Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable Version)

Moist muffins bursting with fresh strawberries and smooth cream cheese swirls, ideal for brunch.

# Ingredient List:

→ Muffin Batter

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced

→ Cream Cheese Filling

11 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 large egg yolk
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Topping

15 - 2 tablespoons coarse or turbinado sugar

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs, then milk and vanilla extract.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries. Do not overmix.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon about 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into each muffin cup. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center. Top with remaining muffin batter to cover the filling.
07 - If desired, sprinkle tops with coarse sugar for a crunchy finish.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin body comes out clean.
09 - Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They come together in under an hour and taste like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • The cream cheese filling stays creamy and dreamy while the strawberries keep the muffins from ever feeling heavy or dry.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step in the pan, it helps them set enough to transfer without falling apart.
  • If you overmix the batter, you'll end up with dense, tough muffins, so resist the urge to keep stirring after the flour disappears.
03 -
  • If your cream cheese filling sinks while baking, you're using too much or it's not thick enough, so beat it just until smooth rather than fluffy.
  • A muffin scoop takes the guesswork out of even portions, making sure each one bakes in the same amount of time.
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