Strawberry cream cheese muffins (Printable)

Moist muffins with fresh strawberries and creamy cheese swirls, ideal for a delightful brunch or snack.

# Required Ingredients:

→ 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 sugar or turbinado sugar

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
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 until well incorporated.
04 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries, being careful not to overmix.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into each muffin cup. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each. Top with remaining muffin batter to cover the filling.
07 - If desired, sprinkle the tops of muffins with coarse sugar for a crunchy finish.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the cream cheese layer) comes out clean.
09 - Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Fresh strawberries burst with juice in every bite, keeping the muffins moist without being dense.
  • The cream cheese filling creates pockets of tangy sweetness that feel like a little secret gift in the middle.
  • They come together in under an hour and genuinely taste like you spent way more effort than you did.
02 -
  • Cream cheese must be softened to room temperature or it won't blend smoothly into the filling—cold chunks will ruin the whole thing.
  • The filling will still be slightly soft when you pull these from the oven, and that's exactly how it should be.
03 -
  • Let your cream cheese sit on the counter for 20 minutes before making the filling so it blends without lumps.
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the pan—it helps the muffins set up so the cream cheese filling holds its shape.
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