Mix up these healthy Strawberry Muffins in just about 30 minutes and serve a delicious breakfast or snack packed with whole grains, fiber, vitamins. They have a fresh burst of lemon flavor, and they store well in the fridge or freezer if you want to make them ahead.
Healthy Strawberry Muffins
I love it when I find berries at affordable prices at the store, either fresh or frozen. And while my kids tend to gobble them up fresh, I love to bake with them when there are extras.
These easy Strawberry Muffins pack in a lot of nutrition but are also tender and naturally sweet enough to nourish and please the kids.
They have a nice hit of lemon flavor, which is so good with the fresh berries. (Lemon is great with blueberry muffins too!) And a mix of whole grain flour and oats to add fiber, without weighing them down. They’re one of our favorite muffins to make for the whole family.
You can make them ahead and tuck them into the fridge or freezer and serve as a quick breakfast or snack throughout the week. We also love to pack them in kids lunches.
(You may also like my Berry Muffins and Berry Breakfast Cake.)
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Ingredients You Need
The ingredients in these muffins are very straightforward and include the following ingredients from the pantry and refrigerator.
- Whole wheat flour: This makes a hearty base for the muffins with fiber and complex carbs.
- Rolled oats: These are sometimes called “old-fashioned” oats at the store. I use them here to add a whole grain. (You can substitute all-purpose flour if you prefer.)
- Baking powder and baking soda: A mix of these leavening agents ensures that the muffins bake through and rise properly.
- Maple syrup: I use maple syrup as the sweetener in this recipe. You can use honey (for kids over age 1), too.
- Unsalted butter: You’ll melt the butter and let it cool slightly before adding to the batter. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt.
- Eggs: I bake and cook with large eggs, so that’s what I use here.
- Vanilla extract: You can use pure or artificial vanilla extract here according to your preference.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but low-fat would work, too. You can also use nondairy milk if you prefer.
- Strawberries: I show using fresh berries here, but you can use frozen ones too. Either way, the muffins will bake through best if the berries are finely chopped.
- Lemon zest: Fresh lemon zest adds fresh flavor to the muffins.
Ingredient Swaps
Use a cup-for-cup style of gluten-free flour in place of the wheat flour.
Trade in honey for the maple syrup.
Use vegetable oil or melted coconut oil in place of the butter.
Use nondairy milk if needed.
Add cinnamon instead of using the lemon (though the lemon is really great).
To use frozen strawberries, let the berries sit at room temp for a bit to soften, then cut into small pieces with kitchen scissors.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the easy process for making these muffins so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Stir together the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients.
- Add the lemon zest (I use a fine microplane).
- Stir batter together.
- Divide among a muffin pan.
- Bake and let cool.
TIP: Dice the berries up into small pieces so they are easy to bite into when eating the muffins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Here are the substitutes in case you have an intolerance or allergy in your house. Instead of the egg, use 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed and ¼ cup water. Use an unsweetened plain nondairy milk for cow’s milk. Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Yes and it’s simple to do too. Instead of the whole wheat flour, use this cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix. And use certified gluten-free oats.
Once cooled, you can store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve chilled or warmed slightly. Or, store in a zip top freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw one at a time for 15-30 seconds in the microwave or at room temp.
Yes, use ½ cup all-purpose flour instead and bake as directed.
Serving Suggestions
We often have these as a simple breakfast, snack, or even lunch component with a side of fruit. If I’m feeling fancy I may add some cheese or a smoothie. Really anything goes!
You can also top them with a little butter, almond butter, or cream cheese for additional flavor if you’d like.
What makes these muffins “healthy”?
Everyone uses that word to mean something different and there’s no one single definition. For me, I use it to signify that these include whole grains, less added sugar, and more fresh fruit than most other standard Strawberry Muffin recipes.
How to Store
Store fully cooled muffins for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm for 15 seconds to serve or serve at room temperature. You can also freeze for up to 6 months in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer. Try to remove as much air as possible before sealing to help prevent ice crystals from forming.
Thaw at room temperature, overnight in the fridge, or in 15-second increments in the fridge.
These are a really great muffin to make ahead and freeze or to share with a family in need through a Meal Train.
Best Tips for Success
- Dice the berries into small pieces to ensure the batter around them holds together well as they bake.
- If using frozen berries, let them thaw enough that you can separate them and cut them into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces with kitchen shears. Stir into the batter while still frozen.
- To make without oats, omit the oats and use ½ cup all-purpose flour instead.
- Use the fresh lemon to add bright flavor.
- Use a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffin to test for doneness. It should come out clean.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you make the recipe, so please comment below to share!
Healthy Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (or honey)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled or avocado or coconut oil)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup diced strawberries (stems removed)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir together.
- Add the milk, maple syrup, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, strawberries, and lemon zest, if using. Stir together gently to just combine.
- Evenly divide the batter among the muffin tin using about ¼ cup per cup.
- Bake 16-18 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, let cool for a minute or two in the pan, and transfer muffins to cool fully on a wire rack. (Use a paring knife around the edges if needed to help you remove them from the pan.) Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2018.
I don’t have lemons but I have lemon extract or lemon juice (from a bottle) … so you think I could use either of those as a substitute?
lemon juice from a bottle would work!
These muffins are a hit in our house! They are really delightful.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Sure, you may just want to cut them up with kitchen scissors though so the pieces aren’t too big
So good! We used one for one flour to make them gluten free per your recommendation and they came out great. Dense, moist, and easy to make. Thanks!
So excited to make these. Is the recipe for a large muffin or mini muffins or a standard cupcake tin? I’m interested in making them as mini muffins.
These are for 12 standard muffins. To make as minis, I think the baking time would be about 12 minutes or so.
These are delicious! But definitely should have read more of the comments first as they got stuck in the muffin papers! These are the second muffins from your site that my kids (3 and 1) have loved (just FYI the chocolate spinach ones didn’t stick in the muffin papers :-)) I substituted all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour, apple sauce for the oil/butter and coated the strawberries in a bit of the flour to keep them from sinking. The batter seemed pretty wet but they’re super moist and delicious!
Yes I don’t recommend using paper liners for most muffin as there is not always enough fat to help them come off easily, but I’m glad the other ones didn’t have that issue. I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
Thanks for this great recipe, Amy! I made these lovely muffins today and they turned out just great -even though I forgot to add the lemon zest!!- I am super happy as my three girls (including 18 month picky toddler who aet 2 muffins surprisingly 😂) loved it and enjoyed eating them so much! We will definitely make them again and again!
I’m so glad!
Hi what would your suggestion be to make these wheat-free. Also, just wanted to request, if easily possible for new recipes, can you please also add a note for modifying for wheat-free (just like you make for egg-free and dairy-free). I really want to try a lot of your recipes for my toddler daughter but she has a lot of allergies and i do not know how to modify the recipes to make them wheat-free. Thanks a lot.
I include “gluten-free” when I can in recipes in the Notes, which covers wheat-free. I recommend cup for cup gluten-free flour like the one from King Arthur Flour in this recipe.
Amy, actually, gluten and wheat aren’t mutually inclusive. You can have one without the other. Gluten is just one of the proteins that make up wheat. My daughter is also allergic to wheat but not gluten intolerant. I only learned these things after the allergist sent us the information about the allergy and many people don’t know it either.
Asha, I have found I can sub in wheat free flour for most recipes that have normal flour without too much trouble. I use Dove’s freee because that’s what I can get here in the UK but I think I used King Arthur when we were at my parent’s in the US. Hope that helps and good luck! I know how much of a challenge it is!
These were fun to make and the lemon zest is such a great tip! Love this recipe. Thank you!
Another delicious & easy muffin recipe, Amy! Whenever I need a satisfying & healthy muffin recipe, I go to your site and I am never disappointed. The bonus is, I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. But these muffins might be my favorite yet. The WW flour in this recipe adds such a nice nutty-ness that goes so well with the sweetness of the strawberries. It’s perfection!
Wow this is yummy! The sweetness is just perfect. I followed the recipe exactly. Do you have any thoughts on using greek yogurt here for extra protein? If so, what would the measurement be? Thanks !
I’m so glad! You could probably use yogurt in place of the milk. The final texture may be different and they may take a little longer to bake, so no guarantees that they’ll be exactly the same. Let me know if you try it!
I tried with Greek yogurt and would recommend sticking with milk. The yogurt ended up making them a little too thick and a little bland. Can’t wait to try it with milk!
This is my favorite of all your muffin recipes. The lemon makes it really great. I’ve made this so many times and always do extra lemon zest (basically don’t measure – just use a whole lemon’s worth of zest.
I’ve also made it with blueberries instead of strawberries and we can’t decide which option we like better!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I’m planning on trying these this weekend with raspberries. I’m sure they’ll be great!
Absolutely love these! I’ve made them a few times now. This last time I did half strawberries, half blueberries. My son loved them! (Me too)
I’m so glad!
I found your site over the weekend and it really helped me with my meal planning for this month. I baked these with my 2 year old this morning-strawberries are one of her favorites and we enjoyed these for breakfast. I’m excited to try again once our garden strawberries come on. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad and welcome! (And garden strawberries sound amazing!)