Strawberry Sourdough Muffins (Printable)

Tender, tangy muffins with fresh strawberries and a buttery crumb topping, perfect for breakfast or snacks.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Muffins

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup sourdough starter, unfed or discard
07 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/2 cup whole milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries, diced

→ Crumb Topping

12 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease each cup thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, oil or melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent dense muffins.
05 - Gently fold the diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula, distributing them evenly throughout.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately 3/4 full.
07 - In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold diced butter using a fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
08 - Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over each filled muffin cup, pressing gently to adhere.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with minimal crumbs.
10 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • That sourdough tang makes everyone ask what your secret ingredient is, and you get to smile mysteriously while you sip your coffee.
  • Fresh strawberries burst in your mouth while the crumb topping delivers an addictive crunch that somehow gets better as the muffin cools.
  • One batch disappears faster than you can wrap them, which is either a compliment or a sign you should double the recipe next time.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the quickest way to ruin these; it develops gluten and turns your tender muffins into dense hockey pucks, something I learned the hard way on my second batch.
  • If your strawberries are particularly juicy, pat them dry with a paper towel before folding them in—excess moisture creates soggy bottoms that never fully crisp up even with the crumb topping.
  • The sourdough starter's strength varies depending on how active your culture is; if your muffins taste too tangy, try using fed starter next time instead of discard.
03 -
  • Room-temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the wet ingredients and create a finer crumb structure than cold eggs pulled straight from the fridge.
  • If you don't have sourdough starter on hand, you can substitute with a mixture of plain yogurt and flour, though the tang won't be as pronounced and that's honestly the whole point here.
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