Easy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes recipe! Moist strawberry cupcakes made with freeze-dried strawberries, topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream and my easy strawberry crunch topping recipe! You can even make these strawberry crunch cupcakes with cake mix to save some time!
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And if you like these strawberry cupcakes, you'll love my French Strawberry Cake, my Peach Cherry Galette, and my White Forest Cake!
Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes Recipe
Today, I'm here to rave about a delightful treat that's sure to elevate your dessert game: Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes. These cupcakes are a delightful combination of moist, fluffy cake infused with the bright, fruity flavor of strawberries. But what really sets them apart is the crunchy topping that adds a delightful texture to every bite.
If you've ever had those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, you know how delicious that strawberry crunch crumble is! These cupcakes are made with my Strawberry Shortcake Crumble topping, much like my Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake.
They're perfect for a spring or summer treat, but since they're made with freeze-dried strawberries, they're just as delicious all year round! The perfect cupcake for Valentine's day, or any other special occasion!
Jump to:
- Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes Recipe
- What is strawberry crunch topping made of?
- Easy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes Ingredients
- Equipment
- How do you make Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes?
- Storage
- Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes with Cake Mix
- Strawberry Crunch Cake Variation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Top Tip
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is strawberry crunch topping made of?
The crunch topping on these delicious strawberry crunch cupcakes is so easy! It's a three-ingredient recipe that requires only Golden Oreo cookies (or any other type of vanilla sandwich cookies), freeze-dried strawberries, and melted butter! It's got all the flavor of those Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake bars, but it's so easy!
Check out the full recipe on my Strawberry Shortcake Crumble post, and you'll be ready to make these yummy strawberry cupcakes! And you'll also love my Valentine's Day Cake Pops!
Easy Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes Ingredients
I love that these fluffy strawberry cupcakes are made with simple ingredients, and no need for any food dyes! Let's take a look at what you'll need:
- freeze-dried strawberries - you'll want to put your freeze-dried strawberries in the blender or food processor to process them into a powder. And if you love strawberry desserts, you've got to try my Strawberry Blueberry Pie!
- eggs - you'll want your eggs to be at room temperature. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
- vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
- strawberry extract - adds a boost of strawberry flavor to these cupcakes! I've used McCormick strawberry extract in this recipe.
- granulated sugar - using granulated white sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness!
- vegetable oil - using oil instead of butter in this recipe helps give us the most moist result!
- sour cream - just like in my Lavender Lemon Cupcakes, using sour cream gives us a a very moist and tender crumb. Make sure your sour cream is at room temperature before you start your batter.
- cake flour - Measure your cake flour by weight with a kitchen scale to make sure you don't accidentally add too much.
- baking powder - acts as a leavening agent, helping the cupcakes rise evenly and achieve a fluffy texture.
- baking soda - helps the cupcake batter rise by interacting with the acidity in the sour cream, ensuring a light and airy texture.
- salt - brings out all these amazing flavors!
- red food coloring - this is optional (I didn't use any for the cupcakes pictured here), but it can add a brighter pink color to the cupcakes, enhancing their visual appeal and hinting at the strawberry flavor within.
- baking spray - If you use nonstick cupcake liners, you might not need any baking spray, but I like to use it just to make sure the cupcakes release cleanly.
Then, we're topping our homemade cupcakes with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting and a super easy strawberry crunch topping! Here's what you'll need for those:
- butter - I use unsalted butter in this buttercream frosting, but if you prefer salted butter, just omit the salt.
- powdered sugar - we'll use powdered sugar to provide the structure and sweetness for our frosting.
- heavy cream - to help get our buttercream to the perfect consistency!
- vanilla - adds a lovely flavor to this frosting recipe.
- salt - just pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
You'll need a 12-cup cupcake pan for these strawberry cupcakes, as well as cupcake liners and a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop out your batter.
I also recommend a rubber spatula for folding in the dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl. You may also want to have a wire rack to help the cake cool more quickly and allow for your glaze to drip off the sides cleanly.
Finally, you'll want a blender or a food processor to process the freeze-dried strawberries, and a piping bag and tips to add your frosting on top of the cupcakes!
How do you make Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes?
The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for making this easy strawberry crunch cupcakes recipe, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how to make them!
Whisk eggs and extracts in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and mix well.
Add in oil, followed by sour cream, mixing well after each.
Sift in dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add powdered freeze-dried strawberries and gently fold until mixture is just combined.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, about ⅔ of the way full, and bake!
Whip up frosting and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Immediately spoon strawberry crunch topping onto cupcakes, pressing it in if necessary to help it stick.
Hint: Don't let your frosted cupcakes sit for too long before adding the strawberry crunch topping -- it may make it harder for it to stick to the frosting!
Storage
You can store your strawberry cupcakes for up to four days in an airtight container like this cupcake carrier or my favorite domed cake stand! But the crunch topping has the best texture the first day.
You can also freeze these cupcakes in an airtight freezer-safe container, for up to two months.
Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes with Cake Mix
If you're short on time, you may be wondering if you can make these strawberry crunch cupcakes with cake mix! You sure can! Just follow the cupcake instructions for your favorite strawberry cake box mix, and then make the frosting and strawberry crunch topping as usual!
Strawberry Crunch Cake Variation
You can also use this same recipe to make a strawberry crunch cake! Just prepare the recipe as usual and bake it in an 8-inch round cake pan for 25-30 minutes. Or if you need a gluten free option, try my Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake!
Frequently Asked Questions
My secret for these strawberry cupcakes is using vegetable oil instead of butter. Just like in my mini vanilla cake, the oil keeps the cupcakes from drying out. Most cupcakes are made with butter as the primary fat, which adds flavor.
However, because butter is about 18% water, a lot of the moisture added to the batter when butter is used can evaporate during or after baking. Vegetable oil, by contrast, is 100% fat. That means that all of the richness and moisture provided by the oil remains in these strawberry crunch cupcakes well after they're baked and lasts for days. Try my Cinnamon Cupcakes for another moist cupcake recipe!
If you don't have cake flour, you can make a substitute to use for these strawberry crunch cupcakes! All you need is all-purpose flour and corn starch. Just measure out 1 ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and replace 2½ teaspoons of it with cornstarch. In grams, it'll be 137 grams of all-purpose flour sifted with 22 grams of cornstarch. As I mentioned above, it's best to measure by weight with a kitchen scale, but if you don't have one be sure to use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
Making your strawberry crunch cupcakes the day before you frost them can help you to ensure that they're fully cooled before frosting. It will also make sure that the frosting is nice and fresh.
I wouldn't recommend leaving your cupcakes in the muffin pan for more than a few minutes. The residual heat from the pan can further cook them, leading to a dry cupcake!
Top Tip
Don't forget to measure your flour by weight with a kitchen scale! It'll help ensure accurate measurements and prevent dry cupcakes!
Related
Looking for more recipes you can make with your muffin pan? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to serve with these strawberry cupcakes:
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Equipment you may need
- muffin pan
- cupcake scoops
- pastry bag and tips
Ingredients
- baking spray
- 1.2 oz bag freeze-dried strawberries - blended into a powder
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (10 ml) strawberry extract
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 ½ tablespoon (89 ml) vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup (153 g) sour cream - room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) cake flour
- 1.5 teaspoon (7 ml) baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
- 2-4 drops red food coloring - optional, to deepen the pink color
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting & Topping
- 1 cup (74 ml) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4 cups (540 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream - or milk
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- strawberry shortcake crumble
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan and spray with baking spray.baking spray
- Add freeze-dried strawberries to a blender or food processor and pulse until turned into a powder. Set aside.1.2 oz bag freeze-dried strawberries
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla extract, and strawberry extract until fluffy and light.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- Add in granulated sugar and whip until fluffy and well combined.1 cup granulated sugar
- Mix in vegetable oil and sour cream until smooth.6 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil, ⅔ cup sour cream
- Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add strawberry powder and fold together until just combined.1 ¼ cup cake flour, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon baking soda, 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- If you like, add a couple of drops of red food coloring to achieve your desired color.2-4 drops red food coloring
- Use a cupcake scoop or measuring cup to fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Drop onto counter a couple of times to eliminate air bubbles.
- Bake in preheated oven 18-20 minutes or until centers are springy to the touch and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Vanila Buttercream Frosting
- Using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter
- Gradually add powdered sugar while continuing to mix until combined.4 cups powdered sugar
- Mix in salt, vanilla and heavy cream until smooth, then beat an additional 1-2 minutes until consistency is smooth and fluffy.2 tablespoon heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread or pipe frosting over cooled cupcakes. Immediately sprinkle strawberry shortcake crumble over cupcakes.strawberry shortcake crumble
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Last Updated on February 18, 2025 by Chenée Lewis
Beth says
These are ah-mazing! I love the strawberry flavor and the rich frosting with that crunchy topping. Oh, they're good.
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so happy to hear that you liked them Beth! Thank you so much!
Ann says
I love the strawberry crunch ice cream bars, so looking forward to this cupcake version. Thanks!
Cathleen says
Wow, these cupcakes are perfect! My in-laws just flew in today, so I am going to surprise them with these beautiful treats. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
What a great idea! So glad you like them!
Tara says
These cupcakes look gorgeous! I especially love that strawberry shortcake crumble. Definitely perfect for summer.
Chenée Lewis says
Definitely! They're my favorite for summer!
Ashley says
Holy smokes, what a great recipe! These disappeared so quickly at the baby shower I hosted. Everyone loved them.
Chenée Lewis says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for giving them a try!
Kim says
I loved every single bite of these cupcakes! They were moist, flavorful, and that strawberry crumble topping was to die for!
Chenée Lewis says
The strawberry crumble topping is my favorite part!
Kim says
So moist and delicious, and that strawberry crunch topping reminds me of the ice cream bars I loved as a kid!
Chenée Lewis says
Me too! I love how nostalgic these cupcakes are!
Sandhya Hariharan says
These cupcakes were a hit! The crunchy topping adds a delightful twist to the sweet strawberries.
Chenée Lewis says
The crunchy topping is definitely my favorite part!
Ieva says
Thank you so much for the recipe. not only are they delicious, but I cannot believe how beautiful I managed to make them look. My nieces went crazy for them 🙂
Chenée Lewis says
That's great to hear! Thanks!
Paula says
These strawberry cupcakes were so moist and delicious! Loved the special added crunch on top too!
Chenée Lewis says
The crunch topping is my favorite part!
Gianne says
The cake was moist and the frosting was perfect. The crunchy topping added a great texture. I couldn't stop at just one, I had to have another!
Chenée Lewis says
That's usually the case with these cupcakes! 🙂
Ned says
I love strawberries and to have a cupcake with strawberry was perfection! Thank you so much!
Chenée Lewis says
I'm so glad you liked them! 🙂
Andrea says
These are totally drool worthy and will not last long in my house. Can't wait to make them. Yum!
Liz says
These cupcakes were so good! I made them for my son's class, and they were a hit. Thanks!
Chenée Lewis says
Yay!! So glad they were a hit!
Paula says
Such delicious cupcakes and loved the crunch!
Chenée Lewis says
Glad to hear it! Thanks!
Kim says
These were so easy to make, and that strawberry crumb topping was divine!
Chenée Lewis says
That's the best part! Thank you!