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Banana Cream Cheese Muffins

banana cream cheese muffins with a domed, golden exterior and a tangy, rich cream cheese center. Each stuffed muffin bakes up moist with banana flecks and a cheesecake-like pocket that reveals when split open.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

banana batter
  • 3 bananas ripe, mashed
  • 0.333 cup butter melted
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
cream cheese filling
  • 6 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners, so the pan is ready to fill immediately.
  2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth, then refrigerate until needed so the filling stays firm.
Make the banana batter
  1. Mix mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the batter is well combined.
  2. Fold in all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Stuff and bake
  1. Fill muffin cups 1/3 full, then add 1 heaping teaspoon cream cheese filling to each so the center stays hidden.
  2. Cover with more batter to fill the cups 3/4 full, ensuring the filling is fully surrounded.
  3. Bake for 20–22 minutes at 375°F until golden, and when a toothpick inserted in the batter (not the filling) comes out clean.

Notes

Pro tip: refrigerating the cream cheese filling helps prevent it from melting out, so you get a distinct pocket when the muffins are split. Store muffins airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days and rewarm in short bursts in the microwave. Freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat cream cheese (use the same amount) for a similar tang with fewer calories.