These Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble muffins are the most delicious breakfast treat. They are packed with fresh, juicy strawberries, filled with a creamy cheesecake filling in the center and topped with a graham cracker crumble. These are perfect if you are hosting a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch and really want to impress the crowd!
These easy strawberry muffins are easy to put together but taste like you were in the kitchen all day! The fresh strawberries combined with fresh lemon juice really gives this muffin such great flavor. Add that creamy cheesecake filling and you've got quite the breakfast treat!
This recipe originally just had a chunk of cream cheese inserted in the middle, but I've redone this recipe to make it so much better. The cheesecake filling melts into the muffin batter and creates such a great flavor combo.
For more breakfast ideas, try one of these: Oatmeal Bread, Easy Strawberry Lemon Muffins with Crumb Topping or Baked Oats for One.
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Why You Will Love These
- The strawberries. Making this muffin recipe during the peak of strawberry season will give you the best strawberry flavor. The fresh strawberries bake so nicely in the muffin batter and pair perfectly with the other ingredients.
- The cheesecake center. The creamy, sweet cheesecake center makes it seem like you've got a little dessert stuffed right into your muffin. The cream cheese filling is the best surprise when you bite in!
- The graham cracker crumble. The graham cracker crumble that is generously sprinkled on the top of the muffins not only looks great, it tastes great too. Mixed with butter and sugar, the crumbs add the perfect little crunch and sweetness to the tops.
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make these awesome muffins. All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store or an online retailer, like Amazon.
- Cream cheese: Full fat softened cream cheese is going to be best for this recipe. Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to use it.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar is all you'll need.
- Eggs: You will use one whole egg and one egg yolk.
- Vanilla: I prefer to use vanilla bean paste but vanilla extract works just as great!
- Graham cracker crumbs: Use about 4 sheets of graham crackers to make ½ cup of crumbs. I just put them in a zip top bag and crush them with a glass or rolling pin. (A perfect task for little hands that want to help!)
- Butter: Unsalted butter that is melted and cooled is used in both the batter and the graham cracker crumble.
- Flour: White all purpose flour will work best in this recipe.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Milk: You can use whichever percentage of milk you have on hand.
- Lemon juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice tastes best but bottled works too!
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries that are coarsely chopped.
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make this easy recipe for strawberry cheesecake muffins. For the full recipe and ingredient list, see the recipe card below. For this recipe you will need two muffin tins and muffin liners.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
STEP 1: Place the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on low until it is nice and smooth.
STEP 2: Add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla and continue to beat on low just until it is combined and you no longer see the egg yolk. Set this aside.
Make the Graham Cracker Crumble
STEP 1: In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir until it is thoroughly mixed and crumbly. Set this aside.
Make the Muffins
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two muffin tins with six muffin liners each, leaving empty space between each one.
STEP 2: In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda). Stir with a whisk until combined.
STEP 3: In a small bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice, butter, and egg. Stir this with a whisk until it is fully combined and then add it to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until it is just combined.
STEP 4: Add the strawberries and fold them in carefully using a rubber spatula.
STEP 5: Fill each muffin liner with about 2 tablespoons of the muffin mixture. Top the batter with about 1 tablespoon of the cheesecake mixture. Top the cheesecake mixture with about 2 more tablespoons of the muffin batter. Sprinkle the tops generously with the graham cracker crumble.
STEP 6: Bake the muffins in the prepared 425°F oven for 9 minutes. Then reduce the heat (without opening the oven door) to 350°F and bake for 8-10 more minutes or until they are lightly browning around the edges.
STEP 7: Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool slightly in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm (the best way!), at room temperature or cold from the refrigerator!
Expert Tips
- To switch up the flavor, swap the strawberries for blueberries and the lemon juice for orange juice!
- Do not open the oven when you reduce it from 425°F to 350°F. Starting the cooking temperature higher, helps the muffins to get their dome shaped top.
- Filling every other cup of the muffin liner also helps the muffins to bake up higher.
- Prepare muffin batter and cheesecake filling the night before, or several hours before, you plan to do your baking. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
- Save a little bit of the graham cracker crumble to sprinkle on the top of each muffin after baking.
- Top with slices of extra strawberries for a special added touch!
- Add the some lemon zest to the crumble or sprinkle a little on top after the muffins have baked for additional lemon flavor.
FAQ
Yes. You can use thawed frozen strawberries in place of fresh strawberries in this recipe.
You could, but the consistency and taste will be altered. To save some calories, this would be a good idea, but note that the texture and flavor will be slightly different.
Sure! Just be sure to thoroughly coat your muffin liner with cooking spray before filling.
Storing and Freezing
Baked muffins can be kept in an airtight container or zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve cold from the refrigerator or warm in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel for 15-20 seconds.
Freeze baked muffins in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 3 months. Allow muffins to come to room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Other Recipes to Try
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Recipe
Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble Muffins
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Graham Cracker Crumble:
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 sheets)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For the Muffins:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped
Instructions
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- In a medium sized bowl, add the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, beat on low speed until smooth. Add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla and continue to beat just until mixed. Set aside.8 ounces cream cheese, softened, ¼ cup sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Graham Cracker Crumble:
- In a small bowl combine graham cracker cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir until combined and crumbly.½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 sheets), 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 2 teaspoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
For the Muffins:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two muffin tins with 6 liners each, leaving empty spaces between each one.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir with a whisk to combine.2 cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup sugar
- In a small bowl, combine milk, lemon juice, butter, and egg. Stir with a whisk to combine. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until combined. Fold in strawberries.½ cup milk, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons), 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 1 large egg, 1 cup strawberries, chopped
- Fill each muffin liner with about 2 tablespoons of batter. Top with about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture and then about 2 more tablespoons of batter. Sprinkle the tops generously with the graham cracker mixture.
- Bake in the prepared 425°F oven for 9 minutes then reduce the heat to 350° F and continue to bake for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly browning around the edges. Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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