Even in current, furnace-like summers, cravings for good, sweet bake do not cease. But, we need something refreshing after all, and raspberries have that feature going on for them; sweet, acidic, and juicy all at the same time, with a voluptuous flavor that can be pretty addictive. In these easy raspberry yogurt muffins I used yogurt and a bit of whole milk rather than sour cream to make the muffins more refreshing. Finally, some pistachios and demerara fully close the flavor circle. In my world, whenever I see raspberries, I immediately think of pistachios; it’s my go-to combo every time. It’s just so good.
About the raspberries
Raspberries are very fragile and can go bad quite quickly, so to get the best of their wonderful aroma, try to use them as fresh as possible. If you are buying them in the store, check that they are super fresh and that no mold has started to form.
Also, different varieties have quite a different flavor. Try them before using them in the muffins. The raspberries should be sweet, acidic, and have an almost perfume like aroma and fragrance.
Note that the fragrance is further intensified after baking. Your whole house will smell of sweet raspberries.
Muffin Batter – Key Essential Facts
- Eggs should be at room temperature to enable easier mixing.
- Butter should be at room temperature (min 18ºC/65ºF) and pliable. Use high-quality unsalted butter since it provides a rich, creamy and flavorful muffin.
- Always sift your dry ingredients to remove any clumps and to air the flour a bit.
- Brown sugar will help retain the moistness of the muffin, and it also prevents the development of gluten, yielding a more tender muffin.
- Don’t overmix the batter; else, you are in for some dense and chewy muffins.
I picked a basket full of raspberries, so in the end I went a bit overboard with the amount of raspberries in these muffins, but it turned out really nice and honestly, it was just the right amount. They blend so nicely with the dough so that you don’t end up with a soggy muffin.
How to Make Easy Raspberry Yogurt Muffins
The process to make these easy raspberry yogurt muffins has several steps:
- Sift all the dry ingredients into one bowl and mix all the wet ingredients into another bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy – This will enable even distribution of fat and sugar in the final batter. Also, it will incorporate a lot of air, making the muffin crumb lighter.
- Add the wet ingredients to the fluffed butter and mix well.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until about 75% is incorporated – this will prevent over-mixing.
- Add the raspberries and finish mixing until no dry bits of flour are visible. Careful not to over-mix. Some raspberries will break and release the juice, but don’t worry about it. If you don’t over-mix, the crumb will still be “clean” and the raspberries clearly visible. If there is a “swirl” effect in some parts of the dough it’s fine.
- Scoop and bake – I find that I get the most even distribution if using an ice cream scoop. Also, it is quite quick.
Storing the Muffins
The raspberry yogurt muffins are best on the day of the bake. However, they keep very well for several days in an airtight container.
Other Raspberry Recipes
Here are some other raspberry recipes you might find interesting
Easy Raspberry Yogurt Muffins
Equipment & Tools
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Kitchen scale
- Muffin baking tray lined with muffin paper cups
- 2 Medium mixing bowl
- Large spatula
- Large ice cream scoop optional
INGREDIENTS
Dry ingredients
- 300 g pastry flour
- 40 all purpose flour
- 30 g almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt (Himalayan)
Wet ingredients
- 150 g butter (unsalted)
- 250 g sugar (unrefined)
- 3 eggs (free range, large)
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 230 g yogurt (5%)
- 2 tbsp whole milk
Inclusions
- 500 g raspberries (fresh)
- 1 cup pistachios (raw and unsalted, roughly chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Gather all the ingredients and preheat the oven to 180ºC/356ºF.
- Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Using the stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar, on medium speed, until fluffy and very pale – about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, lemon extract, yogurt and milk in a small bowl.
- Scrape the bowl of a stand mixer and add the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add all the dry ingredients and mix until about 75% of the batter is mixed in. Turn off the mixer and scrape the batter clinging onto the paddle attachment.
- Add the raspberries. Using a large spatula slowly mix by folding the batter and raspberries over – Note 1.
- Using the ice cream scoop, divide the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin baking tray. Level the batter with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over each muffin.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 180ºC/356ºF – Note 2.
NOTES
- Make sure not overmix and break many raspberries. Some will break but that’s OK.
- Muffins are cooked when the toothpick inserted in the middle of the dough part comes out clean.
