Strawberry Muffins

Next time you go a bit wild at the farmers market and come home with a few pints of irresistible ruby-red strawberries, no need to kick yourself thinking, Now what? Fear not, there are strawberry dessert recipes galore to pick from. None, however, makes us jump out of bed and run toward the kitchen for breakfast quite like these summery strawberry muffins.

Each colorful muffin bursts with fresh strawberries suspended in a tender, moist muffin crumb. Coarse sugar and crunchy nuts delight the tops, like old friends knocking on the door of the muffin house to come and say hi. Trust us, you’ll become smitten with this strawberry muffin recipe. Get ready to break it out after every summer trip to the farmers market.

Ingredients for Strawberry Muffins

• Vanilla extract: Grab a bottle of the best vanilla extract so your bakes can take on a gorgeous, delicate vanilla flavor.
• Strawberries: Before you hull and chop, wash your strawberries in salt water for the most effective cleaning method.
• Coarse sugar: A coarse sugar, like turbinado sugar, adds a pleasant crunch of sparkly sugar crystals. Plus, the look is absolutely gorgeous!
• Nuts: Walnuts or pecans add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the muffins. We highly recommend toasting the nuts and cooling them before using in this recipe. Toasting takes away the raw edge and brings out the natural rich, nutty flavors.

Directions

Step 1: Beat the butter mixture

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, three to four minutes.

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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

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Gradually beat in the milk and vanilla extract. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.

Step 2: Add the flour mixture

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In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir just until the batter is moistened.

Editor’s Tip: Stop mixing the batter as soon as there are no more flour streaks. You don’t want to overwork your batter, as you’ll overdevelop the gluten, creating tough and dense muffins.

Step 3: Fold in the strawberries

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With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the strawberries until they’re evenly scattered throughout the batter.

Step 4: Scoop out the batter

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Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, or grease the muffin tin with baking spray. Fill the muffin tins three-fourths full with the batter. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the coarse sugar and, if desired, the nuts.

Editor’s Tip: This strawberry muffin recipe makes 1-1/2 dozen muffins. If you don’t have two muffin tins, you’ll need to bake the muffins in batches.

Step 5: Bake

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Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the muffins in their pans at room temperature for five minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan to wire racks. Serve the muffins warm.

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Recipe Variations

• Tinge them pink: Drop in a few tablespoons of red or pink food dye, and watch your muffin batter turn a whimsical pink. We love these for bachelorette brunches, baby showers, wedding showers and birthday parties. Or, just add a quick vanilla glaze on top that’s been dyed pink.
• Grate in lemon zest: Brighten this strawberry muffin recipe with a quick zest of a lemon.
• Fold in white chocolate chips: Creamy white chocolate and fruity strawberries are a simply smitten combo. Fold in a few handfuls of white chocolate chips when you would the strawberries.
• Add a streusel: One of our favorite ways to zhuzh up any muffin recipe is with a streusel topping. Whip up a batch, and evenly sprinkle it over the batter in the muffin cups. Bake the muffins using this recipe’s instructions.
• Use extra fruit: Replace 1-1/2 cups of the strawberries with fresh rhubarb, or make our strawberry-rhubarb muffins. Or, fold in your preferred fruit (especially if it’s in season!), and bake according to this recipe.

How to Store Strawberry Muffins

To store, cool the muffins to room temperature, then place them in a paper towel-lined airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to five. Rewarm the muffins in the microwave to reinvigorate the juicy strawberries.

Can I freeze strawberry muffins?

Stored in an airtight container, you can freeze muffins for up to two months. Just make sure to cool them completely to room temperature before storing. Thaw them overnight in the fridge or on the counter at room temp, and they’ll taste just as fresh as the day you baked them.

Strawberry Muffins Tips

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Can I use frozen strawberries?

Yes, you can use frozen strawberries, but they need to be thawed drained first. Chop them up into small pieces (for the best strawberry-in-each-bite ratio), and toss them in 2 tablespoons flour for extra insurance against too-wet muffins.

Why are my muffins soggy?

Your muffins may have turned out soggy if you let them sit in the muffin tins for too long. Once you pull your muffins out of the oven, they’re continuing to bake and set up, which is important for those first five minutes. After that, promptly remove the muffins from the muffin tin, or you’ll trap the steam in, causing the muffins to go soggy.