Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable)

Tender muffins with fresh strawberries and creamy cheese swirls, perfect for a flavorful brunch.

# Components:

→ 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease.
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 add milk and vanilla extract.
04 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in diced strawberries without overmixing.
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. Cover filling with remaining muffin batter.
07 - If desired, sprinkle muffin tops with coarse sugar for a crunchy finish.
08 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
09 - Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese swirl stays soft and luxurious, creating a surprise in every bite that feels like a little gift to yourself.
  • They're impressive enough to serve guests but simple enough that you won't stress while making them.
  • Fresh strawberries keep them moist without being heavy, so you can actually enjoy them without guilt at breakfast.
02 -
  • Don't try to cool the cream cheese filling before filling the muffins, because it'll seize up and get lumpy, and you'll end up with little grainy bits instead of that silky center.
  • Testing doneness is tricky with these because you need to avoid testing the cream cheese center, which will always seem underbaked, so test the actual cake part instead.
03 -
  • Always let your cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing it, because cold cream cheese will fight you and create lumps instead of that smooth filling.
  • If fresh strawberries aren't in season, frozen berries work beautifully as long as you don't thaw them first, so you can make these year-round.
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