Capture the delightful taste of strawberry shortcake in a wholesome, single-serving muffin! This recipe is the perfect way to celebrate fresh, ripe strawberries. With a tender, moist crumb and bursting with juicy strawberry pieces, these muffins are a family-friendly treat. Best of all, they are entirely gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and Paleo-compliant.
There’s nothing quite like the flavor of a perfectly ripe strawberry, and baking them into a soft, grain-free muffin is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them. This recipe uses a blend of cassava and coconut flour, is naturally sweetened with honey, and gets a bright flavor boost from a hint of lemon. They are incredible on their own but are taken to the next level with a simple dollop of creamy coconut cream, truly embodying the “shortcake” experience.
What Makes These Muffins Special?
- Made with Wholesome Ingredients: This recipe adheres to Paleo principles by using real, unprocessed foods.
- Completely Grain-Free: A thoughtful blend of cassava and coconut flour creates a perfect texture without any gluten or grains.
- Allergy-Friendly: This recipe is entirely nut-free, making it a safe and delicious option for schools and shared gatherings.
- Dairy-Free and Delicious: Uses coconut yogurt for incredible moisture and a slight tang, with no milk or butter required.
- Naturally Sweetened: Lightly sweetened with raw honey, which allows the natural sweetness of the fresh strawberries to shine through.
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
These healthy strawberry muffins come together with a simple list of whole-food ingredients.
- Grain-Free Flour Blend: We use a combination of cassava flour and coconut flour. Cassava provides a great base, while the coconut flour adds a bit of softness and ensures the muffins stay moist without becoming gummy.
- Leavening Agents: A mix of baking powder and baking soda gives these muffins the perfect lift.
- For Moisture & Richness: Eggs provide essential structure (an egg substitute has not been tested), while a dairy-free yogurt (like coconut yogurt) makes the crumb incredibly tender.
- For Flavor & Sweetness: Honey is our natural sweetener of choice, as its flavor pairs beautifully with strawberries, though maple syrup could also be used. A touch of lemon juice and lemon zest brightens the berries’ flavor, and vanilla extract adds warmth.
- The Star of the Show: Chopped fresh strawberries are folded into the batter, creating juicy pockets of flavor in every bite.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Muffins
The process is simple and requires just one bowl, making cleanup a breeze. In under 40 minutes, you’ll have a fresh batch of warm muffins ready to enjoy!
- Prepare Oven and Pan: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard muffin tin with 11-12 paper or silicone liners.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the yogurt, eggs, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until the batter is smooth and well-combined.
- Fold in Strawberries: Using a spatula, gently fold the chopped fresh strawberries into the batter until they are evenly distributed.
- Fill and Bake: Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners, filling each one about three-quarters of the way to the top.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. The muffins are done when the tops are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
- Cool: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage Instructions
Due to the high moisture content from the fresh strawberries and yogurt, these muffins are best stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in a sealed, airtight container for up to one week.
Serving Suggestions: The “Shortcake” Experience
While delicious on their own, these muffins truly shine with a creamy topping, reminiscent of classic strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.
For a simple and elegant paleo topping, whip the thick cream from the top of a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk until it’s smooth. You can add a splash of vanilla or a tiny bit of maple syrup for extra flavor if you wish. Place a dollop on each cooled muffin and garnish with a fresh strawberry slice.
Other Delicious Topping Ideas:
- A drizzle of honey or maple syrup
- Your favorite seed or coconut butter
- Homemade fruit jam or jelly
- A spread of dairy-free cream cheese
Strawberry Shortcake Muffins (Gluten Free, Paleo)
These strawberry shortcake muffins are made with grain free flours, sweetened with honey and loaded with fresh strawberries. They’re gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 11 muffins
Ingredients
1 cup cassava flour, spooned & leveled (136g)
2 Tbsp coconut flour (14g)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup yogurt (I used coconut yogurt)
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped strawberries (160g)
optional: coconut cream for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 11 muffin liners (paper or silicone liners will work) and set aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together cassava flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add in yogurt, eggs, honey, lemon juice and zest and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Fold the chopped strawberries into batter.
Scoop batter into a the lined muffin pan, filling each slot nearly to the top, making 11 muffins.
Place muffins in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.
Remove muffins from the oven and cool a couple minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled to room temperature, you may top them with coconut cream and decorate as desired.
Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Enjoy within one week.
Notes
For best results, measure ingredients by weight (when given)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
