Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Printable Version)
Tender muffins with fresh strawberries and creamy cheese filling swirl
# 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 Make It:
01 - Preheat the 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 blended. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add milk and vanilla extract.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in chopped strawberries.
05 - In another bowl, blend cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling on top, then cover with another tablespoon of batter.
07 - Gently swirl with a toothpick to create a marbled pattern, if desired.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until muffins are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, avoiding the cream cheese center.
09 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The cream cheese center stays warm and gooey straight from the oven, like having cheesecake baked right into your muffin.
- Fresh strawberries keep every bite tender and juicy instead of dry like typical bakery muffins.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will make these muffins tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Room temperature cream cheese blends into the filling much smoother than cold cream cheese straight from the fridge.
03 -
- Chop strawberries into uniform pieces so every muffin gets the same amount of fruit.
- Use a cookie scoop for the batter to ensure all muffins bake evenly.