These bakery-style strawberry shortcake muffins are soft, fluffy, and filled with juicy strawberries, topped with a buttery shortcake crumble, and finished with a light vanilla glaze. They taste just like the nostalgic dessert in tender muffin form and are perfect for spring brunch, summer gatherings, or a sweet treat with coffee.
My perfect spring morning includes stepping outside with a warm muffin and a cup of coffee, while the air is still cool, and the birds are just starting to sing. For more sweet breakfast recipes to go with that morning coffee, try our bakery-style lemon cream cheese muffins and apple butter banana bread with pecan streusel next!
Why You Will Love These Strawberry Shortcake Muffins
- Tall, bakery-style muffins with a tender crumb and soft, fluffy texture.
- Bursting with fresh strawberries in every bite.
- A buttery shortcake crumble topping adds that classic strawberry shortcake flavor and texture.
- Simple, kitchen-staple ingredients and easy steps make this a beginner-friendly recipe.
Ingredients and Easy Substitutions
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This base gives the muffins structure and lift.
- Granulated sugar. Sweetens the muffins and helps create a soft crumb.
- Melted butter + neutral oil. Butter adds rich flavor while oil keeps the muffins moist for days. You can use all oil if needed, but butter adds more flavor.
- Greek yogurt + buttermilk. Adds tenderness and a slight tang for a bakery-style texture. Sour cream can replace yogurt, and milk + 1 teaspoon of vinegar can substitute for buttermilk.
- Eggs + egg yolk. Provide structure and richness.
- Vanilla + almond extract. Enhances the sweet strawberry shortcake flavor.
- Fresh strawberries. Adds juicy bursts of flavor throughout the muffins. Frozen strawberries can be used. Do not thaw and toss in flour first.
- Flour for tossing strawberries. Prevents fruit from sinking in the batter.
Shortcake Crumble Topping
- Flour, sugar, cold butter, milk, and vanilla. Create a buttery crumble that mimics classic shortcake topping.
Optional Glaze
- Powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. A simple drizzle that adds bakery-style sweetness.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Muffins
Step 1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a muffin tin with paper or tulip liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 2. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, melted butter, oil, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
Step 1. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined.
Step 2. Toss diced strawberries with flour.
Step 1. Gently fold muffins into batter.
Step 2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and cold butter for the crumble topping and mix until crumbly.
Step 1. Fill muffin liners full with batter, and top generously with crumble topping.
Step 2. Bake the muffins for five minutes at 425°F, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow muffins to cool slightly before adding glaze.
Delicious Variations
- Lemon Strawberry Shortcake Muffins: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter for a bright citrus flavor. Lemon lovers, head over to our moist lemon Bundt cake recipe next!
- Strawberries and Cream Muffins: add white chocolate chips to the batter for a richer, dessert-style muffin.
- Blueberry Shortcake Muffins: Swap the strawberries for fresh blueberries. Love blueberries? Don't miss our blueberry cornbread with cinnamon honey butter!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can mix the crumble topping 1 to 2 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- Storing: Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to five days.
- Freezing: These muffins freeze beautifully. Place cooled muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm muffins in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or in a 300°F oven for about five minutes.
Ashley's Tips for Bakery-Style Muffins
- Do not over-mix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the muffins tender.
- Dice strawberries small. Smaller pieces distribute better throughout the batter.
- Toss berries in flour. This helps prevent them from sinking.
- Start with high heat. The initial 425°F bake creates tall muffin tops.
- Fill the liners full. Think filled cups with little mounds on top. This creates that classic bakery-style dome.
- Fill every other cup of the muffin tin. To prevent muffins from sticking together while baking, fill every other cup of the muffin tin, using two pans or working in batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use them straight from frozen and toss them in flour before adding to the batter. Do not thaw them first.
This helps keep the fruit evenly distributed instead of sinking to the bottom.
Absolutely. Bake them the day before and store them covered at room temperature.
The combination of yogurt, buttermilk, butter, and oil keeps these muffins soft for several days.
Table Talk: Trust the Process
Spring has a beautiful way of reminding us that every season has a purpose. After the quiet stillness of winter, the Earth slowly begins to wake up again. Flowers, bloom, trees bud, and fruit begins its journey towards ripening.
Strawberries are a perfect example of that. They do not appear overnight. They grow slowly, soaking in the sunshine and rain, ripening in their proper time until they become the sweet fruit we enjoy. If they were picked too early, they would never reach that sweetness.
Walking with God can look a lot like that, too. There are seasons when we feel like we are waiting, growing quietly beneath the surface, wondering when the fruit will come. But the Lord wastes nothing. Every season, even the slow and stretching ones, is part of how he produces something good in us.
Scripture reminds us that He is always working things together for our good, even when we cannot see the full picture yet. Just like fruit ripening in the field, God is patiently working in our lives, bringing beauty and sweetness in His perfect timing.
As you bake the strawberry muffins and share them around your table, I hope they serve as a small reminder that every season has purpose. Trust the process, trust the growth, and trust the God who is faithfully tending the garden of your life.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:16
More Strawberry Recipes You Will Love!
If you tried this Strawberry Shortcake Muffins recipe, leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below! Don't forget to tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram with your comforting creations.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Shortcake Muffins with Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup neutral oil
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt - room temperature
- ⅔ cup buttermilk - room temperature
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk - room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ¾ cups fresh strawberries - diced small
- 2 tablespoons flour - for tossing strawberries
Shortcake Crumble Topping
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter - cubed
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Heavy Cream Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or tulip liners or lightly grease each cup.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine granulated sugar, melted unsalted butter, and neutral oil. Whisk until smooth. Add Greek yogurt, buttermilk, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula. Stir gently just until the flour disappears; do not overmix.
- Toss diced fresh strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flour to prevent sinking. Gently fold the strawberries into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each completely full for tall, bakery-style muffins.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in cold, cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over each muffin.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes to help the muffins rise tall. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar with 2 tablespoon heavy cream and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency with a little more cream if needed for drizzling.
- Drizzle the glaze over cooled muffins before serving.
Notes
Tips for Beginner Bakers
- Dice strawberries small for even distribution.
- Toss strawberries in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Do not overmix the batter; overmixing makes muffins tough.
- Fill liners nearly full for bakery-style domed tops.
- The initial high oven temperature helps create a tall, fluffy muffin top.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Crumble topping: can be made 1-2 days ahead and refrigerated.
- Baked muffins: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: freeze fully cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: microwave for 15-20 seconds or warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
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