Strawberry Muffins Crumble Lemon (Print View)

Moist, fluffy strawberry muffins topped with buttery crumble and fresh lemon zest for a bright flavor.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Muffins

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk
09 - 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

→ For the Crumble Topping

13 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
16 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
04 - Stir in milk, sour cream or yogurt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
05 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Fold diced strawberries into batter using a spatula.
07 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
08 - In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add cold butter cubes and mix with a fork or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
09 - Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over batter in each muffin cup.
10 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11 - Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste bakery-quality but come together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The crumble topping adds a textural surprise that makes people ask for the recipe before they're even done eating.
  • Fresh lemon brightens everything without making the muffins taste sour or overly fancy.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the quickest way to ruin these muffins—fold gently and stop as soon as the dry ingredients disappear, even if there are tiny lumps.
  • Cold butter in the crumble topping is non-negotiable because it creates the crunch that makes people think you spent hours on these when you really didn't.
  • Fresh strawberries at peak ripeness taste entirely different from sad supermarket ones, so if your berries are pale or mushy, frozen ones actually work better.
03 -
  • Don't thaw frozen strawberries if you substitute them—the ice crystals help them stay whole and prevent your batter from becoming watery.
  • A small ice cream scoop makes filling the muffin cups infinitely easier and results in more uniform muffins that bake evenly.
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