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These strawberry muffins are everything a muffin should be. Moist, fluffy, packed with fresh strawberries, and topped with a buttery streusel that bakes up golden and crumbly. They come together in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients, no mixer required. I make these every strawberry season, and they never last more than a day in our house.
If you love muffin recipes as much as I do, try my blueberry muffins, blackberry muffins, and pistachio muffins next!
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Pin ItI’ve been developing and testing recipes for over 20 years, studied home economics, and wrote Entertaining with Charm. I originally created this recipe in partnership with California Strawberries, and it’s been a favorite ever since. It’s simple, charming, and works every single time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Made with fresh strawberries. Juicy chopped strawberries in every bite, plus a little mashed strawberry stirred right into the batter for extra berry flavor and moisture.
That streusel topping. A simple mix of butter, sugar, and flour bakes into the most delicious golden crumble on top. It’s the same buttery topping trick I use on my blueberry banana muffins, and I promise you, don’t skip it.
One bowl, no mixer. Just a whisk, a spatula, and about 30 minutes. These are as easy as muffins get.
Perfect for any occasion. Breakfast, brunch, lunchboxes, an afternoon snack with coffee. They’re also so pretty on a brunch table next to a pitcher of strawberry lemonade.
Strawberry Muffin Ingredients
For the muffin batter:
- All-purpose flour: Gives the muffins structure. Spoon and level when measuring so you don’t end up with dense muffins.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise tall and fluffy. Make sure yours is fresh!
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the strawberry flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps coat the berries.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds structure.
- Whole milk: Adds moisture and keeps the crumb tender.
- Vegetable oil: The secret to super moist muffins that stay soft for days.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor. Always use pure vanilla.
- Fresh strawberries: The star! Chopped and slightly mashed. Look for berries that are red all the way to the stem for the sweetest flavor. And if you buy a big basket, save a few for chocolate-covered strawberries!
For the streusel topping:
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the crumble.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the streusel its texture.
- Salted butter: Cold and cubed. Cold butter is the key to a crumbly, golden topping instead of one that melts into the batter.
How to Make Strawberry Muffins
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Prep the strawberries. Chop the strawberries. Take 1/2 cup of the chopped berries and mash them with a fork in a small bowl, then add them back in with the rest.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the strawberries and give them a stir so they’re coated in the sugar and flour mixture. This little step keeps them from sinking to the bottom!
- Combine. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula. Mix just until combined. The batter should be a little lumpy, and that’s exactly what you want.
- Fill. Fill each liner about 3/4 full with batter.
- Make the streusel. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and cold cubed butter. Mix with a fork until it looks like crumbles, then sprinkle generously over each muffin.
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes, until the muffins have risen and the tops are a pretty light golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Don’t overmix the batter. This is the number one rule for moist, fluffy muffins. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes muffins tough and dense. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. Lumps are your friend.
Use ripe, fresh strawberries. The sweeter the berry, the better the muffin. If your strawberries are extra juicy, pat them dry with a paper towel after chopping so the batter doesn’t get soggy.
Coat the berries in the dry ingredients. Stirring the strawberries into the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients keeps them evenly suspended in the batter instead of sinking.
Keep the butter cold for the streusel. Cold butter creates those perfect golden crumbles. If it’s soft, the topping will melt into the muffins.
Swap the berry. This batter works beautifully with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. If you’re a blueberry person, my blueberry muffins are a reader favorite.
Make mini muffins. Bake at 350°F for about 12 to 14 minutes. They’re perfect for little hands and lunchboxes.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries?
Yes! Fresh strawberries are my first choice because they hold their shape and give you the best texture. But if it’s the middle of winter and you’re craving strawberry muffins, frozen works. Thaw them first, drain the extra liquid, and pat them dry with paper towels before chopping. Skipping this step adds too much moisture and can make the muffins gummy.
How to Store Strawberry Muffins
Room temperature: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days. I like to add a paper towel to the container to absorb extra moisture from the fresh berries.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds before serving to bring back that fresh-baked softness.
Freezer: Freeze muffins individually wrapped or in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave.
FAQs
Dense muffins are almost always from overmixing the batter. Muffin batter should look lumpy. Stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and let the oven do the rest. Measuring flour with the spoon-and-level method helps too.
Stir the chopped strawberries into the dry ingredients before adding the wet. Coating them in flour and sugar helps suspend them evenly in the batter.
Strawberries have a high water content. If your berries are very juicy, pat them dry after chopping. Also make sure the muffins are fully baked. A toothpick should come out clean, and let them cool in the pan for just a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack so steam can escape.
Yes! Buttermilk adds a subtle tang and makes the crumb extra tender. Swap it in one for one. It’s the same trick I use in my orange cranberry muffins.
Both! They’re sweet enough to feel like a treat but perfect with morning coffee. I serve them for brunch, afternoon snacks, and even dessert with a scoop of my no-churn strawberry ice cream.
Absolutely. Bake them the day before, cool completely, and store in an airtight container. Warm for a few seconds in the microwave before serving. I don’t recommend making the batter ahead since the baking powder starts working as soon as it’s mixed.
more strawberry recipes
Recipes
Strawberry Scones
Snacks & Appetizers
Deviled Strawberries
Cakes & Cupcakes
Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Strawberry season goes fast, so make the most of it! Try my deviled strawberries for your next party, my creamy strawberry cheesecake, or my easy strawberry lemonade pie. And if you’re baking with kids, my strawberry rice krispie treats are always a hit. Get even more ideas in my roundup of the best strawberry desserts!
If you want more muffin recipes, try my gooey monkey bread muffins or my buttery cornbread muffins, or browse all of my easy one-bowl muffin recipes!
If you make these strawberry muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below. I’d love to hear how they turned out!
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Strawberry Muffuns
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1//4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped fresh strawberries, divided (you'll mash 1/2 cup of these)
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Chop the strawberries and set aside. Take 1/2 cup of the chopped strawberries and mash them with a fork in a separate bowl, then add them back in with the chopped strawberries.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Lightly beat together.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the strawberries and stir to coat them in the sugar and flour mixture.
- Slowly pour in the milk mixture and fold the ingredients together using a spatula. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix; the batter should be lumpy.
- Fill each liner 3/4 of the way full with batter.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and cold cubed butter for the streusel. Mix with a fork until it resembles crumbles. Sprinkle over each muffin.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the muffins have risen and the tops are light golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
