Name: Raspberry Lemon Muffins (nut-free, gluten-free!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed; ¼ cup water; 2 cups gluten-free oat flour ((or regular if gluten isn't an issue)); ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats ((or regular if gluten isn't an issue)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ cup coconut sugar; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon sea salt; Zest of 1 lemon; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 cup unsweetened organic soy milk; 1½ cups frozen raspberries

My first memory of baking was a disastrous but joyful experience. I attempted muffins without any recipe whatsoever and, well, you can imagine the results – an inedible, sugar-flour sludge reminiscent of paper mache (papier-mâché).

Despite the fail, I’ve always been obsessed with making muffins.

This raspberry lemon muffin is made without any nuts, seeds, or their butters making it low in fat and ideal for those of you looking for lighter baked goods.

Since it’s nut-free, it also makes for a good work or school snack option.

About This Recipe

I love this flavour combination – sour lemon, tart raspberries, a little coconut sugar. I like to pair these with green tea after they’ve been warmed for a few minutes in the oven. If I’m having one of these lemon raspberry muffins for breakfast, I’ll usually add a smear of creamy almond butter and a pinch of salt.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Rolled oats – I use old-fashioned, gluten-free rolled oats. If gluten isn’t an issue, use regular. It’s important to NOT use “quick cooking” or the kind that come in single serving packets.
Oat flour – You can make your own oat flour by processing rolled oats until a flour like consistency is reached or you can buy it ready-made. If you make your own, which I do, make more than you need and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. This way you have some already made for your next batch of raspberry lemon muffins!
Frozen raspberries – I use frozen but you can also use fresh if you have them!
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, not the kind in a bottle. There is no comparison here. If having lemons on hand is inconvenient, buy a bunch, cut them in quarters and freeze them until they’re needed.
Coconut Sugar – My favorite dried sweetener. Sugar is sugar but coconut sugar is less refined than most commercial sugars and it is sustainably produced. It has a caramel-like taste that lends perfectly to these raspberry lemon muffins.
Flaxseed – Ground flaxseed is mixed with water in this recipe to make “flax eggs”. This is a substitute for eggs and acts as a binder in the muffins.

How To Make This Recipe

Make a flax egg (you simply mix ground flaxseed with water and let it sit until it gets thick and goopy).
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and fold in the raspberries.
Transfer the batter to a muffin tin and bake!

Equipment You'll Need

Nothing special.

I do use a traditional, well-worn muffin pan for these muffins. I don’t have issues with sticking and I use a thin spatula to pop them out of the pan. You can also you a silicone muffin pan. In general, baking times are a little longer in silicone muffin pans (from my experience!).

Recipe Variations

Swap blueberries for raspberries or try orange juice instead of lemon juice for a different flavor.

If you want a more bedazzled version of these raspberry lemon muffins, I have a recipe for raspberry lemon cream cheese stuffed muffins coming soon!

Health Notes

Oats are a very important pantry ingredient in our house. We eat them often for breakfast and use them regularly in baked goods.

Oats are a great source of soluble fiber – the type of fiber that absorbs liquid – and helps stabilize blood sugar, improve bowel regularity, lower cholesterol, and keep you full.

Oats are also a great source of B vitamins, zinc, iron, and selenium. Oats are also higher in protein than most other grains.

Gluten-free. Oats need to be certified as gluten-free because most oats are processed in factories that also process gluten-containing grains. Oats do contain a protein called avenin, which may have some cross reactivity with gluten in some cases of gluten allergy. Oats are generally tolerated by those with gluten intolerances but everyone is different!