Greek Yogurt Strawberry Muffins

These Greek yogurt strawberry muffins are light, fluffy, and full of strawberry flavor. Thanks to the addition of a reduced strawberry puree AND diced strawberries, these muffins are fully saturated with delicious sweet strawberry goodness.

And the best part is that by using Greek yogurt we were able to cut back on the oil content and keep these muffins lighter than air. We also threw in some whole wheat flour and replaced cane sugar with maple syrup to make these muffins a little more wholesome. All without sacrificing texture or flavor.😉👌

Ingredients

• Strawberries – you’ll need about 2 lbs of strawberries between the reduced strawberry puree, mix-ins, and toppings. Look for ripe, plump, firm, ruby red strawberries as they’ll be the most flavorful.
• Flour – this recipe uses half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour. Going fully whole wheat made for a tougher texture and less moist muffins, so we opted for a half-and-half balance. You can also use all-purpose flour only.
• Greek yogurt – whole milk or reduced fat Greek yogurt both work, but we prefer the whole milk variety for extra moistness and richness.
• Pure maple syrup – we love using pure maple syrup in baking. It’s a natural sweetener that’s lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar.
• Canola oil – thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt, this recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of oil. You can swap in your favorite neutral oil. Almond oil is also an extra delicious substitute that adds in a nutty flavor.
• Eggs – binding agent, helps with rising, and adds richness.
• Baking powder – for the coveted muffin top lift.
• Cinnamon – for a hint of sweetness.
• Salt – to help bring out all the yummy flavors in these muffins.
• Vanilla extract – for a touch of sweet vanilla flavor.
• Sugar – for sprinkling on the top of the muffin tops, if desired.

Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Muffins

• Use fresh, ruby red strawberries – for the best results use fresh, ripe, deep red strawberries over frozen strawberries.
• Toss strawberries with flour – Toss the strawberries with 2 teaspoons of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin tins.
• Don’t overmix the batter – if you mix the batter too much you’ll likely get denser, tougher muffins because overmixing destroys the air bubbles needed for light and fluffy muffins.
• Use muffin liners – muffin liners (or cooking spray in muffin tins) helps prevent the muffins from sticking to the sides and bottoms. We love using tin foil liners.
• Don’t rely on time when baking – all ovens cook a little differently, so keep an eye on your muffins. They will be done when they are golden brown on the tops and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it, but not batter.

Why Put Greek Yogurt in Muffins

• Keeps muffins moist
• Adds protein and calcium
• Keeps muffin texture light and fluffy
• Cuts back on oil/butter needed, which reduces the total fat content
• Adds slightly tangy flavor to balance the sweetness

How to Make Strawberry Muffins

We put a twist on traditional strawberry muffins by adding in an extra layer of strawberry goodness with a reduced strawberry puree. We first learned about this technique from Sally’s Baking Addiction in her recipe for strawberry cake. The strawberry puree is cooked down into a thick, highly concentrated paste that packs in a ton of strawberry flavor without adding too much extra moisture. It’s genius!

We highly recommend making the reduced strawberry puree in advance (the night before), so that it can completely cool and thicken before you mix it into the batter.

Reduced Strawberry Puree

Wash and hull 1 pound of strawberries. Puree the strawberries in a food processor (it will yield about 1 cup of puree).

Simmer the strawberries over medium low heat until reduced to about ½ cup of puree. This will take around 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of pan used and how juicy the strawberries are. You may also end up with a little more or a little less than ½ cup. This recipe only calls for ½ cup, so if you end up with extra only use ½ cup.

Allow the reduced puree to cool completely before using in the muffins. We recommend making the puree the day before to allow it to fully cool and to cut down on prep time.

Strawberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Prepare 12 muffin tins with liners.

Hull and dice the strawberries. Toss the strawberries with 2 teaspoons of flour (this will prevent sinking). Set aside ½ cup for the topping.

Combine the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, strawberry puree, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated (there can be a few streaks of flour). Fold in 1½ cups of strawberries.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling nearly to the top. Distribute the remaining ½ cup of strawberries on the tops of the muffins. Sprinkle the centers with sugar, if desired. Avoid the edges to prevent sticking.

Bake the muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden. Allow the muffins to cool inside the muffin tins on a cooling rack 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin. Enjoy!

How to Store Muffins

No matter what method of storage you choose to use, allow the muffins to cool completely before storing.

• Room temperature – Line the bottom of an airtight container with paper towels and add the muffins to the container in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel over the top of the muffins and seal. These muffins can be stored at room temperature up to 4 days.
• Refrigerator – Line the bottom of an airtight container with paper towels and add the muffins to the container in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel over the top of the muffins and seal. These muffins can be refrigerated up to 1 week. *please note that refrigerating these muffins will remove moisture and will eventually result in drier muffins than when storing at room temperature.
• Freezer – remove the muffins from their liners. For optimum freshness, individually wrap each muffin with plastic wrap, then place the muffins in a freezer Ziploc bag. Squeeze as much excess air out that you can from the bag before sealing. These muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Thaw – to thaw frozen muffins, pop them into the microwave (with liner removed) and warm for 30 seconds-1 minute, or until warmed throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I use frozen strawberries – we don’t recommend using frozen strawberries for the muffin batter, as they will add extra moisture to the muffins and are likely to fall apart when mixed into the batter. It IS okay to use frozen strawberries for the puree. Frozen berries will have more moisture so be prepared to cook your puree for longer.
2. When is strawberry season – in the US, strawberry season runs from January to November. Using in season fresh strawberries will result in the most flavorful muffins.
3. What can I add to muffins to keep them moist – Greek yogurt, buttermilk, and oil help keep muffins moist. Hence why we’re making these with both Greek yogurt and a splash of oil.
4. What is the secret to fluffy muffins – don’t overmix the batter! When combining the wet and dry ingredients, just combine until incorporated (it’s okay to see a few streaks of flour). Also, we recommend mixing by hand, not using a stand mixer. This will allow for nice air pockets to form in the batter, which results in light and fluffy muffins.
5. How do I know when muffins are done – if you stick a toothpick into the center, it will come out clean with a few moist crumbs on it but no batter when the muffins are done. Also, look for nice lightly golden brown tops for these muffins.
6. How do I store muffins – allow the muffins to cool completely. Line the bottom of an airtight container with paper towels and add the muffins to the container in a single layer. Place another layer of paper towel over the top of the muffins and seal. These muffins can stay at room temperature up to 4 days. Alternately, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
7. How long do muffins last – these muffins last up to 4 days at room temperature, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Check out our other muffin recipes

• Healthy apple cobbler muffins
• Healthy pumpkin muffins
• Chocolate banana muffins
• Easy apple muffins
• Healthy cranberry orange muffins

Let us know what you think about this recipe for Greek yogurt strawberry muffins by dropping a comment and/or rating on the recipe card below. Also please consider sharing to social media/Pinterest if you enjoyed this recipe. We greatly appreciate it! 💕