Strawberry Lemon Pancake Muffins Recipe for Fluffy Breakfast Bites

Fresh and playful, these Strawberry Lemon Pancake Muffins take classic pancake batter and bake it in muffin form. The tender, pancake-like batter is dotted with bright strawberries and fragrant lemon zest. Serve warm with a pat of butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup for a breakfast that’s light, fluffy and full of flavor.

Pancake muffins are a family favorite.

This idea began with a cinnamon-sugar variation and evolved into these strawberry-lemon muffins. I combined a pancake-like muffin batter with strawberries and fresh lemon zest for a bright, cheerful breakfast muffin. They’re an easy way to wake up the morning and are simple to pull together.

To Make These Strawberry Lemon Pancake Muffins You Will Need:

• unbleached all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• one lemon, zested
• baking powder
• baking soda
• kosher salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sliced strawberries (fresh or dehydrated)

I tend to avoid buying strawberries in winter, but dried strawberries purchased in summer work great when fresh berries are out of season. They keep their color after baking and add a pleasant concentrated strawberry flavor. If you have fresh strawberries, use those instead — both work well.

Begin by measuring 1 cup of flour and adding 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk together to combine.

Grate the zest from a whole lemon into the dry ingredients and whisk again. Lemon zest adds a bright, fresh aroma and flavor.

In a separate bowl, pour 2/3 cup whole milk.

Add 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the milk. Whisk thoroughly to combine.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined.

Fold in 3/4 cup sliced strawberries. Be careful not to over-mix — a few lumps in the batter are fine and will keep the muffins tender.

Stir until just combined.

Scoop about 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Divide the batter among six muffin slots in a greased 12-cup muffin tin and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and carefully remove them. Serve warm with butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

This recipe yields six muffins.

Perfect for a small family or to enjoy over a couple of mornings. They freeze well, too—wrap cooled muffins individually and thaw or warm in the oven when ready to eat.

Enjoy! If you try this strawberry lemon pancake muffins recipe, share a photo — these are bright, simple muffins that make mornings more fun.