Name: Strawberry Muffins with Ginger Crumb Topping
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 48 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoon baking powder (double acting); ½ teaspoon baking soda; ⅔ cup granulated sugar; ¼ teaspoon salt; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled); 1 cup buttermilk; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries; ⅓ cup chopped candied ginger (optional); ⅓ cup all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled and cubed); 1½ tablespoon granulated sugar; 1½ teaspoon ground ginger

These strawberry muffins with a ginger crumb topping are quick and simple to make. The strawberry and ginger pair perfectly together making for a truly unique gourmet muffin. They're also a perfect make-ahead breakfast idea.

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Strawberry muffins with ginger crumb topping on a blue plate with sliced strawberries

These strawberry muffins with ginger crumb topping are really something special. They are every bit as fancy as bakery muffins without the extra cost.

Strawberry muffins alone would be very nice, but the addition of ginger gives them a unique flavor that just works. Like our maple bacon muffins, some flavor combinations are meant to be together. Also, like our peach muffins, they are a great summer muffin, taking advantage of fresh strawberries. If strawberries are out of season, frozen strawberries will work great as well.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Delicious Flavor Combination. The combination of fresh strawberries and candied ginger creates a delightful flavor profile that is both sweet and slightly spicy, adding a unique twist to classic muffins.
Easy Preparation. The muffin batter comes together easily with a simple mix of wet and dry ingredients. The crumb topping is also quick to prepare, making this recipe accessible for all levels of bakers.
Freezable. If you make a large batch, these muffins can be frozen for later enjoyment. Simply thaw and reheat for a quick and delicious treat.
Moist and Tender Texture. The addition of buttermilk, melted butter, and egg contributes to a moist and tender texture in the muffins, making each bite satisfyingly soft.
Great for Special Occasions. These muffins are suitable for special occasions, brunches, or as a homemade treat to share with family and friends.

Ingredients

Muffins

All-purpose flour (2 cups).
Baking powder double acting (1½ teaspoon). This is needed to react with the buttermilk. This chemical reaction helps the muffins to rise.
Baking soda (½ teaspoon).
Granulated sugar (⅔ cup).
Salt (¼ teaspoon). To bring out the natural flavors. Omit this if substituting salted butter.
Unsalted butter (6 tablespoons). Melted and cooled. This is about 3/4 of a stick. You can substitute salted butter. If you do, you will need to omit the salt.
Buttermilk (1 cup). This works with baking soda to help the muffins to rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk.
Large egg (1). To make an eggless version of this recipe, substitute 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt for the egg. This recipe for eggless blueberry muffins contains Greek yogurt instead of an egg, and they turned out fantastic!
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).
Chopped fresh strawberries (1 cup).
Chopped candied ginger (⅓ cup). This ingredient is optional. You will be adding ground ginger to the crumb topping, so you can omit it here if you prefer less ginger.

Chopped butter on a cutting board — For the crumb topping, butter should be well-chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Crumb Topping

All-purpose flour (⅓ cup).
Unsalted butter (2 tablespoons). Chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Granulated sugar (1½ tablespoon).
Ground ginger (1½ teaspoon).

Instructions

Muffins

Step 1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 6-cup jumbo or 12-cup regular muffin pan. Set aside.

Dry ingredients in a glass bowl with a whisk — **Step 2.** In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

Wet ingredients in a glass bowl with a whisk — **Step 3.** In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract.

Dry and wet ingredients combined in a glass bowl with a red spatula — **Step 4.** Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Chopped strawberries, candied ginger and muffin batter in a glass bowl with a red spatula — **Step 5.** Fold in the strawberries and candied ginger (if using).

Overhead view of strawberry muffin batter in a muffin tin — **Step 6.** Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing evenly. Set aside and prepare crumb topping.

Crumb Topping

Flour and chopped butter in a glass bowl — **Step 1.** In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour.

Flour and butter in a glass bowl with a pastry cutter — Use a pastry cutter or the back of a fork to blend together.

Flour and butter crumbles in a glass bowl — Blend until the mixture holds together when pinched and resembles a course meal.

Sugar and ground ginger in a glass bowl with flour and butter crumbles — **Step 2.** Stir in the sugar and ground ginger.

Ginger crumb topping mixture in a glass bowl — Mix until sugar and ginger are well distributed and mixture resembles crumbs.

Muffins with Crumb Topping

Crumb topping being spooned on muffin batter in a muffin tin — **Step 1.** Top each batter-filled well with about 1 tablespoon of crumb topping for jumbo muffins or 1½ teaspoon for regular muffins.

Overhead view of strawberry muffin batter with crumb topping in a muffin tin — Distribute evenly.

Step 2. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffin comes out clean and crumb topping is lightly browned.

Storage Instructions

Once the muffins are completely cooled:

Short-Term Storage (1-2 Days). Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.
Long-Term Storage (Beyond 2 Days). For longer storage, it’s recommended to freeze the muffins. Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag.
Freezing Individual Muffins. If you want the flexibility to thaw and enjoy one muffin at a time, freeze them individually. Once individually wrapped, place them in a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.
Thawing Frozen Muffins. To thaw frozen muffins, simply remove them from the freezer and let them come to room temperature. Alternatively, you can reheat them in the microwave for a quick warm-up.
Avoid Refrigeration. Avoid refrigerating the muffins, as refrigeration can lead to moisture absorption and affect the texture.
Protect from Freezer Odors. When storing in the freezer, ensure the muffins are well-sealed to prevent them from absorbing any freezer odors.

Half of a strawberry muffin on a blue plate with honey being drizzled on top with a honey wand

Tips for Success

Use Fresh Ingredients. Choose fresh strawberries and quality candied ginger for the best flavor.
Properly Measure Ingredients. Use precise measurements, especially for dry ingredients like flour and sugar. Use a liquid measuring cup for liquids and dry measuring cups for dry ingredients. Spoon flour into the dry measuring cup and level off with a butter knife to prevent inadvertently adding too much flour.
Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature. Allow ingredients like buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter to come to room temperature before mixing. This helps to promote a smoother batter.
Sift Dry Ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients together to remove lumps and promote even distribution of leavening agents.
Do Not Overmix the Batter. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins. A few lumps in the batter are okay.
Fold in Ingredients Gently. When adding the strawberries and candied ginger to the batter, fold them in gently. This helps distribute them evenly without overworking the batter.
Prepare Muffin Pan Correctly. Grease and flour the muffin pan thoroughly to prevent sticking. Consider using paper liners for easy removal.
Preheat the Oven. Make sure that the oven is fully preheated to the specified temperature before placing the muffins inside. This helps achieve consistent baking.
Test for Doneness. Perform a toothpick test to check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the muffins are ready.
Evenly Distribute Batter. Divide the muffin batter evenly among the cups to ensure uniform size and baking. This helps all the muffins bake at the same rate.
Prepare Crumb Topping Consistently. Blend the crumb topping ingredients until they resemble a coarse meal. The consistency should allow it to hold together when pinched.
Top Muffins Evenly. Distribute the crumb topping evenly over the muffins. This helps to make sure that each muffin has its share of the delicious topping.
Adjust Baking Time if Needed. Keep an eye on the muffins as they bake. Depending on your oven, the actual baking time may vary slightly. Adjust accordingly to prevent overbaking.
Allow Muffins to Cool. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This prevents them from becoming too fragile when still warm.
Store Properly. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, freeze the muffins and thaw as needed.

FAQs

Definitely. You should have enough batter for 9×5-inch loaf. Layer the batter and toppings as instructed. However, you will need to lower your oven temperature to 350° (176°C) and bake for a longer period of time. You can start with 45 minutes and increase baking time as necessary. The loaf is done with a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
If you love quick bread loaves, don’t forget to check out our Maple Syrup Bread and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bread. They are equally tasty!

Yes, you can use frozen strawberries, but ensure they are thawed and well-drained before incorporating them into the batter. Excess moisture from frozen strawberries can affect the muffin texture.

Absolutely. The candied ginger is optional. If you don’t have it or prefer a milder flavor, you can omit it without compromising the overall deliciousness of the muffins.

Yes, you can reheat frozen muffins by allowing them to come to room temperature or quickly reheating in the microwave for a warm and delicious treat.

Absolutely. Feel free to experiment with different fruits based on your preferences. Blueberries, raspberries, or a mix of berries could be delightful alternatives.

Overhead view of strawberry muffins on a dark background with strawberries and candied ginger

Related Recipes

Love these delicious strawberry muffins with ginger crumb topping? We have even more delicious muffin recipes for you to enjoy.

Don’t forget to check out all of our baked breakfast recipes, like scones, granola, breakfast cookies, oat bars, quick bread and more!

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Prep Time:8

Cook Time:40

Total Time:48

Equipment

Large bowl

Medium bowl

Small bowl

6-cup jumbo muffin pan

12-cup regular muffin pan

Ingredients

Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder double acting
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅔ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
⅓ cup chopped candied ginger optional

Crumb Topping

⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cubed
1½ tablespoon granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon ground ginger

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Muffins

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease and flour a 6-cup jumbo or 12-cup regular muffin pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fold in the strawberries and candied ginger (if using).
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing evenly. Set aside and prepare crumb topping.

Crumb Topping

In a small bowl, combine the butter and flour. Use a pastry cutter or the back of a fork to blend together until the mixture holds together when pinched and resembles a course meal.
Stir in the sugar and ground ginger.

Muffins with Crumb Topping

Top each batter-filled well with about 1 tablespoon of crumb topping for jumbo muffins or 1½ teaspoon for regular muffins. Distribute evenly.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffin comes out clean and crumb topping is lightly browned.

Notes

Notes:

Nutrition information is for 1 jumbo muffin. This recipe will also make 12 regular size muffins.

To make ahead and freeze: Wrap muffins tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in a heavy-duty freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. For a quick breakfast, reheat in the microwave on high setting.