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My strawberry muffins recipe is the perfect way to take advantage of strawberry season. A simple batter is elevated with rose water and yogurt, creating bakery-style strawberry muffins with a delicate floral note and a moist, tender crumb. Then, I include a sweet crumble topping reminiscent of my raspberry crumb cake. Rich, fruity, and sweet, these fluffy muffins are perfect in the morning with a cup of Arabic coffee or a total treat for afternoon tea pick-me-up.
My muffin game has always been simple: use a boxed mix and add fresh fruit. I could never bake a homemade recipe that compared in flavor and texture. But once I put developing a great muffin recipe on my hit-list, I worked on it until, at last, I can bake a muffin from scratch that I absolutely love and trust.
If you love blueberry muffins, you’re going to want to add this great recipe to your rotation, too. The technique is nearly identical, so once you master this one, you’ve got an easy muffin recipe for almost any fruit!
Strawberry season in Michigan is short and sweet, lasting only about 2-3 weeks. But our great state delivers some of the most juicy berries I’ve ever tasted. So, I anxiously await its arrival, taking advantage of our markets (we even have local strawberry festivals), stocking up on lots of fresh strawberries to make strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam, strawberry cheesecake, and now my go-to strawberry muffin recipe.
Beautiful in appearance, these muffins look like they belong in a bakery case but are incredibly simple to make and ready in about an hour. You don’t even need an electric mixer! I’ve tested the recipe several times, making slight tweaks to find the perfect balance of flavors and texture. I’ll share all my tips with you. Just be warned that all your friends and family will be begging for the recipe!
Ingredients and Notes
These are just a few notes about the key components. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Fresh Strawberries: Fresh, ripe strawberries add sweet, juicy flavor and keep these muffins soft and tender. Dice them small, so they distribute evenly throughout the batter and don’t weigh the muffins down. I’ve also gotten away with frozen berries. Just make sure to toss them with a bit of flour to prevent sinking, and adjust the baking time as needed.
- Rose Water: Just a touch of rose water gives these easy strawberry muffins a delicate floral note that feels very reminiscent of Middle Eastern desserts, enhancing the strawberry flavor without overpowering it. Strawberries and rose water are a perfect flavor match. Learn more about Rose Water in my informative post about what it is and how to use it!
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the strawberries as they macerate, helping draw out their juices for extra fruity flavor and moisture. It also sweetens the batter and helps provide structure so the muffins hold their shape.
- Melted Butter and Oil: Using both butter and oil creates the ideal texture. The butter adds rich flavor, while the oil keeps the muffins soft and moist for days. Olive oil works beautifully here and adds subtle depth.
- Yogurt: Whole milk yogurt gives the muffins a tender crumb and a slight tang that balances the sweetness. Be sure to let it come to room temperature before mixing the batter so it distributes evenly. Plain yogurt, thicker Greek yogurt, or labneh work fine interchangeably. Sour cream works beautifully, too!
- Milk: A little whole milk loosens the batter and keeps the texture light and fluffy. I’ve also used low-fat milk and gotten away with it, but the taste and texture aren’t quite the same.
- Egg: One egg provides structure, helping the muffins rise properly while keeping them nice and soft.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a splash adds depth and rounds out the strawberry and rose flavors beautifully.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: I use this as the base of the batter, giving the muffins structure while maintaining a soft texture. For gluten-free strawberry muffins, substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. If the batter with that is very thick, add a little more milk.
- Baking Powder: A leavener, this helps the muffins bake up nice and tall with fluffy centers. Make sure it’s fresh for the best results!
- Salt: A small amount of kosher salt balances the sweetness and enhances all of the flavors.
- Crumb Topping: I combine unbleached all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cold unsalted butter for a simple topping with just the right amount of sweetness and crunch. If you prefer an even sweeter flavor, add a sprinkle of turbinado sugar or raw sugar on top just before baking. And if you prefer a plain muffin, you can leave the topping out.
How to Make this Strawberry Muffins Recipe
- Macerate the strawberries. Toss the diced strawberries with rose water and sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a second large bowl, whisk the remaining sugar and wet ingredients until smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients in a third bowl, distributing them evenly.
- Combine the batter. Add the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, and stir just until no streaks remain. Add the diced strawberries and their juices, and use a rubber spatula to fold the batter, distributing the berries evenly. Don’t leave them at the bottom of the bowl!
- Portion. Divide the batter evenly among a 12-cup muffin tin that has been well greased or prepared with muffin liners, filling each of the muffin cups ¾ of the way full.
- Prepare the crumb topping. Pulse all the topping ingredients in a food processor until the mixture clumps and resembles wet sand. I love to use a mini or prep processor!
- Bake. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the muffin tops, and bake until the batter rises and is lightly browned. A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Serve. Let the Greek yogurt strawberry muffins cool slightly in the pan, and enjoy!
My Top Tips & Tricks
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature yogurt, milk, and egg help the batter mix together smoothly and create a lighter, more even texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make muffins dense or tough instead of the soft and tender muffins we want.
- Dice the strawberries into small pieces. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly throughout the batter and prevent soggy pockets.
- Measure the flour carefully. If possible, I always recommend using a food scale when baking. However, if that’s not an option, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can add too much flour and create dry muffins.
- Keep the crumb topping cold. Very cold butter creates the best bakery-style crumble with crisp, buttery clusters on top.
- Check for doneness early. Ovens vary, so start checking the muffins for doneness around the 25-minute mark. The tops should be lightly golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Cool briefly before removing from the pan. Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes so they set properly and release easily from the muffin pan. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, or enjoy right away. If you try to remove them right away, they’re likely to crumble and fall apart.
How to Store
In my house, these delicious muffins disappear immediately. However, if you happen to have leftovers, they will keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to line my container with a paper towel to help absorb excess moisture and prevent the muffins from becoming soggy.
You can also freeze strawberry muffins for up to 3 months! Once cool, transfer the muffins to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature. Then, bring the muffins to room temperature, or warm them in 10-second increments in the microwave to serve.
Strawberry Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Muffin Pan
- 2 Medium Mixing Bowl
- 1 Small Bowl
Ingredients
Muffin batter:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup whole milk plain yogurt, room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut in ½ pieces
Instructions
- Arrange an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin pan with liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir the diced strawberries with the rose water and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.
- In another medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine the remaining ½ cup sugar, melted butter, oil, yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and use a spoon to stir just until combined. Add the diced strawberries and their juices, and stir to combine.
- Evenly distribute the batter among the 12 muffin cups, filling each one about ¾ full.
- Make the crumb topping. In a food processor (a mini or prep processor works great here), add the flour, both sugars, and very cold butter pieces. Pulse and process until the mixture turns into damp crumbs, about 15-30 seconds.
- Divide the topping among the top of each muffin, about 2 tablespoons per muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and serve.
Notes
– Once cool, transfer leftover strawberry muffins to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
– You can also freeze strawberry muffins for up to 3 months.
– Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature. Then, bring the muffins to room temperature, or warm them in 10-second increments in the microwave to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
