Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
These strawberry cream cheese muffins are soft, fluffy, and filled with a rich cream cheese center inside, making them extra special compared to classic strawberry muffins. I developed this recipe when my family was visiting from Brazil—my sister loves strawberry muffins, and I had cream cheese in the fridge that needed to be used. The result was an elevated version of my regular strawberry muffin recipe, with a creamy filling that adds richness and contrast in every bite.
To deepen the strawberry flavor, this recipe uses a homemade strawberry reduction folded into the batter, not just chopped fresh strawberries. This concentrates the strawberry taste and aroma, creating bakery-style muffins that rise tall, bake up tender, and deliver bold strawberry flavor from top to bottom.
Why I Love These Muffins
These are the kind of muffins that feel special without being fussy. The strawberry reduction gives you real, concentrated fruit flavor instead of watery pockets, and the cream cheese center adds a soft, slightly tangy contrast that makes each bite perfectly balanced. They bake up tall with domed tops, stay moist for days, and work just as well for brunch as they do for freezing ahead.
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I mean, just check out the creamy center! Once I made this, everyone in my family went crazy over them! Luckily I made two batches, one of jumbo muffins and one of regular ones. They were all gone in a couple of days.
Key ingredients & why I use them
- Strawberry reduction – I use this to concentrate strawberry flavor without adding excess liquid to the batter.
- Fresh strawberries – These add texture and bursts of fruit, but I coat them lightly in flour so they don’t sink. I prefer using fresh berries whenever possible.
- Full-fat block cream cheese – This gives the filling structure and keeps the center smooth and creamy after baking.
- Butter + oil – Butter brings flavor; oil keeps the muffins moist longer than butter alone.
- Sour cream – This is essential for a tender, plush crumb without density.
About the pan
I’ve made these muffins using a jumbo pan called Monfish Jumbo Muffin Pan with straight sides on Amazon. You can check it out there by typing this exact name and finding a pan that looks just like this one.
The liners for the jumbo pan are from Caperci. For regular muffin sizes I usually use Wilton liners.
This recipe makes about 8 jumbo muffins, and 16 regular size ones.
How to make the recipe
The full recipe card is below, but here are some step by step instructions to keep you on track.
Step 1: Strawberry Reduction
Place the strawberries with sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan.
I like to cook the strawberries for about 30 minutes, until the mixture has reduced to a thick spoonable sauce.
Pro tip
The strawberry reduction should be falling off the spatula in soft chunks rather than running. Always let it cool down completely before using.
I use this sauce in many desserts such as my Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Tiramisu, Strawberry Cake, and many more. It’s so delicious that whenever I make it, my husband walks in the kitchen and says: I know exactly what you are making! Because it smells fantastic!
Step 2: Cream Cheese Mixture
Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a bowl.
Mix until the mixture is smooth. I like to use a hand mixer for this. You can use a spatula or a whisk to mix vigorously.
If the kitchen is warm, I like to refrigerate this mixture so it stays easy to portion and doesn’t melt into the batter.
Step 3: Strawberry Muffin Batter
Whisk the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. I like to make sure to mix well so everything is evenly distributed once we add the wet ingredients in.
In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until fully combined.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry flour mixture.
Mix gently and stop as soon as the batter comes together.
Pro tip
Over mixing will give you dry and dense muffins instead of soft, tall ones. I like to stop mixing when the batter still looks a bit lumpy.
For taller, bakery-style muffins, let the muffin batter rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, before adding the strawberries and baking. This allows the flour to hydrate and helps the tops of the muffins rise higher.
I like to toss the strawberries with a bit of flour before adding them to the muffin batter. This prevent sinking.
Add the chopped strawberries in and fold until combined.
Step 4: Assembling
Add a small amount of batter on the bottom of the pan.
Top with the strawberry reduction and swirl. I like to use a toothpick, or a knife will also work.
Top with more batter, then a dollop of the cream cheese mixture right in the center. When using jumbo pans, I added almost 2 tsp of the mixture, and 1 tsp for the regular size ones.
Cover the muffins with more batter followed by strawberry reduction. Use the toothpick again to swirl gently.
I’m very careful at this point not to drag the cream cheese through the muffin—keeping it centered gives you a clean, creamy middle.
Step 5: Baking
I start the muffins at a high temperature to encourage lift, then reduce the oven temperature without opening the door. This creates tall domes while keeping the interiors tender. I know they’re done when the edges are golden and the tops feel set when gently pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Tricks
- Stop mixing the batter early; a few streaks of flour and lumps are better than overworked gluten.
- Rest the muffin batter for 30 min or even for a few hours in the fridge if desired. This helps obtain taller muffins.
- Bake straight from the fridge if you rest the batter—cold batter + hot oven gives taller muffins.
Variations
- Swap the strawberries for raspberries using the same reduction method.
- Add lemon zest to the batter for a brighter finish.
- Use vanilla bean paste instead of extract for a deeper vanilla note.
- Add a little streusel topping! I always love adding streusel to my muffins. Mix ¼ cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons cold butter with your fingers until crumbly, then sprinkle over the muffins before baking. Keep the pieces small so they don’t weigh the muffins down. Here’s my full streusel recipe if you’d like to check it out.
Storage & Make Ahead
I think these are best the day they’re baked, but they store well. I keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days and always bring them fully to room temperature before serving. They also freeze beautifully for up to two months—thaw at room temperature for about an hour.
FAQ
Can I make these ahead?
Yes. You can make the strawberry reduction up to a week in advance and store it in the fridge. The muffin batter can be made even a few hours in advance. I’ve made muffin batter and let it rest in the fridge overnight before, and baked it in the morning. The muffins come out tall and beautiful.
Why did my muffins turn out dense?
Overmixing the batter is the most common cause. Mix just until combined.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works well here.
More recipes you might enjoy
If you liked these muffins, you might also enjoy my classic strawberry muffins, lemon blueberry muffins, or banana nut muffins—all built around the same soft, bakery-style crumb with concentrated fruit flavor. Homemade muffins truly are the best and always have the best taste!
If you make these delicious strawberry cream cheese muffins, I’d love to see them. Share a photo on Instagram and tag me so I can admire your bake, and make sure to leave a comment or a star rating below to let me know how they turned out. I genuinely love seeing what you create and how these recipes come to life in your kitchens.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 2 cups strawberries, halved 360g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened 170g
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar 41g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Muffin Batter
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 84g
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 60ml
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup sour cream 180g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk 240ml
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 318g
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped 125g
- ½ tsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
Strawberry Reduction
- Place the washed, halved strawberries in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes, until reduced to about a heaping ½ cup of sauce. If the mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking. It should be thick and falling off the spatula or spoon into chunks. It will thicken even more as it cools.
- Remove from the heat, measure it, and pour into a bowl. Set it aside to cool. You can make the reduction even up to a week ahead and keep in the fridge for when you’re ready to make the muffins.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl with an electric mixer for about 30 to 60 seconds, until completely smooth. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside (refrigerate if your kitchen is warm).
Muffin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
- Grease or line 16 muffin cavities with paper liners. This recipe yields about 20 standard muffins or 8 jumbo muffins.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until the batter comes together. Do not overmix, or the muffins may turn out dense or dry.
- Toss the strawberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
- Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each muffin cavity (about 3 tablespoons if using a jumbo pan).
- Add ½ teaspoon of the strawberry reduction over the batter (1 teaspoon for jumbo muffins) and gently swirl with a toothpick.
- Top with about 2 teaspoons of muffin batter, followed by 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling.
- Finish by covering with more muffin batter, filling the cavities close to the top.
- Add another ½ teaspoon of strawberry reduction on top and gently swirl with the batter, being careful not to disturb the cream cheese layer underneath.
Baking
- Bake at 425ºF for 7 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350ºF (175ºC) and continue baking for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese) comes out clean. Jumbo muffins will require additional baking time.
- Let the muffins cool before serving. The tops should be puffed and set—when gently pressed, they should feel firm and not jiggle or leave an indentation.