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These strawberry muffins have been on repeat in our house ever since my son begged me to make them for breakfast before school. That is honestly the highest endorsement a recipe can get around here. They’re ready in 25 minutes, naturally sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar, and just as good tucked into a lunchbox as they are on the breakfast table.
Table of Contents
Fresh strawberries are incredible right now and this is one of my favorite ways to use them. If you are in full strawberry mode, my Fresh Strawberry Recipes roundup has 17 more ideas for peak season. And if muffins are your thing, my Chocolate Muffins and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are both regulars in our kitchen too.
What makes this recipe different from most strawberry muffin recipes is the sweetener. I use honey instead of sugar and it makes such a difference. The sweetness is gentle and natural, and I genuinely feel good about handing these to my kids. They bake up moist and fluffy every time!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar.
- Ready in 25 minutes start to finish.
- Works as regular muffins or mini muffins, perfect for smaller hands and lunchboxes.
- Freezer friendly. Make a batch on Sunday and breakfast/snacks are sorted for the week.
- Kids love them, adults love them. Everyone wins.
The Ingredients
- All purpose flour: Spoon and level when you measure rather than scooping straight from the bag. Over-measuring flour is the most common reason muffins turn out dense.
- Baking powder: Two teaspoons gives the muffins their lift. Just make sure yours is fresh for the best rise.
- Kosher salt: Salt balances the sweetness and makes the strawberry flavor really sing.
- Milk: Whole milk gives the richest result but low fat, almond, rice, oat or soy milk all work great here.
- Vegetable or canola oil: This is what keeps the muffins moist and tender.
- Honey or agave nectar: Honey adds a gentle, natural sweetness with a subtle floral note that pairs so well with fresh strawberries. Agave works too if you prefer something more neutral.
- Fresh strawberries. Use the ripest, most fragrant berries you can find. If they smell amazing at the farmer’s market, they will taste amazing in these muffins!
Variations
Frozen strawberries. Fresh is always best but frozen totally works in this strawberry muffin recipe when strawberries are out of season. Thaw first, drain any extra liquid, pat dry with paper towels, then dice and use as directed.
Other berries. The same batter works beautifully with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. My Mixed Berry Muffins are a great place to start if you want to mix and match!
Crunchy sugar top. Sprinkle a little coarse turbinado sugar over the batter right before baking. It gives you that bakery-style crunchy top without any extra effort.
How to Make Strawberry Muffins
- Mix your dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Getting these evenly combined before the wet ingredients go in means the leavening is distributed throughout the batter, which gives you an even rise across all 12 muffins.
- Mix your wet ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk the egg, milk, oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Mixing wet and dry ingredients separately before combining is the key to not overmixing, which is the number one thing that makes muffins tough.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as you stop seeing streaks of flour. A lumpy batter is a good batter here.
- Fold in the strawberries. Add the diced strawberries and fold gently into the batter. If you want pretty berries on top, hold a few pieces back now and press them onto each muffin cup after filling.
- Fill. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full. A cookie scoop is the easiest way to do this cleanly and evenly. Press any reserved strawberry pieces on top.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Tips and Tricks
Do not overmix. Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, put down the spoon. A few lumps in the batter are completely fine and they bake out. Overmixed batter gives you tough, dense muffins.
Fill the cups generously. About three quarters full gives you a nice domed top.
Use a cookie scoop. It is the easiest way to fill muffin cups evenly and cleanly. No drips, no mess, and every muffin comes out the same size.
Check with a toothpick. Start checking at 18 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Want pretty berries on top? Save a few strawberry pieces before folding the rest into the batter. Once you fill the muffin cups, press a few pieces right on top of each one. They stay visible, they look gorgeous coming out of the oven, and you never have to worry about berries sinking to the bottom.
Want mini muffins? Fill 36 mini muffin cups and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, checking with a toothpick at 12. Perfect for lunchboxes and little snackers!
Storage and Freezing
Counter. Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Fridge. Up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before eating or give them a quick warm in the microwave.
Freezer. Cool completely, place on a baking sheet, and freeze for one hour. Transfer to a zip-top bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the counter or microwave for 30 to 60 seconds straight from frozen.
FAQs
Yes! Thaw them first, drain any excess liquid, and pat dry before dicing and folding into the batter.
Absolutely. Agave nectar is a direct swap in equal amounts. Maple syrup works too for a slightly different flavor. For granulated sugar, use half a cup and add one extra tablespoon of milk to make up for the lost liquid.
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Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup milk (whole, low fat, almond, rice, oat or soy)
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, oil, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold the diced strawberries gently into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three quarters full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Mini muffins: Fill 36 mini muffin cups and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Pretty berry tops: Reserve a few strawberry pieces before mixing and press onto each filled muffin cup before baking.
- Frozen strawberries: Thaw, drain, and pat dry before using.
- Honey substitute: Agave nectar or maple syrup work as direct swaps. For granulated sugar use half a cup plus one tablespoon of extra milk.
- Do not overmix: Stir until just combined. A few lumps in the batter are totally fine.
- Storage: Airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, fridge up to 5 days, freezer up to 3 months.
- Freezing: Cool completely, freeze on a baking sheet for one hour, then transfer to a zip-top bag.
Okay…made these tonight and they came out great. Has anyone put these in the freezer? I’m going to try it and just take out what I need for that moment. I can’t wait to give them to my little man. I know he will just tear them up. Just knowing every ingredient that went into these muffins makes me feel so wonderful. I know it’s all worth it. I got the ingredients for some other muffins and i’m going to make those as well.
I would think maybe you can, but you’d have to possibly adjust the cook time? I’m assuming that the cook times are for room temp ingredients, not chilled. Just a thought 🙂
Is there any reason you can’t refrigerate the batter until you’re ready to bake?
I made them with Kamut flour as a sub and they were really good. I don’t keep white flour in our kitchen because of the lack of nutrients and high gluten content, so I find Kamut a great substitute because it isn’t as heavy as spelt or wheat. Sometimes I have to add a half cup of whole wheat pastry flour and the rest spelt or kamut to get a recipe more fluffy but this one was fine with just Kamut.
If you have Maple Syrup, you can use that. I have not tested it with the cane sugar so I wouldn’t know the measurements exactly. Let me know how they turn out!
Can I use regular organic cane sugar instead of honey or agave nectar?
Just made these tonight…forgot the oil in the first batch, and while a little sticky they were still delicious! My niece pronounced them “My Favorite!” and ate 4 mini muffins before dinner..and 2 with dinner 😉 Even my extra super picky 6 year old tried a bite and said “it’s ok” which is a big compliment for something with obvious chunks of fruit in it! 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, great idea! I haven’t tried it but let me know how they turn out!
these are deeeeeelish!!
wondering – could you use blueberries instead?
thank you!!
Apple sauce has a completely different texture, you can add apple sauce to muffins but it will never be as sweet.
Is there anything healthier, more natural and pure than honey or agave nectar to use? I’ve seen some recipes use apple sauce or bananas as a sweetner.
You can make them with agave nectar as the sweetener.
Is there a way to make them without honey as the sweetener?
Loved it! Used white whole wheat flour, and kept to the recipe. Made ~32 minis. Will freeze some; great to-go snacks for my two year old and me!
So delicious!! Have made them about 3 times by now. Used AP flour the first time but have since switched to 1/2 AP & 1/2 whole wheat. Lemon zest adds a very nice touch. My kids, hubby & I love them!! Thank you!!
Our pediatrician said that if the honey is pasteurized (most honey sold in regular grocery stores has been pasteurized), it is okay. The main risk of botulism comes when using raw, unpasteurized honey (such as the type you would get from a local farmers market). Maybe consult with your pediatrician. 🙂