These Honey Oat Ricotta Muffins are easy to make for a healthy breakfast, brunch, snack, or sweet treat! They’re gluten-free, honey sweetened, and topped with a cinnamon oat crumb! Rich in protein, fiber, and calcium, they’re better than any store-bought option!
Personal Note – I’ve never been a big fan of ricotta, on it’s own that is! But baking with ricotta is such a fun twist because it adds protein and it gives baked goods a delicate, tender structure. Which is one of the reasons why these sweet ricotta muffins have completely won me over!
Another reason is its easy digestibility! Ricotta is typically lower in lactose compared to other dairy products, like milk, which means it’s less likely to cause a stomach ache after breakfast. That said, if you’re sensitive to all lactose, feel free to use a lactose-free ricotta or even coconut milk yogurt as an alternative.
And whatever you do, don’t skip the crumb topping—it’s what makes these muffins truly brunch-worthy!
Honey Ricotta Muffin Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions needed to make this gluten-free ricotta muffins recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details and nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, etc.!
For the Ricotta Muffins
- Gluten-Free Oats or Oat Flour – This forms the base of the muffins. Use store-bought oat flour (make sure it’s gluten-free), or make homemade oat flour using gluten-free rolled oats.
- Ground Flaxseed – This adds texture, acts as a binder, and provides a good source of healthy omega fatty acids!
- Leaveners – Baking powder and baking soda help the muffins rise, creating the soft, fluffy texture we want.
- Spices – A pinch of salt and ground cinnamon enhances the rest of the ingredients and adds warmth to the batter.
- Almond Butter – Make sure to use a smooth, creamy almond butter! Not dried out or lumpy, otherwise the batter will not mix well into a smooth consistency..
- Honey – For natural sweetness. Maple syrup will also work.
- Eggs – I haven’t tested this recipe with egg substitutes and can’t guarantee your results if you do!
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla for the best taste.
- Creamy Ricotta Cheese – The star of the show! Use full-fat/whole milk ricotta cheese for a richer, creamier texture. Part-skim ricotta works too, but may affect the moisture level.
For The Crumb Topping
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats – Do not substitute quick oats or steel-cut oats, or the texture won’t be the same.
- Coconut Sugar – Brown sugar will also work.
- Gluten-Free Oat Flour – This adds bulk and helps the topping clump, creating the crumbly consistency we want.
- Cinnamon – Ties the flavor of the topping in with the muffin batter.
- Melted Butter – Adds rich flavor and helps the top brown nicely.
Note: If preferred, you can swap the crumb topping with a powdered sugar lemon glaze to make lemon ricotta muffins instead. To do so, whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk or dairy-free milk until smooth.
Prep Tips Before You Begin
- Bring the eggs and ricotta to room temperature. This helps them mix more easily with the other ingredients and gives you a smooth, even batter.
- Measure carefully. Oat flour tends to soak up more liquid than regular flour. So, be sure to measure it carefully using a food scale or the spoon-and-level method for the best results.
- Make sure the ricotta isn’t too watery. If it is, drain it using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth first before adding it to the batter. Otherwise, your ricotta muffins are likely to turn out soggy.
- Double up on the oat crumb topping. When preparing these ricotta muffins, spread the extra crumb topping on a sheet pan and bake it separately until golden and crisp. Not only does it freeze beautifully, but it also works as a crunchy granola-like topping for yogurt, cottage cheese, or ricotta for a quick wholesome snack.
How to Make Honey Ricotta Muffins
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), and grease or use paper liners to line a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
Note: If using rolled oats, blend or process them in a high-speed blender or food processor for about 45 seconds or until they reach a fine flour consistency. Then, transfer them to a large mixing bowl!
- Mix the dry ingredients: Add the oat flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl. Mix to combine.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: In a second large bowl, whisk the almond butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Then, fold in the ricotta cheese, mixing to ensure it distributes evenly throughout the batter.
Pro-Tip: Be sure not to overmix the batter. Otherwise, the muffins will easily crumble. Oat flour doesn’t have gluten. So, it won’t hold together like wheat flour. Just mix until everything is combined to keep the muffins soft and avoid them crumbling.
- Portion: Divide the batter evenly, and pour it into the muffin pan, filling each muffin cup ²/₃–³/₄ of the way full.
- Prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the oats, coconut sugar, oat flour, and cinnamon for the topping. Then, stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- Top: Sprinkle the topping evenly over the muffins in each cup.
Pro-Tip: Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes before baking. This gives the oat flour time to absorb the liquid and helps keep the muffins light and fluffy.
- Bake: Transfer the ricotta muffins to the oven, and bake until the muffins are fluffy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool: Let the muffins cool in the pan slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
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Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
Serving and Storage Questions
Stored cooled muffins in an airtight container, leftover muffins will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes! Allow your leftover ricotta cheese muffins to cool completely. Then, wrap them individually with plastic wrap, transfer them to a sealable bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature to serve.
These muffins are delicious on their own! However, you can also swerve them topped with butter or powdered sugar. Or, for a healthier option, slice the muffins in half and spread a smidge of almond butter on each side then top with sliced banana. This makes for a quick nourishing breakfast or snack.
Honey Ricotta Muffins Recipe
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 10 to 12 muffins 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Skip store bought options, and make these honey ricotta muffins with oat crumb topping for a protein-rich, honey-sweetened, gluten-free breakfast or snack!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (160 g) gluten-free oat flour or 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 2 Tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup (64 g) smooth almond butter
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (165 g) organic ricotta cheese (full fat works best)
Optional Crumble Topping
- ½–¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 Tablespoon gluten-free oat flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Set aside.
- If using rolled oats, blend or process them in a high-speed blender or food processor for about 45 seconds until they reach a fine flour consistency. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the oat flour. Mix to combine.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond butter, honey, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in the ricotta cheese, mixing well to ensure that everything becomes fully incorporated.
- Evenly distribute the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.
- In a small bowl, combine the oats, coconut sugar, oat flour, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter in each muffin cup.
- Bake the muffins for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If not using the topping, check for doneness at 16 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer each muffin to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe was updated and adapted from my friend Amanda’s cookbook Easy Flourless Baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin with crumb topping
- Calories: 209
- Sugar: 14.1 g
- Sodium: 186.1 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.5 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 6.6 g
- Cholesterol: 39.1 mg
These are so good! Easy and delicious.
So glad you enjoyed them! They are a favorite here too! Did you add the crumb topping?
Yes! So worth the extra few minutes to add the topping.
Hi there! Thank you so much for this absolutely delicious muffins. I already have done them a bunch of times. For the breakfast to warm them and spread a half of it with a bit of hazelnut butter is yummiest yam. Love them! thank you!
Ohhh the hazelnut butter sounds amazing! So glad you enjoy these muffins. Thanks for the kind words!
Yum! Absolutely delicious
So glad you made them and loved them, Nic! They are a fav here too. Happy baking!
has anyone tried making these with sunflower seed butter or tahini, i’d like to make them and send them to school, but no nuts are allowed and there’s almond butter in them.
Sunflower seed should work! Let me know if you try it Charity.
had made these twice in two weeks now and used sunflower seed butter and they turned out great. School friendly. Last round added chocolate chips and also very tasty.
oh I am so glad! I’ll have to try that with sunflower seed butter! Great idea Charity!
Hi there! What’s the total amount of oats? I see 1 1/2 and then 1/2, and then it says “ Transfer the batter to a medium-sized mixing bowl and fold in the ricotta cheese and remaining oats, mixing well to ensure that everything becomes fully incorporated.” so is it more than two cups total? Thank you!
2 cups. You will grind 1 1/2 cups into flour then use the remaining 1/2c to fold into the batter, whole. DOes that make sense? Happy to help!
Yes, it makes sense. I saw “add 1/2 cup” twice after 1 1/2 cups, so was not sure of the total. Thank you.
We love it
So glad to hear that!
can i use dates instead of honey?
you could try soaking the dates then blending and mixing them in. Like a date paste
Hi)it’s a great recipe
Can I sub almond butter with olive oil?
Bcs have’t got Almond butter
Hmmm, I’m not sure that will work. But you could totally try! Do you have peanut butter?
Yes,I have)
Should I use it?
ya, go for it! Should work well. Just make sure it’s creamy. I used PB in my flourless cupcakes here. https://www.cottercrunch.com/flourless-peanut-butter-churro-cupcakes/
As I read it, the recipe says in 2 different places, to add the remaining oats. I expect it does not really matter where to add; surprised no comment on this.
Thank you for that update! I will correct this ASAP. I transferred recipe plugins so I think we few lines were posted twice. ?♀️
HI! Just want to verify when the additional oats are to be added? Point 3 states to add all the remaining ingredients except the ricotta and remaining 1/2 cup of oats but I don’t see where the oats are added further down in the instructions. (I mixed them in before filling the muffin cups. The muffins were tasty but could have used a schmeer of something. I’m thinking pumpkin butter… YUM!) Thanks for sharing this recipe!! The cookbook is now on my wishlist. 🙂
Oh so the 1 1/2 c oats are first to be grounded up. I can correct that statement to make it more clear. Does that help?
*grins* I’m good with the 1-1/2 cup ground oats (and other dry ingredients) in step 2. Step 3 states to add all the remaining ingredients, except for the ricotta and remaining 1/2 cup oats. I just can’t find where in the recipe the remaining 1/2 oats is supposed to be added. Are they supposed to be folded in with the ricotta in step 4?
I just had a moment of ‘wha?!?’ and then tossed mixed the remaining 1/2 cup in when I added the ricotta. So far, it’s worked! These are delicious! Just thought someone else might have the same reaction.
Ahhh i see, yes, you mix them in and add a little on top if you’d like. I will clarify ASAP ! thank you
Google is google
Ricotta is one of my favourite favourite ingredients so I HAVE to try these! Yum!
mine too! and so underated
I think the labeling for the ingredients in the initial recipe: photo on Pinterest is annoying. I.e. Condiments! Otherwise these are baking now I decided to not add the honey but just serve it with the muffins to reduce sugar content.
oh so sorry about that. PInterest does make it confusing!
Would it be ok to sub ricotta cheese with greek yogurt? i live in Thailand and ricotta cheese is very expensive here.
Sure! I think Greek yogurt would be great. Just different texture but still tasty
I’ve made at least four, maybe five of the muffins from Amanda’s cookbook. I’m a big fan. The kid loves them too.
Yummmy, healthy, easy, you rock, my little girl just looves this!
oh yay! so glad
HOly yumminess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those look so delish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yep. She did awesome! Spoons is a great baker. Now come get some! mmm k?
I love Spoons! I keep seeing her book everywhere… time to order it! I love cooking with ricotta, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese. They make baked goods to fluffy and moist!
she did an awesome job! really. I was super impressed. and yea, ricotta rocks. I can actually digest it this way! haha
I absolutely love Amanda’s flourless muffin recipes; they are so easy and always so fluffy and good. 🙂 These look like no exception to that; ricotta is such a soft delicious moist addition.
aren’t they? I am so impressed!! She did awesome!
I so love Amanda’s flourless creations and what a fantastic one you chose to share, Lindsay! I have her book sitting on my bookshelf – I need to crack it open now that post conference frenzy has calmed down! 🙂
Was awesome meeting ya – hope ya have a wonderful weekend!
it was a JOY meeting you and your daughter! come back! I’ll make muffins!
This is the perfect use for that 1/2 empty container of ricotta I always have sitting in my fridge and never finish off in time!
That’s exactly what I did! Haha
They look absolutely delicious! Is the amount of sugar correct? That seems really high.
It should be aliens that much. But I included a drizzle of honey on top. If that makes sense? You can easily use less if needed. No prob!
Haha I mean around that much. Not alien