Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins
Melt-in-your-mouth Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins are bursting with your favorite juicy berries and swirled with a lightly sweet cream cheese filling.
With Independence Day right around the corner, I’m in the mood to infuse my attire, my decor, and my menu with some good ol’ red, white, and blue. And when it comes to culinary endeavors, what easier way to channel those vibrant hues than with some fresh, juicy berries?
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a scrumptious Chicken Berry Pasta Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette and some pretty darn cute (if I do say so myself) Patriotic Stuffed Strawberries, both of which would be perfect for any 4th of July shindig. So call me unoriginal, but today I’m replicating the red and blue berry theme with these yummy Mixed Berry Muffins!
I studded my muffins with triple berry power using raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, but feel free to include your favorites (or whatever type of berries you have on hand). I also decided to make these muffins covertly wholesome by baking them up with whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose white flour. Both work great, so again, it’s up to you what you prefer. However, my rockin’ regular readers already know that I’m a big fan of whole wheat pastry flour when it comes to baking, because it’s light in flavor and texture (akin to white flour) despite being 100% whole wheat. Can’t beat that now, can ya?
So we’ve got the red and we’ve got the blue, but you may be wondering…where does the white come in? Never fear, my friends, because these muffins have it covered with a surprise swirl of cream cheese filling! That’s right…when you bite into one of these baked beauties, not only will your taste buds be greeted by luscious bursts of berry, but they’ll also encounter a lightly sweet, delicately decadent filling of cream cheese deliciousness. Yep, it’s the W in the RW&B…but it also takes these muffins up a notch or twelve.
Have I mentioned how easy these muffins are to throw together? I basically just jazzed up my favorite Classic Blueberry Muffin recipe. It’s such a simple, delicious recipe to begin with, and I make it year-round using fresh or frozen blueberries. Similarly, these Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins are loaded with juicy berries of your choice, but the cheesecake-like center is a fun, tasty surprise. And while you could certainly top these muffins with your favorite streusel or crumb topping, I decided to keep things simple with a sprinkling of crunchy sparkling sugar. You can’t beat easy, pretty, and sweet!
Red, white, and blue? I think I love you. And I love these Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins without a doubt!
Print Mixed Berry Cream Cheese MuffinsYield: 18 muffins
Melt-in-your-mouth Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins are bursting with your favorite juicy berries and swirled with a lightly sweet cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose white flour OR whole wheat pastry flour OR half of each)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups mixed berries (such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries), fresh OR frozen
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- Sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the softened butter with an electric mixer or fork, until butter is in tiny bits, similar to coarse sand. Blend in the eggs, milk, and vanilla until all ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Gently fold in the berries.
- In a small bowl, mix together softened cream cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar until smooth and blended. Set aside.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each prepared muffin cup, adding just enough that the bottom of the muffin liner is covered. Add a small dollop (about a teaspoon) of cream cheese mixture to the center of each muffin cup. Top cream cheese with another spoonful of batter, evenly dividing the remaining batter between the muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle the top of each muffin with sparkling sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins just test done with a toothpick, taking care not to overbake. Remove muffins from pans and cool on a wire rack, or eat warm out of the oven.
Tips, Tricks, & Variations
I've had good results baking this recipe with both white flour and whole wheat pastry flour, or a combo of the two. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is 100% whole wheat, but it lends quick breads a lighter taste and texture, more akin to that achieved by using white flour.
I always like to make sure that the eggs and milk are somewhat at room temperature so that they don't chill the butter and cause little lumps when I mix them in.
If you use frozen berries, don't thaw them first....doing so will just make them all mushy.
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Original article: Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Muffins
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