These Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins are made with juicy strawberries, a light cheesecake filling, and a delicious lemon streusel. They are perfect for a weekend brunch or for a quick breakfast on the go.
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Strawberry cream cheese muffins are perfect for a weekend brunch or a holiday breakfast. Their soft texture and flavorful batter makes these the best strawberry cheesecake muffins recipe!
These cream cheese strawberry muffins are inspired by my lemon and blueberry muffins. Instead of blueberries, they’re filled with strawberries. They also have cream cheese and mashed banana mixed in.
For more strawberry treats, try my strawberry filled vanilla cupcakes and Strawberry Blondies.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Chopped strawberries are fresh and flavorful. For another yummy strawberry treat, try this strawberry pound cake recipe.
- Overripe banana adds the perfect hint of cozy banana just like my banana blueberry coffee cake.
- You’ll love the tender texture the cream cheese and bananas give these strawberry and cream cheese muffins! The buttery lemon streusel adds extra flavor and crunch.
- A handful of pantry friendly ingredients are used to make these! No special equipment required.
- They’re perfect for brunch and an afternoon snack like these cherry chocolate chip muffins.
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients for these strawberry muffins with cream cheese.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
- Strawberries: 1 cup of fresh, chopped strawberries. If you love baking with strawberries, be sure to make my strawberry and cream scones.
- Banana: 1 small mashed overripe banana adds a moisture and a cozy flavor to these muffins. It’s delicious with the strawberries. After mashing the banana, measure out 1/4 cup. Don’t add more than that to the recipe.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat brick style cream cheese for the frosting. It’s important the cream cheese is at room temperature. Cream cheese makes these muffins melt in your mouth delicious just like my cheesecake raspberry bars.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap light brown sugar in place of granulated sugar.
- Use plain full fat yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream for the milk.
- Use chopped frozen strawberries in place of fresh strawberries. Do not thaw them ahead of baking. For another fruity muffin recipe, make sure to try my sour cream apple muffins.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)– Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter. Set mixture in the fridge to chill.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the room temperature cream cheese, lemon zest, and sugar on medium speed til creamy and combined.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Beat in the egg and vanilla extract followed by the mashed banana.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Use a spatula to alternately stir in the dry ingredients and milk. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chopped strawberries til just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Evenly fill the muffin cups all the way to the top. Spoon the crumble mixture on top. Stick a few strawberry pieces on each cupcake.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– Bake at 375 F for 18-22 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
No. They won’t spill over. They will form the most delicious muffin tops! Fill the liners with the batter.
Stick a toothpick in the center of one of these strawberry and cream cheese muffins. If it comes out without wet crumbs, then they’re done. You can also press a muffin lightly with your finger. If it springs back, they’re done.
Strawberry cheesecake streusel muffins are best eaten the day they’re made. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
Expert Tips
- If you’re out of paper cupcake liners, just grease the muffin pan really well.
- Make the streusel first. Refrigerate it while you make the muffin batter.
- Be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Room temperature cream cheese will mix more completely with the sugar.
- Avoid overmixing.
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Streusel
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest optional
Strawberry Muffins
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup mashed overripe banana from about 1 small banana
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk whole milk, room temperature
- 1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen, divided
Instructions
Streusel
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter until mixture starts to form clumps. Set mixture in the fridge to chill while you prepare the batter.
Strawberry Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, cream cheese, lemon zest and vegetable oil.
- Mix in the egg, mashed banana and vanilla extract.
- Use a spatula to alternate stirring in the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chopped strawberries til just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Fill the muffin cups evenly. Fill the cups all the way to the top. Take the streusel out of the fridge. Use a fork to break it up a little but keep some large and medium sized clusters. Evenly sprinkle the streusel on top of each muffin. Stick a few of the reserved strawberries on top of each muffin.
- Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without wet crumbs when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- Let cool in tin for 10 minutes then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Leia
Made these this morning for the first time and they are perfection! Thank you for the recipe!
Natalie
Hey Leia! Aww yay thanks for making these strawberry muffins. So happy you loved the recipe!
Danielle Williams
I was wondering if I could use homemade strawberry preserves instead of fresh whole strawberries. If so, what would the measurements be for that?
Natalie
Hi Danielle, Hmmm I haven’t substituted strawberry preserves for whole strawberries, so I can’t say for sure how it would work. You could definitely try it especially if the preserves are on the thick side. I would try around 1/3 cup. Please let me know if you try it or if you have any other questions. Have a great day!
Chloe Wilson
Made these gluten free and they are amazing!!
Natalie
Hi Chloe! Thanks so much for making these Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins! So glad you enjoyed them and that you made them gluten free!
Devon
These were crazy delicious!!! Although made mine with raspberries- the texture was perfect. Good the next day!
Natalie
Hey Devon, Thank you so much for making these muffins! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂 Natalie
Amanda Scarlati
These muffins look so good! My kids would adore these!
Natalie
Thank you so much Amanda! I hope you and your kids get to enjoy them 🙂