Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe
Delight in these luscious Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins featuring a creamy cheesecake-inspired filling hidden inside moist, fluffy muffin batter studded with fresh strawberries and topped with a buttery crumb topping. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, they bake to a golden perfection with a soft, tender crumb and just the right hint of vanilla.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups diced fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for tossing strawberries)
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease each cup to prevent sticking.
- Mix Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is completely smooth. Set this filling mixture aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well blended and smooth.
- Incorporate Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Gently stir with a spatula or spoon just until combined; do not overmix to maintain muffin tenderness.
- Prepare Strawberries: Toss the diced fresh strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour so they are evenly coated. This helps prevent them from sinking during baking.
- Fold in Strawberries: Carefully fold the floured strawberries into the muffin batter to distribute them evenly without breaking them up.
- Make Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour and granulated sugar. Then stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Assemble Muffins: Spoon the muffin batter into each prepared muffin cup filling about halfway. Add approximately 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin cup. Then, cover this with the remaining muffin batter, filling nearly to the top.
- Top with Crumb: Sprinkle the crumb topping generously over the top of each muffin, ensuring an even coating.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Bake until the muffins turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion (avoiding the cream cheese center) comes out clean.
- Cool: Once baked, let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- To soften cream cheese quickly, leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes or microwave in 10-second increments until soft but not melted.
- Coating strawberries with flour helps keep them suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep muffins tender and fluffy.
- Ensure muffins are fully cooled before storing to maintain texture.
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- These muffins can also be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Keywords: strawberry muffins, cream cheese muffins, crumb topped muffins, breakfast muffins, sweet muffins
