Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins are tender, buttery, and perfectly sweet. They come together quickly and are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a snack!

Golden brown muffins topped with streusel and strawberries on a wooden board.

ABOUT THESE STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Muffins are my favorite coffee shop treat. The only thing I love more is making muffins at home. Homemade muffins are amazing when fresh and warm from the oven!

I used my Lemon Blueberry Muffin recipe as the basis for this recipe. These muffins feature a delicious strawberry batter, a creamy cheesecake filling and the best lemon crumble on top!

I can’t talk about strawberry desserts without mention these sweet Strawberry Filled Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream. Each cupcake has a whole strawberry baked inside! These heavenly Strawberry Blondies are also a delicious treat for anyone who loves strawberries and lemon together!

THESE MUFFINS ARE:

Soft: The melted butter, egg, and buttermilk give these muffins their irresistibly soft texture.
Bursting with Strawberries: They’re made with both chopped strawberries and strawberry jam!
Flavorful: The batter is flavored with lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Big golden brown strawberry muffins on a black cooling rack.

PARTS OF THESE MUFFINS

CREAMY CHEESECAKE FILLING

Each muffin is baked with a heaping spoonful of cheesecake filling inside. It’s made with cream cheese, an egg yolk and vanilla and adds so much creaminess the these muffins!

For another treat with a delicious cheesecake filling, you’ll love these delicious Mini Hot Chocolate Cheesecakes! My decadent Butterscotch Cream Cheese Cupcakes are topped with a similar rich, cream cheese mixture!

CRISPY LEMON CRUMBLE

These strawberry cheesecake muffins are baked at 400 which gives them a perfect rise and perfect muffin tops! Each muffin to is coated with a delicious, buttery lemon streusel. The tops have the perfect crunch and are amazing in contrast with the softness of the muffins.

Strawberry muffins in a muffin tin with a lemon half and strawberries in the tin.

INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTES

Writing this recipe during social distancing days, I want to offer some substitutes and variations so that you wouldn’t need to make a trip to the store for something. I’ve made several variations of these muffins and each batch was delicious! Below are some options. Feel free to use what you have/like:

SUGAR: Use white or light or brown sugar or a combination.
STRAWBERRIES: This recipe calls for one cup of fresh chopped strawberries. You can also use frozen strawberries. Don’t thaw them beforehand and keep in mind you might need to bake the muffins for a few extra minutes if using frozen strawberries.
BUTTERMILK: Buttermilk adds a delicious, slightly tangy flavor, and a moist, tender texture to muffins. No need to make a trip to the store for buttermilk! Just substitute the buttermilk for the same amount of plain, full fat yogurt or whole milk and the muffins will still turn out great!
BUTTER: I prefer unsalted but salted can be used.

EQUIPTMENT FOR MAKING MUFFINS

MUFFIN LINERS: If you’re like me and are out of paper cupcake liners, just grease the muffin tin really well. The Kitchn has an article called How to Make Muffin Liners Out of Parchment Paper if you’d like to make your own muffin liners!!
A MUFFIN PAN: I have this muffin pan and I love it!

A delicious raspberry muffin filled with cream cheese and strawberries and topped with crumble.

Muffins with strawberries and crumble on top on a serving board with a zested lemon behind it.

HOW TO MAKE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

It’s a good idea to mix the topping up first and put it in the fridge while you make the batter.

To make it, just mix together the flour, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. I like to leave some bits smaller and some a little chunkier as in the picture above.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

IF I FILL THE MUFFINS TO THE TOP OF THE TIN, WON’T THEY SPILL OVER WHILE THEY BAKE?

No, they will form the most delicious muffin tops! Fill the liners with the batter.

HOW DO I ADD THE CRUMBLE TOPPING TO THE MUFFINS IF THERE ISN’T MUCH ROOM AND THE CUPCAKE TIN IS ALREADY FULL OF BATTER?

You’ll most likely need to use your hands to “stick” it on or make sure you get the crumble evenly distributed to all sides of the muffins.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY’RE DONE?

One way to check is to stick a toothpick into the center of one. If it comes out clean (i.e. without any wet crumbs), then they’re done.

Another way to check is to press a muffin lightly with your finger. If it springs back, they’re done.

HOW TO STORE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE MUFFINS?

These are best eaten the day they’re made. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

Delicious muffins in a tin with lemon and strawberries in the tin.

A close up of a delicious muffin top studded with berries and crumble with a strawberry next to it.

A muffin sliced in half on a muffin liner with a knife and sliced strawberry nearby.

Two stacked muffins in a muffin liner studded with gooey berries baked inside.

Hope these Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins add some warmth and love to your homes and your day! Enjoy them warm, at room temperature and at any time of the day or year!