Easy Strawberry Muffins

Strawberry muffins are are soft, fluffy, and bursting with juicy berries. Simple and absolutely irresistible for breakfast or brunch! Easy to make with simple ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These strawberry muffins have stolen my heart for so many reasons! First, they’re incredibly easy, no mixer required, just two bowls and a spoon. The texture is absolutely dreamy: soft and tender with a slightly domed top that gets this gorgeous golden color.

The optional lemon zest adds a bright, refreshing note that makes these feel extra special. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or surprising your family on a lazy Sunday morning, these muffins deliver every single time.

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Ingredient List

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ½ cup milk (whole or 2%)
• ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon (optional, but highly recommended!)

Fruit

• 1½–2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

Optional Topping

• 2–3 tablespoons coarse sugar, cinnamon-sugar, lemon sugar, or turbinado sugar

Substitution Notes: No sour cream? Greek yogurt works beautifully. Want them dairy-free? Use non-dairy milk and yogurt, plus oil instead of butter. Fresh strawberries are best, but in a pinch, you can use frozen (just don’t thaw them first).

Why These Ingredients Work

Let me tell you why this ingredient lineup is pure genius! The combination of granulated and brown sugar gives you the perfect balance — white sugar for sweetness and rise, brown sugar for moisture and that subtle caramel note. Sour cream (or yogurt) is the secret weapon here: it makes the crumb incredibly tender and adds a slight tang that balances the sweet berries.

The lemon zest isn’t just a fancy addition — it brightens everything up and makes the strawberry flavor pop even more. And that coarse sugar topping? It creates the most delightful crunch that reminds me of my favorite bakery muffins. The baking powder does all the heavy lifting for rise, so these puff up beautifully without any fuss.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You don’t need anything fancy for these beauties:

• 12-cup muffin tin
• Paper liners or cooking spray
• Two mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Ice cream scoop or large spoon (for portioning)
• Wire cooling rack
• Zester or microplane (if using lemon zest)

How To Make Strawberry Muffins

Step 1: Preheat Oven & Prep Pan

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or give it a good coating of cooking spray. The high temperature is KEY for getting those beautiful domed tops!

Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

In your large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until everything is evenly distributed.

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sour cream (or yogurt), oil (or melted butter), vanilla extract, and lemon zest if you’re using it. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and slightly frothy.

Step 4: Combine Wet & Dry

Here’s where restraint is your friend! Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together gently. Stir just until you don’t see any more dry flour streaks.

Step 5: Add Strawberries

Gently fold in your diced strawberries. Use a light hand and stop as soon as they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter. If your strawberries are particularly juicy, pat them dry with a paper towel first and toss them in a tablespoon of flour before adding.

Step 6: Portion Batter

Divide the batter evenly among your 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. I like using an ice cream scoop for this — it makes portioning so much easier and gives you uniform muffins.

Step 7: Add Topping

Sprinkle that coarse sugar generously over each muffin top. This creates the most amazing sweet, crunchy crust that makes these taste like they came from a fancy bakery. Turbinado sugar is my favorite, but regular granulated sugar works too!

Step 8: Bake

Pop them in the oven and bake for 17–20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the tops are gorgeously golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Step 9: Cool

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes — this helps them set and makes them easier to remove without falling apart. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

You Must Know

The temperature of your ingredients matters! Room temperature eggs and dairy mix more evenly into the batter, creating a better texture. If you forget to take them out ahead of time, place your egg in warm water for 5 minutes — quick fix!

Personal Secret: I always make the batter slightly thicker than I think it should be. When you add juicy strawberries, they release moisture as they bake, so a thicker starting batter prevents soggy bottoms.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• For bakery-style tall tops: Fill the muffin cups generously and bake at a high temperature (400°F). The initial blast of heat creates that beautiful dome.
• Prevent berry sinking: Toss diced strawberries in 1 tablespoon of flour before folding them in. The flour coating helps them stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
• No paper liners? Grease the pan really well with butter or cooking spray. I actually prefer this method sometimes because you get crispy edges!
• Check doneness carefully: Since strawberries add moisture, a toothpick might come out with a few pink streaks from the berries — that’s okay! You’re looking for the batter itself to be cooked through, not raw.
• Common mistake to avoid: Don’t overfill the cups! ¾ full is the sweet spot. Any more and they’ll overflow and create a mess. Any less and they won’t have those gorgeous domed tops.

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Want to switch things up? Here are some of my favorite twists:

• Strawberry Lemon Bliss: Add an extra teaspoon of lemon zest and replace the vanilla with lemon extract for a bright, citrusy version
• Mixed Berry Magic: Use a combination of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (keep total fruit to 2 cups)
• Streusel Topped: Skip the sugar topping and add a crumb topping made with flour, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon
• Chocolate Strawberry: Fold in ½ cup mini chocolate chips along with the strawberries
• Glazed Goodness: Drizzle cooled muffins with a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons milk)
• Whole Wheat Option: Replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier muffin
• Add crunch: Fold in ¼ cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds

Make-Ahead Options

These muffins are meal prep champions! Here’s how to plan ahead:

Batter Prep: You can mix the dry ingredients up to 3 days ahead and store them in an airtight container. Mix the wet ingredients the night before and refrigerate. Combine them in the morning, fold in the berries, and bake fresh!

Bake Ahead: Baked muffins stay fresh at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container. They’re actually amazing the next day — the flavors meld together beautifully.

Freezing: These freeze like a dream! Let them cool completely, then freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave for 20–30 seconds. They taste freshly baked!

Pro tip: If freezing, I recommend under-baking them by 2 minutes. When you reheat them, they’ll finish cooking and taste like they just came out of the oven.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Fresh vs. frozen strawberries: Fresh is best for texture, but frozen works if you’re in a bind. Just don’t thaw them first — add them straight from the freezer and add 2–3 minutes to baking time.
• Why 400°F? The high heat creates steam quickly, which helps the muffins rise high with beautiful domed tops. Lower temperatures make flatter muffins.
• Muffin vs. cupcake: The key difference is the mixing method. Muffins use the “muffin method” (wet into dry, minimal mixing), while cupcakes are creamed like cake. Don’t overmix or you’ll end up with cupcake texture!
• Achieving tender crumb: Sour cream and minimal mixing are your best friends here. The acid in sour cream tenderizes the gluten, keeping muffins soft.

Serving Suggestions

These strawberry muffins are incredibly versatile! Serve them warm with a pat of butter melting on top for breakfast, or let them cool completely and pack them in lunchboxes. They’re perfect alongside your morning coffee or tea.

I love setting out a platter of these at brunch with some cream cheese, fresh berries, and yogurt on the side. They also make the sweetest addition to a Mother’s Day or spring brunch spread. For a fancy touch, serve with lemon curd or strawberry jam.

They’re wonderful on their own, but if you want to make them feel extra special, dust with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream and fresh berries on the side!

How to Store Your Strawberry Muffins

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I line the bottom with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.

Refrigerator: Because of the sour cream and fresh fruit, these keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container and let them come to room temperature before eating, or warm briefly in the microwave.

Freezer: Wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a couple hours.

Reheating: Microwave for 15–20 seconds for a just-baked taste, or warm in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes if you want to refresh a whole batch.

Allergy Information

Contains: Wheat (gluten), dairy (milk, sour cream/yogurt), eggs

Substitutions:

• Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious!
• Dairy-free: Use non-dairy milk (almond, oat, soy) and dairy-free yogurt. Replace butter with vegetable oil.
• Egg-free: Try a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes). Results may be slightly denser.
• Nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free! Just make sure your mix-ins don’t contain nuts if you’re varying the recipe.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?

Yes, but don’t thaw them first! Add frozen strawberries directly to the batter and increase baking time by 2–3 minutes. Fresh strawberries give you the best texture, but frozen works in a pinch.

My muffins came out dense and tough. What happened?

Overmixing is the #1 culprit! When you combine wet and dry ingredients, mix just until you don’t see dry flour anymore. The batter should be lumpy. Also, make sure your baking powder is fresh — old leavening agents won’t give you the rise you need.

Can I make mini muffins with this recipe?

Absolutely! This batter makes about 24 mini muffins. Reduce baking time to 10–12 minutes and keep a close eye on them. They’re perfect for little hands or portion control!

The strawberries all sank to the bottom. How do I prevent this?

Pat your strawberries dry if they’re very juicy, and toss them in a tablespoon of flour before folding into the batter. This helps them stay suspended. Also, make sure your batter is thick enough — too thin and the berries will sink.

Can I make these without sour cream?

Yes! Plain Greek yogurt is a perfect 1:1 substitute. In a real pinch, you can use an extra ½ cup of milk, though the texture won’t be quite as tender.

How do I get those bakery-style tall muffin tops?

Three tricks: (1) Use a high oven temperature (400°F), (2) Fill the cups generously (¾ full), and (3) Start baking immediately after filling — don’t let the batter sit. The quick heat creates steam that pushes the tops up high!

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing how these turned out for you and what variations you tried.