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Strawberry Muffins

4.5

(8)

Strawberry muffins on a cooling rack with one cut in half.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Tiffany Schleigh

The sun is out, the birds are singing, and there’s a sweet scent in the air. Strawberry season is officially upon us, which means that these strawberry muffins should be at the top of your to-bake list, right along with the requisite strawberry shortcake.

Showcasing spring’s finest jewels, these muffins are chock-full of strawberry flavor from fresh, not frozen, strawberries. Chopping the fruit into small pieces (about ½") before folding them into the thick sour-cream-enriched muffin batter keeps the berries evenly dispersed in each muffin. The sour cream also keeps the crumb tender and moist, so the muffins keep for days. And forget that old wives’ tale about tossing chopped strawberries in flour or cornstarch before adding them to batter—this extra step is actually counterproductive, creating pockets of gloop around the strawberries as the muffins bake.

Use a cookie scoop to get the same amount of batter in each muffin cup, and be sure to reserve a handful of chopped strawberries to sprinkle on the muffin tops, along with raw sugar. If you really want to go the extra mile, make your own parchment-paper liners.

This easy recipe will be your go-to for every spring occasion: Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, picnics, or special Sunday mornings. Since they take about 30 minutes of total time, you can absolutely bake a batch before sleeping houseguests begin to stir. There’s no better scent to wake up to.

More muffin recipes, like the best blueberry muffins, double chocolate chip muffins, and raspberry-coconut muffins, right this way

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    35 minutes

  • Yield

    12 muffins

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray (for pan)
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
2 large eggs
⅔ cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
10 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, cut into ½" pieces, divided
¼ cup raw sugar

Special equipment

12 cupcake or muffin liners

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Coat the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray and place a liner in each. Whisk 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp. baking powder, 1¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl to combine.

    Step 2

    Whisk 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, in another medium bowl to combine. Add 2 large eggs, ⅔ cup sour cream, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Add dry ingredients and whisk just until no lumps remaining (be careful not to overmix). Using a rubber spatula, fold in 7 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, cut into ½" pieces.

    Step 3

    Divide batter among muffin cups, filling to the rim. Scatter remaining 3 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, cut into ½" pieces, evenly on top. Sprinkle ¼ cup raw sugar (about 1 tsp. per muffin) evenly over berries in each cup. Bake muffins 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°. Continue to bake until tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

    Do Ahead: Muffins can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature.

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