The fluffiest, softest, moistest muffins filled with juicy strawberries – what better way to celebrate summer!! Bake some with your kids this summer break and enjoy them as a dessert, snack or even breakfast treat.

We love summer! Is there anyone who doesn’t? Summer vacation, road trips, beach days, picnics, and loads of summer foods! What’s not to love, right?

The best part about summer are the juicy, fresh berries that appear in the store prompting me to use them up in every meal. Strawberries are our favorite and there are literally a ton of ways that you can use them. You can bake with them, make ice cream and other frozen treats, throw them in salads, and more.

We love to bake at our house and I particularly like to bake with fresh fruits like strawberries. My soon-to-be second grader is on his summer break right now and one of our favorite activities to do together is baking. Muffins are the best introductory recipe for kids. You simply dump the ingredients in a large bowl, whisk together, and bake. No need to bust out the stand mixer or even a hand-held beater. Baking is also a great way to brush up on your kids’ math and reading skills. And, needless to say, the results are pretty sweet!

In our opinion, muffins are a food group of their own. They can either be dessert, a quick snack or even a yummy breakfast treat, all depending on when you eat them. So, it’s always good to have a fool-proof muffin recipe in your baking arsenal. So, stock up your pantry with some baking essentials from Target this summer and get bake yourself these delicious, fluffy strawberry muffins.

Here’s how you make these Strawberry Muffins.

Ingredients: (Makes 12 muffins)

• All-purpose flour – 1 1/2 cups
• Baking soda – 1 tsp
• Salt – a pinch
• Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Egg – 1, large
• Coconut oil – 1/3 cup, melted
• Milk – 1/3 – 1/2 cup
• Vanilla extract – 1/4 tsp
• Fresh Strawberries – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Red gel food color – 2-3 drops, optional
• Demerara or coarse sugar – 2 tbsp, for sprinkling on top (optional)

Kitchen helpers you need:

• Muffin/cupcake pan
• Paper baking cups/liners
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Large whisk

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 deg.F and prepare a muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk.
3. Break an egg into a measuring cup, add the vegetable oil, and whisk well. Add milk to come up to the 1-cup mark. (You will need somewhere between ⅓ to ½ cup of milk).
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk till just combined. Using a light hand, gently stir in the chopped strawberries and food color (if using), reserving a few strawberry pieces to scatter on top of the muffins.
5. Divide the batter in the lined pan. Top each muffin with a slice of strawberry and sprinkle some coarse sugar.
6. Bake for 17-20 minutes or till the muffins pass the toothpick test and their tops are golden and slightly cracked.
7. Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes:

1. You can follow the same recipe to use other berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

I hope you enjoyed this easy recipe for summer strawberry muffins. Do make it when you have a sudden dessert craving or just to surprise your loved ones! And have fun this summer!!

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