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Fresh Strawberry Sourdough Muffins

Looking for a sweet and classic muffin recipe for strawberry season? These strawberry sourdough muffins are just the thing for a spring morning. With fresh strawberries and a lemon-sugar topping combined with a moist muffin base, they’re a delicious way to use sourdough discard.

Strawberry Sourdough Muffins

The perfect sourdough discard recipe for spring and summer, these are moist muffins with lots of fresh fruit flavor.
Print Recipe
Muffins in a tin, topped with sugar, with a red and white checkered cloth and fresh strawberries nearby.
Prep Time:20 minutes
Bake:20 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes

Ingredients

Muffin Batter

  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil (can be substituted with melted butter)
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • ½ cup discard sourdough starter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 lemon (juice)
  • 1 ¼ cup diced strawberries

Lemon Sugar Topping

  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the center. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Mix dry Ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
    Mixing bowl with dry ingredients and a wooden spatula, with fresh strawberries on the side.
  • Mix and add wet ingredients. Combine the vegetable oil, milk, egg, and sourdough starter in a separate mixing bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. (the batter will be thick!)
    Two images side by side: one showing wet ingredients being added to dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, the other showing the mixed batter.
  • Add berries and lemon. Add the diced strawberries and lemon juice and zest and gently stir until mixed in.
    Two images side by side: one showing diced strawberries and lemon zest being added to the batter, the other showing the batter mixed with strawberries.
  • Scoop batter into muffin tin. Fill the muffin tin with batter about ⅔ of the way to the top.
    Muffin tin filled with batter, ready to be baked, with a red and white checkered cloth and fresh strawberries nearby.
  • Make the topping. Mix the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Equally distribute the topping on top of the muffin batter.
    Mixing bowl with lemon sugar topping and a spoon, next to a muffin tin filled with batter.
  • Add lemon sugar. Equally distribute the topping on top of the muffin batter.
    Two images side by side: one showing muffin batter in a tin topped with lemon sugar before baking, the other showing the muffins after baking
  • Bake. Bake in preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Finished muffins will have golden tops. Remove from oven and allow them to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Muffins will stay fresh two days at room temperature or can be frozen up to one month.

Notes

If you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can use 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or buttermilk instead.
You can use any type of berries you like in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 2473kcal | Carbohydrates: 422g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 44g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 2102mg | Potassium: 736mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 264g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 171mg | Calcium: 642mg | Iron: 10mg
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 2473kcal
Author: Katie

These are a favorite to a spring breakfast that we can pop in the freezer and eat on a busy morning. They do just fine with frozen fruit, but there’s something about saving them for strawberry season.

A muffin tin filled with freshly baked muffins, topped with sugar, with fresh strawberries and a red and white checkered cloth in the background.

My kids love them as a snack but I usually have one with a giant cup of coffee.

Muffin Tips

  • Fresh berries add the best flavor and texture. But if you’re using frozen, thaw them first and drain off any extra liquid.
  • When adding the strawberries, fold them in gently so the batter doesn’t turn pink
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tin evenly so they’re all the same size.

Key Ingredients and Tools

Sourdough Starter. This adds a unique tangy flavor and helps the muffins rise. Best of all, helps you avoid food waste. If you’ve stumbled onto this recipe and don’t have sourdough starter, plain Greek yogurt will work too. (Or try my strawberry white chocolate muffins, perfect for even non-sourdough people.)

Fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, or even mixed berries work great in this recipe. Just make sure to keep the total amount of berries the same.

Lemon Zest. Fresh lemon zest is key here. Adds so much brightness.

Vegetable Oil. I’ve always through vegetable oil makes the moistest muffins, but if you don’t like to bake with it, melted butter is fine.

Muffin Tin with Paper Liners. Paper liners make it easy to remove the muffins and keep them from sticking. They also make cleanup a breeze.

Storing Leftover Muffins

Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.

These muffins freeze well. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to one month. When you’re ready to eat, thaw them at room temperature or warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.

Sourdough Muffins for All Seasons:

I hope you enjoy making and eating these as much as my family does. Remember, you can customize them with your favorite berries and keep them fresh or freeze them for later. Happy baking!

Three muffins on a plate with a floral design, topped with sugar, with strawberries in the background.
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By Katie Shaw

Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

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