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 Lemon 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 for kids 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 for kindergarten.
(You may also like my Strawberry Cupcakes, Berry Muffins and Berry Breakfast Cake.)
Table of Contents
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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 toddler 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 use as a freezer meal 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.
My 3 year old LOVES these! I just made them for the first time. She’s always loved the Spinach Banana muffins but needed a little something new. These are perfect compliment to the Spinach ones.
Another winner my boys loved. They are 5 and 1 and gobbled them up. Delicious!
These are DIVINE! The lemon really kicks it up a notch. 💯 will make again!
I can attest, these came out perfectly. I didn’t even use lemon zest because I had none on hand. I didn’t find the muffins to be wet at all. The diced strawberries were also perfectly scattered throughout the muffin, none sinking to the bottom. If it helps, my fresh strawberries were a perfect ripeness just a few days before getting soft and really juicy, but not white at all. I also cautiously wrapped a paper towel around them before dropping them into the mix just in case the moisture could negatively impact the muffins. However, I barely did this and I doubt it made a difference. I’m assuming the small dicing of the strawberries is key. I also baked both mini and regular sized muffins at the same time for the same length of time (I didn’t see the specific timing difference for mini muffins until later). Regardless, they turned out delicious. Even without having kids, I’d make this recipe over and over again because I hate overly sweet baked goods. It’s truly just not necessary. These are perfectly balanced and I wouldn’t add any more or less sweetener. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Oh and the only substitutions I made were avocado oil (instead of canola oil or butter) and almond milk (instead of dairy milk). Hope this helps someone as I know how much I love reading through food blog comments for reassurance and/or substitution ideas!
Thank you for sharing! I was just looking through the comments specifically to see if I could swap in avocado oil!
I made these muffins this week as an easy breakfast and snack and they were delicious. I used gluten free flour and oats and non-dairy milk and they came out beautifully.
My 2 year old loves these! She has become so picky and I’ve been trying ways to get her to eat something more nutritious. I like that they aren’t overly sweet and you are right, the lemon zest is a must! I added a touch more vanilla because I always do. My only gripe about these is the wetness of the strawberries made them kind of fall apart when removing from the pan. Letting them cool completely helped with that and maybe next time I’ll just drop the berries on top so they don’t sink all the way to the bottom. I can see swapping out so many fruits in these and plan to make again and again! Thank you!
I’ve made a ton of recipes from your site and they’ve all turned out well except for this one. The batter was super runny, I had to keep adding cooking time, and then they stuck to the pan despite being well greased. I’m wondering if the maple syrup made it too runny. They also tasted pretty bland.
Hi- Is there any chance you missed the 1/4 cup of flour and only used 1 cup and not 1 1/4 cups? It’s really unusual that this batter would be runny with this list of ingredients. Did you use the lemon? (I just made these three times so I’m really familiar with the recipe and both of those results surprise me, but I appreciate the feedback.)
Hi Amy! I also had the same issue…but I used white flour, since it was all I had on hand. Could this be the problem?
Yes, it’s possible that you’d need to decrease the milk a little or add a little more flour if using all all-purpose flour
I did use the full amount of flour but it was still runny and they took forever to bake. I skipped the zest because I didn’t have lemons on hand but will try it next time. However, my 6-year-old still liked them so I will try them again and maybe just make sure the consistency is less runny by adding more flour next time! It could be the weight of the flour I’m using too because it’s not my usual brand and seems really light…
Dear Amy,
Thank you for another wonderful recipe!! These came out incredibly soft and delicious. Your recipes are always a hit in our family. Thank you so much for your time and creativity!
Do I have the option to add extra milk and omit honey for my daughter who’s under 1? Thanks!
Yes, I’d omit it and add 2 extra tbsp milk. I would try to make sure your berries taste good fresh and use the lemon to ensure they have nice flavor. I hope she enjoys them!
I don’t have whole wheat flour. Does that matter? Can I just use all purpose flour. And do you do that same measurement of lemon juice in place of lemon zest?
I think I’d add 2 additional tbsp ap flour if you do that type to make sure they are baked through in the same way. And sure, you can do 1 tbsp lemon juice instead of the zest.
We loved these! So delicious especially for a nursing mom and hungry toddler❤️❤️ We Used butter. Thanks Amy!
Very good! Followed the recipe exactly and they were delicious!
Keeper thanks – a winner
They turned out great! My 2 year old loves them.
These tasted super bland. It’s a shame because I had high expectations seeing as this recipe has so many positive reviews. I love the spinach muffins and spinach pancakes recipe from this blog. I used maple syrup, maybe using honey makes them tastier?
I’m sorry to hear that experience. I am not sure if honey versus maple syrup would make a huge difference. It may depend on the flavor in the berries?