Strawberry Muffins Crumble Lemon (Printable)

Fluffy muffins filled with fresh strawberries and topped with a buttery, zesty crumble.

# 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

# How To Make It:

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, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
05 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Fold in diced strawberries gently until evenly distributed throughout batter.
07 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 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 the batter in each muffin cup.
10 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
11 - Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're soft and tender without feeling heavy, which means you can eat two without guilt or a food coma.
  • The crumble top stays crunchy even after cooling, a textural contrast that makes each bite feel intentional.
  • Lemon zest lifts the strawberry flavor in a way that feels subtle but unmissable once you taste it.
02 -
  • Don't thaw frozen strawberries if that's what you're using—they release too much liquid and make the batter soggy, so fold them in frozen and let the heat handle it.
  • The crumble topping needs to stay cold or it becomes a paste instead of crumbs, so use cold butter straight from the fridge and work quickly with cool hands.
03 -
  • Microplane zest directly over the mixing bowl so you don't lose any of those fragrant oils to your cutting board.
  • If your muffins are browning too quickly on top before the centers are done, drape the pan with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
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