Muffins have always been one of my favorite breakfast items. What’s not to like? It’s a breakfast cake, albeit slightly less sweet. Blueberry muffins are delicious yet common, but not everyone can pull off a mouthwatering homemade Strawberry Muffin recipe.
This recipe is a modified and modernized version of my mom’s, replacing most of the oil with butter and using fresh or frozen, never-canned strawberries (which often contain high fructose corn syrup in the syrup). I also add some syrup-soaked strawberries to the top for both aesthetic and flavor. I loved when she’d make them, and the result of this recipe is exactly as I remember them tasting. Come along for the flavor ride.
Strawberry not your jam? Check out my Blueberry Muffin and Cherry Flaxseed Muffin recipes!
The Science of These Homemade Strawberry Muffins
Sugar is added to fresh or frozen strawberries to leech the liquids through osmosis (see Merriam-Webster for a definition of osmosis if you want to get technical). The strawberries release their juice through their cellular walls and mingle harmoniously with the sugar as it dissolves. Science! Leave them for a period and watch the bowl fill with enough liquid to cover the fruit. This liquid is stirred into the batter in addition to some of the syrup-soaked strawberries. This yields a vibrant berry sweetness that can be tasted in each bite. Other recipes add the strawberries directly and are flavorless in spots where none are present. It’s a crying shame since the sugar brings out the flavor of the strawberries if you give them some time to relax together.
A Note About Using Frozen Strawberries
Frozen strawberries work wonderfully with this recipe. They release more liquid, they’re at peak freshness before they are frozen, and you don’t have to worry about them going bad before you get to them. Fresh strawberries are absolutely fine–it’s just a personal preference. I always have a bag in my freezer ready for when I crave a batch of these homemade Strawberry Muffins
Oil vs. Butter: The Impact on Storage and Freshness
Butter adds more flavor to these homemade strawberry muffins at the expense of shelf life. These muffins last up to 2 days if stored in an airtight container. Substitute half of the butter with an equivalent amount of oil if you plan on refrigerating them and/or are concerned about keeping them longer.
Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature Wet Ingredients: Using room temperature wet ingredients not only helps them blend into the batter easily–it helps the muffins rise since the heat will reach the leavening agent much quicker.
- Donβt Overmix the Batter: The muffin mixture should barely come together and still look a little lumpy. Over-mixing will cause the muffins to become dense and may impact rise negatively.
- Measure Ingredients Using a Scale: This will give you the best possible outcome consistent with my own. I include weights for this reason.
- Use a Thermometer in Your Oven: Ensure your oven is preheated to the same temperature as the recipe states by using an oven-safe thermometer, or adjust it accordingly to achieve it. I go further into calibrating ovens in my FAQ section.
Homemade Strawberry Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Whisk
- Standard Muffin Pan
- Digital Scale optional but recommended
Ingredients
For Strawberry Prep
- 2 Cups Frozen or Fresh Strawberries stems removed - 300g
- ΒΌ Cup Granulated Sugar 50g
Muffins
- 3 Cups All-purpose Flour 360g
- ΒΎ Cup Granulated Sugar 150g
- 3 Β½ Tsp Baking Powder 16g
- 1 Tsp Sea Salt 6g
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter melted - 113g
- Β½ Cup Whole or 2% Milk room temperature - 122g
- 2 Large Eggs room temperature - 100g
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 4g
- Coarse Sugar optional, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Strawberry Prep
- Slice fresh or frozen strawberries and place them in a bowl. Stir in sugar, cover, and let sit at room temperature until the strawberries are swimming in a pool of their own juices--at least 2 hours. Tip: Frozen strawberries can take a little longer than 2 hours to release their juices due to the period it takes for them to thaw. Fresh or Frozen: You can do this step the night before by prepping them as stated and storing them covered in the refrigerator overnight. Let them come to room temperature before using.
To Prepare the Muffins
- Preheat your oven to 400Β°F / 204Β°C. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Add muffin liners to a standard muffin pan.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the melted butter into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the room-temperature milk. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until mostly combined and a few streaks of flour remain.
- Strain and separate 1/3 of the strawberries from the container and place them in a separate container. Set aside. Pour the remaining strawberries and all of the juice into the batter, and fold until just combined. Don't worry if the batter appears slightly pink -- it'll bake into a normal color.
- Fill each muffin cup 2/3 of the way. This recipe can make up to 17 strawberry muffins.
- Evenly scatter the remaining strawberries along the top of each muffin. Sprinkle the tops of the batter with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes back free of batter, about 17 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool before enjoying.
