Strawberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins may get the majority of the spotlight when it comes to classic muffins, but when I have fresh, seasonal strawberries, I’ll always turn to this recipe. Packed with jammy summer fruit and bright lemon zest, these pillow, tender muffins are perfect whether you’re serving them for Mother's Day brunch (with mimosas, please!), a tea party, or just as an extra-sweet breakfast. Here’s everything you need to know to perfect them:

How To Make Strawberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• Sugar: These muffins are just the right amount of sweet—we don’t need too much sugar since our strawberries will add some sweet flavor in every bite.
• Lemon Zest: For the best bright, citrusy flavor, rub the fresh lemon zest into the sugar with your hands—it’ll infuse the sugar (and the batter) with the peel’s essential oils.
• All-Purpose Flour: A staple for all of our muffin recipes, all-purpose flour will give these muffins the right structure, and will also give them a tender bite. The backbone of any muffin recipe, all-purpose flour strikes the right balance between structure and tenderness.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is used as a leavener in this recipe, lifting the muffins and creating structure when they bake.
• Kosher Salt: These muffins won’t be salty, but some kosher salt will help balance all of our flavors.
• Unsalted Butter: If you’re a regular at making muffins, you might be surprised to see room temperature butter rather than melted butter. Rubbing it into the dry ingredients makes for a super tender—not dense—crumb.
• Eggs: Eggs will give our muffins structure, and a light and fluffy texture once they are done baking.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk will add richness to our muffins—I recommend using whole milk instead of any alternatives.
• Chopped Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are one of the best things about summer, and they truly shine in these muffins. Chop them into ½” pieces; you want them large enough to taste, but not so large that they take up your entire bite.
• Sparkling Sugar: For a gorgeous shimmer and a tasty crunch on top, you'll sprinkle sparkling sugar over the batter just before baking. Sparkling sugar is coarse-grained sugar that won't melt or disappear while it bakes, and leaves just a hint of a crust with a little extra sweetness on every bite. It’s not necessary, but does provide an extra-special topping to these sweet muffins.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, preheat the oven to 350°, then grease a muffin tin with butter, spray with nonstick cooking spray, or line with baking liners. Then, in a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest by using your hands to rub the zest into the sugar until it is evenly combined. Using your hands will infuse the zest into the sugar, releasing its essential oils and creating a more potent lemon flavor.

Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt to the sugar mixture, then use your hands or an electric mixer to rub in the butter until the mixture is evenly combined. You don’t want any large pieces of butter sticking out! Then, fold in the eggs and milk with a rubber spatula until they are just combined.

Using 1 tablespoon, spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each prepared muffin well. Then, fold in the strawberries into the remaining batter, and divide it evenly among the muffin wells. The reason for this is that we want our strawberries to be in the middle and the top of our muffins, not sinking to the bottom, so we’re creating a base before adding our strawberry filling. Once the batter has all been evenly dispersed, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sparkling sugar.

Place in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the muffins to be firm to the touch; a wooden pick should come out clean when inserted. Once done, let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing and serving.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

Due to the fresh fruit, these muffins are best eaten day-of, but extra muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.