Lightened Up – Lemon Ricotta Muffins

The bad part about deciding to bake at 9 pm?  No natural light.

And thinking about these things in my sleep.

If you were an early follower of my blog, you might remember how I get stressed about using up dairy products.  I made a whole slew of buttermilk recipes when I could only find buttermilk by the half gallon.  Since I bought lite ricotta cheese to make that fabulous roasted red pepper sauce, I had the majority of the pint left over.

What’s a girl to make?  

Muffins.  And pumpkin ricotta oats.  But I digress.

Lemon ricotta muffins.  I think they’re the perfect balance of sweet and citrus, but my husband thinks they don’t taste anything like cupcakes (FYI – they aren’t supposed to).

Lightened Up Lemon Ricotta Muffins [adapted from this recipe]

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp sugar (I resisted the urge to use an artificial sweetener)
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel (or more if desired)
• 1 cup lite ricotta cheese (I used Lamagna – it’s very creamy)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or any vegetable oil)
• 2 Tbsp pumpkin (or applesauce)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs, room temperature, beaten
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp almond milk (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all dry ingredients and sift or stir with a whisk to mix well.
3. Combine wet ingredients until well mixed.
4. Make a “well” in the center of the dry ingredients and lightly fold in wet just until combined.  Do NOT overmix.
5. Pour into sprayed or lined muffin tin, filling 2/3 full (I used a 1/2 cup ice cream scooper).  Top with turbinado sugar or a pinch of regular sugar, if desired.
6. Bake 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into one of the center muffins comes out clean.
7. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

They were much lighter than most low-fat baked goods I’ve made – not at all chewy or rubbery.  The crumb was nice and delicate. 

Approximate nutrition information (per muffin, no sugar topping): 135 calories, 5 grams of fat, 16 grams carbs, 5 grams protein

You could definitely try substituting sour cream or greek yogurt for the ricotta, making them even lower in fat and calories.

The bad things about working the 7 am shift in the dead of winter in Pittsburgh? 

Too many to name.

The good thing?  Enjoying a toasted muffin while it’s still quiet in the office.

Glad I snagged that jar of jam from a hotel at some point in the past year – it came in handy!

Do you think a muffin has to be incredibly sweet to be enjoyable?  My husband thinks these need an icing!