Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Place 12 muffin liners in a standard muffin pan.

Step 2

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the soy milk and lemon together. Let it sit about 3-5 minutes to create vegan buttermilk (it will thicken and curdle slightly).

Step 3

Now add the oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sugar to the buttermilk. Whisk to combine well. Set aside.

Step 4

To a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk to combine well.

Step 5

Now add the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold and stir the batter gently until almost combined. Don't overwork it. The batter will be thick and a few small lumps are normal. Now gently fold in 1 cup of diced strawberries until just combined.

Step 6

Divide batter evenly into 12 slots about 3/4 full (an ice cream scoop works great for this). Top with remaining strawberries.

Step 7

Bake the muffins for 5 minutes then without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350 F. Bake another 16-20 minutes until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted comes out free of wet batter (a few dry crumbs are fine). Another way to check is to lightly press the top of the muffin with your finger to see if it springs back. If it leaves an indent, it needs to bake a little longer.

Step 8

Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes.