Strawberry Madeleines Recipe

I reinvent a beloved French classic with real strawberries in my Madeleine Recipes to reveal an unexpected twist that will pique your curiosity.

I never thought a tiny shell-shaped cake could flip my idea of dessert until I made these Strawberry Madeleines. They have a crisp ridge, a pillowy inside, and a bright berry note from real strawberry purée that wakes up the batter.

Eggs give them that light, almost airy crumb, but something about the fruit makes each bite sing. This is for people who love French Strawberries nostalgia and for Madeleine Recipes fans who want a simple, show-off treat.

It’s easy but sneaky impressive, and you’ll want to hide a few, I promise.

Ingredients

• Eggs add protein and structure, keep madeleines tender and slightly rich.
• Sugar gives sweetness and moistness, mostly carbs so not very nutritious.
• All purpose flour gives structure and carbs, little fibre unless whole grain.
• Butter brings fat, flavor and golden edges, makes them melt in mouth.
• Strawberries add bright fruit flavor, vitamin C and a touch of fiber.
• Lemon zest gives citrus lift and aroma, cuts sweetness with tartness.
• Vanilla adds warm aroma and depth, almost no calories or nutrition.
• Milk thins batter, adds tiny bit of protein and softness.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tsp)
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (80 g) strawberry purée (about 4 to 5 medium strawberries)
• 1 tablespoon milk (optional)
• powdered sugar for dusting, optional

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush a madeleine pan with the melted butter or softened butter and lightly dust with flour, tapping out the excess, or use nonstick spray if you got it.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter and set aside to cool a bit so it wont cook the batter.

3. Make about 1/3 cup (80 g) strawberry purée by blitzing 4 to 5 medium strawberries, then strain if you want a super smooth batter.

4. In a bowl whisk 2 large eggs with 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and the zest of 1 lemon until pale and slightly thickened, about 4 to 6 minutes with a hand mixer, you want it ribbon when you lift the whisk.

5. Sift together 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt, then gently fold the dry mix into the egg mixture until barely combined, dont overmix.

6. Fold in the 1/3 cup strawberry purée and, if the batter seems too stiff, stir in 1 tablespoon milk (optional) to loosen it a touch. Then fold in the cooled melted butter in two additions until just incorporated, batter should be glossy and thick.

7. Chill the batter in the fridge 30 to 60 minutes if you can, this little rest helps the famous madeleine hump form and gives better texture.

8. Spoon or pipe batter into prepared molds filling each about 3/4 full. Bake at 375°F for 9 to 12 minutes until edges are golden and centers spring back. If your oven runs hot check at 8 minutes, ovens vary.

9. Let the madeleines cool in the pan a minute or two, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling. Dust with powdered sugar if you like, serve warm or room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days, warm briefly in oven to revive.

Equipment Needed

1. Madeleine pan (shell-shaped, nonstick or metal) — brushable with butter or use spray
2. Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl to melt the butter
3. Blender, food processor, or stick blender to blitz strawberries into purée
4. Fine-mesh sieve to strain the purée and a sifter for the flour, if you want ultra smooth batter
5. Mixing bowls (one large for eggs/sugar, one for dry ingredients)
6. Hand mixer (or a whisk if you’re feeling strong) to beat eggs until ribbon stage
7. Rubber spatula for folding and a spoon or piping bag to fill the molds about 3/4 full
8. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale if you use grams for accuracy
9. Cooling rack and oven mitts for safe handling and finishing the madeleines

Note: you can skip the piping bag and just spoon batter, it works fine.

FAQ

Strawberry Madeleines Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• 2 large eggs: Swap for 6 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea liquid) for similar lift if you whisk it well, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for binding if you don’t mind a slightly denser, more cake like Madeleine — it’s still tasty though.
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour: Use 1 cup cake flour (sifted) for a lighter, more delicate crumb, or make a DIY cake flour by using 1 cup all purpose minus 2 tablespoons, then add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and sift.
• 4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter: Replace with 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (use refined for neutral flavor) or use the same amount of browned butter for a nuttier, deeper flavor; both work but oil gives a slightly different mouthfeel.
• 1/3 cup (80 g) strawberry purée: Substitute with 3 tablespoons strawberry jam thinned with 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water, or use 3 tablespoons rehydrated freeze dried strawberry powder for concentrated flavor; raspberries work too if strawberries aren’t on hand.

Pro Tips

1) Beat the eggs and sugar till the mixture is pale and ribbons off the whisk, not just foamy. If you skimp here the texture will be flat, so don’t rush it. A hand mixer is fine, but stop and scrape the bowl so everything gets aerated evenly, otherwise you’ll get dense madeleines.

2) Watch the strawberry purée moisture. Too wet and your batter will be loose and the shells wont rise right. If your berries are juicy, strain or gently simmer the purée a minute to thicken it, or fold in a tablespoon less if it looks soupy. Freeze-dried strawberry powder is a great swap if you want more flavor without extra water.

3) Don’t pour hot butter into the batter. Let melted butter cool until it’s just warm, then add in two small additions and fold gently. Use soft, slow folding motions so you keep the air you worked for, overmixing kills the light crumb.

4) Chill the batter if you can and don’t overfill the molds. That little rest really helps the hump form and firms the batter so you get defined shells. Also, check your oven a minute or two early the first time you make them in your oven, every oven runs weird and you don’t want dry edges.