioned oats in 1 cup of room-temperature buttermilk. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Let’s measure out the dry ingredients and whisk together: 1 cup (142 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ cup brown sugar. Set aside.
- After the oats have soaked for 20 minutes, add one egg (lightly whisked), ¼ cup of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and the zest of ½ an organic lemon. Whisk these ingredients together properly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix only until moistened.
- Then add ¾ cup raspberries and fold gently together. Just a few stirs.
- Fill muffin liners ¾ full.
- Divide the leftover raspberries (¼ cup) evenly on the top of each muffin.
- As an optional step, sprinkle with turbinado sugar. You need about 1 tablespoon in total.
- Reduce the heat to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the top bounces back when lightly touched.
Remove from heat. Gently lift the freshly baked raspberry muffins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool off.
Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients to combine the wet ingredients properly.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and then reduce the temperature to 400°F (200°C) when you put the muffins in to bake. This method can help achieve a better texture and appearance for your raspberry muffins.
- Do not skip the step of soaking the oats, as this will contribute immensely to these fruit muffins’ soft, tender crumb.
- Whisking the dry ingredients together is important to distribute the leavening agents properly. This prevents large air tunnels in the finished product.
- To avoid soggy muffins, cool them for only 1-2 minutes in the tin before removing them and transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sprinkling turbinado sugar over the top of the muffins before baking ensures glistening, crispy muffin tops. This is optional.
FAQ
Yes, and this is one of the best things about this recipe. No need to thaw. Add frozen raspberries straight from the freezer directly into the batter and fold gently. Thawed raspberries release too much liquid and make the batter wet. Frozen berries hold their shape better during baking and turn beautifully jammy in the finished muffin
Yes, there are a few easy options. To make your own buttermilk substitute, add one tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to a measuring cup, then fill to the one cup line with regular milk. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes until it curdles slightly. Plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk to the consistency of buttermilk also works beautifully, as several readers have confirmed in the comments.
Yes. Substitute the buttermilk with unsweetened almond milk or oat milk with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar stirred in (let it sit for 5 minutes). The muffins will be slightly less rich but still wonderfully moist and tender.
Soaking the oats in buttermilk for 20 minutes is the single most important step in this recipe. It softens the oats completely so they become part of the batter rather than sitting as hard, chewy pieces in the finished muffin. The soaking liquid also thickens slightly as the oats absorb it, which contributes to the recipe’s extraordinarily moist, tender crumb. Do not skip this step.
Starting at 425F and then immediately reducing to 400F when the muffins go in creates a high initial burst of heat that causes the batter to rise rapidly and set the domed tops beautifully. If the oven temperature is lower from the start, the tops spread rather than dome. This professional technique takes no extra effort and makes a visible difference in the finished muffin.
Two reliable methods. Insert a wooden skewer in the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean, they are done. Or press the muffin top gently with your fingertips, if it springs back immediately they are properly baked. If it leaves a dent, give them another 2 minutes
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then gently loosen the edges with a butter knife and lift them out. Transfer immediately to a wire rack. Leaving them in the tin longer causes the bottoms to steam and turn soggy.
Yes, these muffins freeze beautifully for up to one month. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place in a labeled freezer bag. To serve, thaw overnight at room temperature, then warm in a 300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes. They taste freshly baked
More Fruit Muffin Recipes
If you love baking with seasonal fruit, here are a few more muffin recipes worth adding to your rotation:
Recipe Inspiration
I’m sure you have all heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
Well, I applied this principle to my oat muffin recipe. More specifically, I replaced the blueberries with raspberries and tweaked the spices.
If you have been following me on Instagram, you know I have a few raspberry bushes growing in my backyard.
We had a wonderful summer this year and as a result, the plants just flourished. As a result, I made these fresh raspberry muffins weekly.
I was also able to freeze a couple of bags worth by following the same method I use when freezing strawberries.
Do you have a favorite raspberry recipe? I would love to hear about it!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this raspberry muffin recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Easy Raspberry Muffins with Oats, Buttermilk and Lemon Zest
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Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk, room temperature
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 142 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 egg lightly beaten, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- zest of ½ lemon
- 1 cup raspberries rinsed and dried, separated
- 1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Position rack to middle.
- Paper line or grease 12 muffin cups.
- Combine oats and buttermilk in a small bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together. Set aside.
- Add beaten egg, oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest to oat mixture. Mix well.
- Add oat mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened.
- Gently fold in about ¾ cups of the raspberries.
- Fill muffin liners ¾ full.
- Divide the leftover raspberries evenly on the top of each muffin.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
- Reduce the heat to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the top bounces back when lightly touched.
- Remove from heat. Gently lift out the muffins and transfer to a wire rack to cool off.
Video
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to properly combine the wet ingredients together.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and then reduce the temperature to 400°F (200°C) when you put the muffins in to bake. This method can help achieve a better texture and appearance for your raspberry muffins.
- Do not skip the step of soaking the oats as this will contribute immensely to the soft, tender crumb of these fruit muffins.
- Whisking the dry ingredients together is important to properly distribute the leavening agents. This prevents large air tunnels in the finished product.
- To avoid soggy muffins, cool them for only 1-2 minutes in the tin before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sprinkling turbinado sugar over the top of the muffins before baking ensures glistening, crispy muffin tops. This is optional.
Nutrition
I originally published this post on September 9, 2020, and republished it on July 9, 2024, and again on July 13, 2026, with updated content. Thanks for sharing.
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Vincenza Bell
Excellent raspberry muffins.thanks
Maria
Thanks so much Vincenza!
Karen Hantsche
Thanks, Maria! I used raisins instead of fresh berries, and I love the recipe!
Maria
How wonderful Karen! Thanks for sharing!
Kylie
I am thinking of making this recipe but don’t have buttermilk and I’m trying to find a recipe that has the ingredients I have at home plus one with Greek yoghurt as I have a huge tub I need to find a use for so I am wondering if I could substitute this for Greek yoghurt? And if it’s too dry maybe top up with milk?
Maria
Thanks for your interest, Kylie. From my experience, greek yogurt is a great replacement for buttermilk. Although I have not tried it, you should get good results making this muffin recipe with yogurt. Enjoy!
Carol
Love these muffins. They are not real sweet which lets the flavor of the fruit come through.
Maria
So thrilled to read you enjoyed these muffins. Thanks Carol.
Colette
Maria, thank you! this is a delicious and easy recipe. The raspberries are little flavour bombs, and the crumb of the muffin is moist with great texture!
Little note: as I printed the recipe, the description under the title heading has a species of berry is of a different colour… “Simple, wholesome oat muffins…bursting with blueberries.”
Funnily, when I made the raspberry muffins, I thought to myself, could I use blueberries instead? Thank you again for all the great recipes you post, they are always easy to make, tasty, healthy and nutritious!
Maria
Thanks so much for bringing my attention to this. I have updated the recipe card. The truth is that you can add any small fruit to the basic oat muffin mixture… it really is that versatile. Thrilled to read you enjoyed the muffins. Thanks again Colette ♥
Chris
Excellent recipe
Maria
Thanks so much Chris, appreciate it!
Patti
These look wonderful, and I love things with oatmeal, but recently became lactose intolerant, any suggestions to substitue milk, I now drink Almond milk. Would yogurt work, and if so how much?
Maria
Thanks so much for your interest Patti. Sorry to hear about your allergies. Although I have not tried, almond milk should provide great results. I would keep the quantity the same and evaluate the results. The same with yogurt… it is thick enough and should work well as a substitute. Would love to hear about your results if you do decide to try it.