Description
These bakery-style strawberry muffins are moist, tender, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Topped with a sweet crumbly streusel, they make a perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack. Made from scratch with simple ingredients like buttermilk and vanilla, these muffins bring the taste of a bakery right to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups fresh strawberries (diced)
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (chilled and cut up)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to ensure it's at the perfect temperature for baking the muffins evenly.
- Prepare Muffin Pan: Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners or generously spray each cup with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender muffin texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, then add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix until all are fully combined and smooth.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agent and salt.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, beating at low speed until just combined. Overmixing can make muffins tough.
- Fold in Strawberries: Gently fold about half of the diced strawberries into the batter using a spoon to avoid crushing them and keeping the batter light.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners, filling each about 3/4 full to allow room for rising. Then, top each muffin with the remaining diced strawberries for extra fruit burst and decoration.
- Make Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl or food processor, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and chilled butter pieces. Use a fork, pastry blender, or pulse 13-15 times in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Top Muffins: Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over each muffin to add a sweet, crunchy texture after baking.
- Bake: Bake the muffins in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes. They are done when the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor and texture; frozen strawberries are not recommended as they may release too much moisture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep muffins tender and light.
- The crumb topping adds a delightful crunch and sweetness, but it can be omitted if you prefer a simpler muffin.
- Make sure the butter for the crumb topping is very cold to achieve the best crumbly texture.
- To store, keep muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American