Description
Delicious strawberry cream cheese muffins featuring a soft, tender crumb and a luscious cream cheese filling, topped with a buttery crumb topping. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, these muffins combine fresh diced strawberries with a moist batter and a creamy center for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups diced fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for tossing strawberries)
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Make Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the egg yolk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, beat together the 2 large eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Form Muffin Batter: Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined; avoid over-mixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Toss Strawberries: In a small bowl, toss the diced fresh strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.
- Fold Strawberries into Batter: Carefully fold the coated strawberries into the muffin batter, maintaining a light hand to preserve their shape.
- Prepare Crumb Topping: In a separate bowl, mix together 1/3 cup flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- Assemble Muffins: Fill each muffin cup halfway with the batter, add about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in the center, and then top with the remaining batter to nearly fill the cups.
- Add Crumb Topping: Generously sprinkle the crumb topping over each muffin to ensure a delightful crunchy texture on top.
- Bake: Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion (not the cream cheese) comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, enabling them to set properly and prevent sogginess.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is well softened for easier mixing into the filling.
- Do not over-mix the batter to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
- Tossing strawberries with flour prevents them from sinking and helps distribute berry flavor evenly.
- The cream cheese filling adds moisture and a rich texture to the muffins.
- You can substitute fresh strawberries with frozen ones, but do not thaw before tossing with flour.
- Ensure the crumb topping ingredients are cold for a better crumb texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
