Danielle Sepsey’s Strawberry Corn Muffins with Whipped Strawberry Butter

Name: Danielle Sepsey’s Strawberry Corn Muffins with Whipped Strawberry Butter
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 7 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/4 c. cake flour (not self-rising); 3/4 c. fine cornmeal; 1/2 c. granulated sugar; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1 1/2 tsp. fine table salt; 1/4 c. canola or other vegetable oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1/4 c. buttermilk (whole milk also works here); 1 c. sour cream; 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted; butter, melted; 3 tbsp. honey (I prefer clover honey); 13 1/4 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (1 heaping cup), tossed with 1 Tbsp. flour to prevent sinking; FOR WHIPPED STRAWBERRY BUTTER:; 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/4 cup mashed strawberries, at room temperature (about 2); 3 tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy, plus more to taste; 1/4 tsp. fine table salt or sea salt

A nostalgic deli staple gets a bright, berry-packed upgrade.

By Kate MerkerPublished: May 31, 2026

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Danielle Sepsy's strawberry corn muffins

Food: Mike Garten. Sepsy: Scott Semler.

Yields:

7 serving(s)

Total Time:

2 hrs

Step into just about any Long Island deli and you’ll spot them right away—corn muffins stacked high, wrapped in plastic, glowing golden under the lights. For Danielle Sepsey, they’re more than a grab-and-go staple; they’re part of the backdrop of everyday life growing up. Add in summers spent berry picking—coming home with stained fingers and buckets of fruit—and this recipe starts to take shape.

Here, those two memories collide in the best way. The base is a classic corn muffin, tender and slightly crumbly, but folded with strawberries that burst as they bake, adding color, sweetness and a little surprise in every bite. Finished with whipped strawberry butter, they land somewhere between nostalgic comfort and something new—familiar enough to crave, but fresh enough to feel worth making again.

“Berry picking on Long Island was a big part of my childhood. Here, freshly picked strawberries are folded into corn muffins, giving a beloved bakery favorite juicy pops of sweetness. Plus, this treat pairs beautifully with whipped strawberry butter.”

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Ingredients

For muffins:

1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. fine table salt
1/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk (whole milk also works here)
1 cup sour cream
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted
butter, melted
3 Tbsp. honey (I prefer clover honey)
13 1/4 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (1 heaping cup), tossed with 1 Tbsp. flour to prevent sinking
FOR WHIPPED STRAWBERRY BUTTER:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup mashed strawberries, at room temperature (about 2)
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. fine table salt or sea salt

Directions

1. Make muffins: In large bowl, whisk together cake flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Create a well in the center and add oil, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, and sour cream. Whisk just until combined.
3. In separate bowl, whisk together melted butter and honey. Slowly pour this into the batter while whisking to ensure that it doesn’t separate. Whisk until just combined. Fold in diced strawberries until just incorporated.
4. Cover batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes so the dry ingredients can fully absorb the wet ingredients and the cornmeal can soften slightly.
5. Meanwhile, make whipped strawberry butter: Using electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light, fluffy, and pale in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add mashed strawberries, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat again on medium speed until fully combined and smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Taste and add more powdered sugar if desired. Transfer to serving dish or container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F (or 400°F on the convection setting). Line 7 cups of 2 jumbo muffin tins with paper liners.
8. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way.
9. Bake 5 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (or 325°F on convection setting) and bake until muffins are lightly golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. You don’t want to overbake these—you want them just set so they do not dry out.
10. Serve muffins cut in half with dollops of whipped strawberry butter.
Storage: Store muffins in a sealed container or wrapped in parchment paper and then aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes 7 jumbo muffins

Did you make this recipe? Comment below!

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