Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Print Version)
Moist muffins filled with fresh strawberries and creamy cheese filling
# What You'll 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
# Directions:
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 mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, combine vegetable oil and granulated sugar, stirring until fully incorporated. Beat in eggs one at a time, then whisk in whole milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in chopped strawberries.
05 - In another bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth and creamy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
06 - Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then top with another tablespoon of batter to cover the filling.
07 - Gently swirl a toothpick through the batter and filling in each cup once to create a marbled pattern, taking care not to over-swirl.
08 - Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until muffins are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion (avoiding the cream cheese center) comes out clean.
09 - Allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cream cheese stays melty and gooey even after cooling, creating pockets of cheesecake-like goodness in every bite
- Fresh strawberries bake down into jammy pockets that balance the rich filling perfectly
02 -
- The cream cheese filling stays warm and gooey right out of the oven, so let these cool completely before serving
- Test for doneness in the batter part only, not the cream cheese center, or you will think they are underbaked
03 -
- Use room temperature cream cheese so it blends into a silky smooth filling without any lumps
- Toss your chopped strawberries in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in to prevent them from sinking to the bottom