Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable Version)
Soft muffins filled with fresh strawberries and creamy cheese center. Perfect morning treat.
# What You Need:
→ Muffin Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
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, chopped
→ Cream Cheese Filling
11 - 6 oz cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 large egg yolk
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease lightly with cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, mix vegetable oil and granulated sugar until incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add milk and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined—batter should remain slightly lumpy. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough muffins.
05 - Gently fold chopped strawberries into batter until evenly distributed.
06 - In another bowl, blend softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup.
08 - Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup on top of the batter layer.
09 - Top with another tablespoon of batter to completely cover the filling. For a marbled appearance, gently swirl once with a toothpick without piercing to the bottom.
10 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until tops are lightly golden and a wooden pick inserted into the cake portion (not cream cheese center) comes out clean.
11 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The cream cheese center stays creamy and luscious even after baking, creating this surprise filling that makes every bite feel special
- These muffins somehow manage to be incredibly moist without being heavy or greasy, and the strawberry flavor really shines through
02 -
- Do not skip refrigerating these after baking, the cream cheese filling needs to stay cold for food safety
- These are best within 3 days but honestly they rarely last that long in my house
03 -
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter, it keeps everything tidy and ensures equal sizes
- If your strawberries are particularly large, cut them into smaller pieces so they distribute evenly throughout each muffin