In these Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins; a simple muffin batter is swirled with vanilla cream cheese and dolloped on top before being sprinkled with a simple streusel. Yields 12.
Check out this muffin top.
Cream cheese muffins are probably. No. Most definitely, my favorite muffin. Vanilla cream cheese swirled into muffin batter, sprinkled with a streusel that gets golden, crisp and crumbly in the oven. Have mercy.
These muffins remind me of when Pat and I would take the girls up north to his family’s cabin. Every summer we’d pack up fishing poles, a bunch of board games, snacks and head north for woods, water and lots of trail walking. And it was always these muffins or powdered doughnuts (I know) for breakfast. Hey, they were itty and it was a special occasion. Sugar for breakfast was SO exciting to them.
Wait… it still is, actually.
Yesterday I had an idea that I would make my girls some muffins to enjoy after school. Okay, muffins for them but are secretly for me (the BEST kind!)… shh don’t tell. And I basically did what I always do with muffins, I tear off the top and save it for last. After all it’s the best part of the muffin, no?
To Make These Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins You Will Need:
FOR THE MUFFINS:
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- sugar, divided
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- whole milk
- unsweetened applesauce
- eggs
- softened cream cheese
- pure vanilla extract
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
Gather all your ingredients and make sure they are at room temp before you begin.
Start by adding 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl.
Give it a whisk to combine and set it off to the side.
In a separate bowl, add 2/3 cup of whole milk.
1/2 cup applesauce.
1 large egg.
Whisk to combine.
In a medium bowl, add 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and the second egg.
Mix until creamy and smooth.
Add half of the cream cheese mixture to the bowl with the bowl with the flour and wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold it together until just combined. Do not over mix.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
Divide the muffin batter among the liners.
Tap the pan so the batter settles in.
Take the remaining cream cheese mixture and drop spoonfuls on to each one.
Use a spoon and gently swirl it into the top of the batter.
It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Then in a small bowl use a fork to blend 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons softened butter together.
Until you have a crumbly streusel topping.
Then pinch pieces of the streusel and drop it generously over each soon-to-be-muffin.
Next slide the pan into a preheated 375° oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
I’m in love with these! That cream cheese and streusel topping is killer. I am SO looking forward to my morning cup of coffee with a side of muffin.
Enjoy! And if you give this cream cheese streusel muffins recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins
Ingredients
FOR THE MUFFINS:
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and place paper liners in a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt until combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk, applesauce and 1 egg. Whisk until combined.
- In small bowl combine the softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, the remaining egg and vanilla. With a hand mixer, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry along with half of the cream cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula to blend the muffin batter until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter among the paper liners. Top each with a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture. Use the spoon to slightly swirl the cream cheese into the batter.
- In a separate bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. Pinch pieces together in your fingers and generously sprinkle over each muffin.
- Slide the pan into your preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway during the baking.
- Once golden, remove and allow to cool.
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I’m so glad your referring to your muffin streusel top and not my mommy belly muffin top, Ha. I never had those until I had children. Boy, having 2 kids rocked my world. These muffins look fantastic, although I would be seriously tempted to pick off that muffin top. Why is that so wrong? Scrumptious looking pictures as always – just just make my mouth water.
Ummmm these look AMAZING. I might have to make a batch and keep them all to myself.
These look amazing! Can’t wait to give them a try!
I just made these for dinner. The batter was addictive and so was the finished product. Looking forward to making these more often. My husband is threatening to hoard them~!
I want to eat these through the screen. These muffins look absolutely fantastic! I’ve never made muffins with cream cheese before -it sounds like the best thing ever.
Really nice recipe.
Just one thing, in ingredients you call for baking powder and in the recipe you call for baking soda… Which one would be the best to use ?
I don’t have applesauce. Is there something I can use as a substitute?
Hi Jamie! You could use a light flavorless oil or melted unsalted butter (same amount). Enjoy!
This recipe is awesome! I switched the applesauce with mixed berry compote and it made some lovely moist muffins 🙂 Thank you for posting this recipe! Not enough creamcheese muffin recipes out there.
Followed the directions and muffins were very dry.
Yummm