Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
This recipe is for home bakers who want to make bakery-quality muffins for brunch or breakfast. It features fresh strawberries and a creamy, tangy cream cheese filling inside a tender muffin.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For Topping (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well.
- Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set this aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until they are well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until they are just combined. Do not overmix; the batter should be slightly lumpy.
- Gently fold in the diced strawberries, taking care not to crush them.
- Fill each muffin cup about 1/3 full with batter. Add a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture to the center, then top with more batter until the cups are 2/3 full.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar if you are using it.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
I developed these muffins during strawberry season when I found the best berries at the farmer's market. The secret to avoiding soggy bottoms is making sure the cream cheese filling stays centered and does not sink, which is why the layering technique in this recipe is important. These are my standard recipe when I want to impress people at brunch.