Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes

These strawberry crunch cupcakes are basically summertime in cupcake form-light, fluffy strawberry cake, tangy cream cheese frosting, and that nostalgic crunchy topping you can't help but love. Every bite is sweet, creamy, and just a little bit crunchy… kind of like those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, but way cuter and homemade.

Jump to:

• 🤔 Who invented strawberry crunch?
• 🧾 Ingredients
• ⭐ Ingredient Notes
• 🥄 Strawberry purée
• 🥣 How to make strawberry crunch cupcakes
• 🧁 Making the cream cheese frosting
• 🍓 Strawberry crunch topping
• 💫 Mix-ins and variations
• 🧺 Storage
• ❓ FAQ
• 📝 Recipe

The cupcakes are so soft, fluffy, and full of real strawberry flavor thanks to fresh strawberry purée. They're easy enough to whip up on a weekday, but cute enough to steal the show at birthdays, baby showers, or any "just because" bake.

And that cream cheese frosting...smooth, tangy, and totally addictive. It's the kind you "accidentally" taste-test three times before it even makes it to the top of the cupcakes.

Finally, the strawberry crunch topping is where that nostalgia kicks in-Golden Oreos, melted butter, and strawberry Jell-O powder make every bite sweet, buttery, and a little bit crunchy.

If you're in the mood for more sweet nostalgia, you might also love my Cannoli Bites for bite-sized fun, 3-Ingredient Homemade Peanut Butter Cups for easy chocolate cravings, or my Chocolate Mug Cake when you need dessert right now.

🤔 Who invented strawberry crunch?

The Good Humor company, the geniuses behind the original ice cream on a stick, came up with their famous strawberry crunch topping back in the 1960's for their Strawberry Shortcake Bar. Ever since, that sweet, crumbly coating has been showing up in all kinds of desserts… and honestly, I'm more than happy to keep the tradition going...

🧾 Ingredients

Strawberry Cupcakes

• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil
• All purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Milk
• Strawberries

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream cheese
• Unsalted butter
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

Strawberry Crunch Topping

• Golden Oreos
• Unsalted butter
• Strawberry Jell-O powder

⭐ Ingredient Notes

• Puréed strawberries - Fresh or frozen both work! If using frozen, just make sure you thaw them first so you're not adding extra water to the batter. This is where all that natural berry flavor comes from, so use good, ripe berries.
• Cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest, most stable frosting. Low-fat versions can make it too soft and hard to pipe.
• Golden Oreos - That buttery vanilla cookie flavor makes the crunch topping taste like the classic ice cream bar. Vanilla wafers can also work in a pinch.
• Strawberry Jell-O powder - I use this because it's easy to find and gives that nostalgic strawberry flavor and color. For a more natural option, use crushed freeze-dried strawberries instead.

See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.

🥄 Strawberry purée

Making berry purée is one of the easiest things ever! Using a fork, mash a few strawberries in a bowl, then add them to a pot with a couple tablespoons of sugar.

Turn the heat on the stove to low-medium. Cook for about 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened into a purée.

Let it cool for a few minutes while you start making the cupcake batter.

🥣 How to make strawberry crunch cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line a cupcake tin with paper liners so your cupcakes don't stick.

In a large bowl, using either a stand mixer with a beater attachment or a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and oil until it's nice and fluffy. Then, beat in the eggs, vanilla, and milk until everything is smooth and combined.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until it comes together.

Finally, gently fold in the strawberry purée - you don't want to overmix or lose that pretty pink color.

Once the oven has preheated, fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with the cupcake batter.

Bake for 16 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Remove the baked cupcakes from the tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

In the meantime, let's make the frosting and strawberry crunch topping!

🧁 Making the cream cheese frosting

Again, using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla until it's smooth and creamy. Then, with the mixer turning on low, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, until it's all fluffy and dreamy.

🍓 Strawberry crunch topping

Toss the Golden Oreos and strawberry Jell-O powder in a food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Then add the melted butter and pulse again until it forms a crumble.

🌟 Tip: If you don't have a food processor handy, you can also put the Oreos and Jello-O powder in a Ziploc bag and crush everything together with a rolling pin. Then place the mixture into a bowl and stir together with melted butter.

Time to put it all together! Frost each cooled cupcake, sprinkle on the strawberry crunch topping, and, if you're feeling fancy, top with a fresh strawberry. Serve and enjoy!

💫 Mix-ins and variations

• 🍫 Chocolate - Add a handful of mini white chocolate chips or white chocolate chunks to the batter for extra sweetness.
• 🍓 Berry twist - Swap half the strawberry purée with raspberry or blueberry purée for a different berry twist.
• 🌰 Go nuts - For a nutty crunch, fold in finely chopped toasted almonds or pistachios.
• 🍪 Cookie crunch - Experiment with different cookies for the crunch topping-vanilla wafers, graham crackers, or even shortbread crumbs all work beautifully.

🧺 Storage

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Keep the topping separate if you want it to stay extra crunchy-sprinkle on right before serving.

These cupcakes also freeze well! Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.

❓ FAQ

Do you love sweet treats as much as I do? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes:

• Strawberry Shortcake Waffles with Nutella
• Refreshing Strawberry Cocktail & Mocktail
• Peach Mango Turnovers
• Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting
• Lemon Blueberry Bars
• Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler
• Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
• Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Did you make these Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes? Let us know in the comments below!

📝 Recipe