Strawberry cream cheese muffins are moist, fluffy, and bursting with juicy strawberries in every bite. Each muffin is stuffed with sweet cream cheese filling and topped with buttery cinnamon streusel. Enjoy one of these yummy fresh strawberry muffins for breakfast or alongside afternoon coffee.
Muffins with a cheesecake surprise are a real treat. These strawberry cream cheese muffins, aka strawberry cheesecake muffins, are stuffed with sweet cream cheese filling before they are baked. The filling stays soft and creamy for a decadent muffin experience.
This simple baking recipe is a great way to use fresh strawberries during the strawberry season, April through July. The fresh fruit marries with moist muffin batter for a delicious homemade strawberry muffin. Each muffin has a luscious cream cheese center and buttery cinnamon streusel topping.
These fresh strawberry muffins are perfect for a quick breakfast, weekend brunch, and afternoon coffee like my cinnamon streusel muffins. Forewarning, you will want more than one.
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Strawberry Muffin Recipe with Cream Cheese Filling
There are three elements to these delicious, flavorful breakfast muffins—a moist, fluffy muffin base with fresh strawberries, a sweet cream cheese filling, and a soft but crunchy streusel topping.
- Tasty Strawberry Muffins - Melted butter and milk keep the muffins light and moist. Basic ingredients and fresh strawberries complete the batter. The resulting muffin is soft and perfectly sweet.
- Creamy Cheesecake Filling - Softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla combine to make the cheesecake filling.
- Streusel Crumb Topping - The best muffins are finished with buttery cinnamon streusel. This soft yet crunchy topping is the finishing touch to these delicious muffins.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Powder and Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter (melted and cooled)
- Eggs (room temperature)
- Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Strawberries (chopped)
- Cream Cheese (softened)
- Light Brown Sugar (packed)
See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.
Instructions
STEP 1 (PREP) - Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease or line the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
STEP 2 (STREUSEL) - Mix the flour, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
STEP 3 (CREAM CHEESE FILLING) - Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
STEP 4 (DRY INGREDIENTS) - Combine flour, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
STEP 5 (WET INGREDIENTS) - Whisk the {cooled} melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and stir until a batter forms. Fold in the strawberries.
STEP 6 (ASSEMBLY) - Fill the lined muffin cups ⅔ of the way full with muffin batter. Make a small crater in the center of each batter-filled cup using a spoon. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag—pipe about 2 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each unbaked muffin. Top each muffin with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with streusel.
STEP 7 (BAKE) - Bake muffins in the preheated oven until golden brown, and when a toothpick is inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Allow muffins to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
**It is important to note that this recipe makes 14 regular-sized muffins.
Substitutions
- Milk - Buttermilk
- Melted Butter - Canola Oil, Coconut Oil (melted), Avocado Oil
- Strawberries - Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries
Variations
For a subtle lemon flavor, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest into the muffin batter.
Suggested Equipment
Storage
Transfer cooled muffins to an airtight container or zip-top bag—store muffins in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before eating, the muffin should come to room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can you freeze muffins? Yes, muffins freeze great. Transfer cooled muffins to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months—thaw muffins in the refrigerator before eating.
Other Delicious Muffins
- Mixed Berry Muffins with Buttermilk
- White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins
- Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Carrot Apple Muffins
- Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs and cream cheese for the best incorporation—cold cream cheese results in lumps.
- Toss the strawberries in flour, so they do not sink to the bottom of the muffins. The flour helps the dense strawberries cling to the batter.
- Refrain from over-mixing. Muffin batter quickly comes together and needs minimal mixing once the wet and dry ingredients have come together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only use fresh strawberries in these muffins; frozen berries will make these soft muffins too moist.
There are a few reasons that the muffins are soggy. First, you may have underbaked the muffins. Second, you may have over-mixed the batter after adding the fresh fruit. Third, you left the muffins to cool in the muffin pan. It is important to remove the muffins from the pan to cool. Transfer the baked muffins to a wire rack, allowing the steam to escape preventing soggy-bottomed muffins.
The muffin tops will be golden brown, and when a toothpick is inserted into the center of the muffin, it will come out clean or with a few crumbs.
If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberry Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for the strawberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease or line the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Toss the strawberry pieces with the extra tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and set it aside. **Note: This recipe makes 14 muffins, not 12.
- Make the Streusel: Mix the flour, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Make the Muffin Batter: Combine flour, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the {cooled} melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and stir until a batter forms. Fold in the strawberries.
- Fill the lined muffin cups ⅔ of the way full with muffin batter. Make a small crater in the center of each batter-filled cup using a spoon. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag—pipe about 2 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into the center of each unbaked muffin. Top each muffin with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with streusel.
- Bake muffins in the preheated oven until golden brown, and when a toothpick is inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Allow muffins to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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