Strawberry Orange Muffins

Name: Strawberry Orange Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, room temperature; 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar; 3 eggs, room temperature; 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup milk, room temperature; 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon orange zest + 1 Tablespoon orange juice; 2 cups chopped strawberries; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 4 Tablespoons butter; 1/2 – 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; pinch of salt

When fresh strawberries are in season, add these Strawberry Muffins to your menu plan. The muffins are so tender, they almost taste like cupcakes. They are full of juicy strawberries and are flavored with vanilla and orange to make them extra tasty.

Strawberry muffins are such an easy dessert and are a delicious treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the mornings, to pack in lunch boxes, or have as a dessert after dinner. Muffins are one of my favorite simple treats to make for my family. Most of the time, I make Blueberry Lemon Muffins, since I can make them all year long with fresh or frozen blueberries. Whenever fresh strawberries are in season, I make these muffins instead. The addition of the orange zest is awesome! Strawberries and orange are a wonderful pairing.

I really wanted these muffins to be really soft and tender, so I used a cake method to prepare them. With lots of chopped strawberries inside the muffins, I added some vanilla extract and super flavorful orange zest to give them even more flavor. To top it off, I added a crumb topping.

Make a big batch and enjoy these muffins any time of day. Muffins freeze really well too, so you can save some to be enjoyed later too.

Ingredients:

butter (softened to room temperature)
granulated sugar
eggs (room temperature)
all purpose flour
baking powder and baking soda
salt
milk + sour cream also at room temperature. Using milk and sour cream adds more richness, tenderness and flavor to the muffins.
vanilla extract
orange zest and juice
strawberries – fresh strawberries are best for this recipe. If you have chopped frozen strawberries, you can use those as well. Frozen, thawed and then chopped strawberries will be too wet and wilted.
Crumb Topping: butter, all purpose flour, sugar, salt (the crumb topping is 100% optional. I skip it half the time I make these muffins.)

How To Make Strawberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mixing them separately first will help to break up any clumps and disperse the baking powder and soda more evenly.
In another bowl, mix together the remaining liquid ingredients – milk, sour cream, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture.
Then, add the liquid ingredients to the batter and mix just until mostly incorporated.
Now add the rest of the dry ingredients, mix until evenly incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
Add the chopped strawberries to the batter and mix to combine, using a rubber spatula. (You can leave some of the strawberries out and add them later to the top of the muffins, right after portioning out the batter into the muffin pan.)
Fill the muffin pan with batter. Line the muffin pan with baking liners (parchment ones are my favorite). Portion out the muffin batter among the muffin cups. You will have 22-24 muffins, depending on how full you fill the muffin pans.

Combine all the topping ingredients together in a medium bowl, using a fork or your fingers to work the butter into the flour. You should have some pea sized bits of butter in the mix.
Top the muffins with the crumb topping. (You can omit the crumb topping completely or use coarse sugar to top the muffins for an additional crunch and sweetness.)
Bake in the preheated oven (425 F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until the muffins are cooked through in the center and golden brown.
Let the muffins stand for 5 minutes, then remove from the muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

Baking Strawberry Muffins with a crumb topping.

Storing Muffins

Store the muffins at room temperature. After the first day, cover them with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to keep them from drying out.

Strawberry Orange muffins - so soft and tender, almost like a cake.

Just look at the texture of these muffins on the inside! They are incredibly soft and tender.

Helpful Tips For the Best Muffins

Make sure the butter, eggs, milk and sour cream are at room temperature.

What makes these muffins so tender?

When you creaming the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs one at a time, you are whipping up a lot of air into the batter and then adding the eggs in steps helps to give it a very even texture.
By adding the flour in stages, with the liquid ingredients in between, this creates a light, even crumb in the muffins. It is also important not to over mix the batter.

Start baking the muffins at a higher temperature for the first 10 minutes, then lower the temperature.

This gives the muffins a burst of high heat, which helps them rise quickly and also gives them a head start in turning brown. Then, reducing the temperature for the remaining time in the oven will keep the muffins from drying out and keeps them really tender.

Can you use frozen strawberries?

I don’t recommend it, because strawberries become really soft and wilted when they are frozen. If you do use frozen strawberries, thaw them slightly first, then chop them and then add to the batter while they are still partially frozen. Drain any excess liquid that you can. Fresh strawberries are really the best for baking.

Can you use other berries or fruit?

Absolutely. I use blueberries all the time. You can also use blackberries, raspberries, currants, cranberries, etc. You can also use chopped peaches, nectarines, mangos and more.

Can you freeze strawberry muffins?

Yes. Muffins freeze really well. Freeze them in an airtight container or freezer ziptop bag for up to 3-6 months.
You can take out all of them, or just one at a time. Thaw the muffins wrapped in a towel or a paper towel, to absorb excess moisture as they thaw. You can even put them in the microwave or the oven to warm up just a bit and they will taste like they are fresh out of the oven.