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Banana Cream Cheese Muffins

Banana cream cheese muffins with a domed, golden top and a hidden cream cheese center that turns into a tangy pocket when split open. The batter is banana-forward and gently baked so a toothpick test (avoiding the filling) stays clean.
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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: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana muffin batter
  • 3 bananas Ripe, mashed.
  • 0.3333333333 cup butter Melted.
  • 0.75 cup sugar Divided between batter and filling; use total as written.
  • 2 eggs Large.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract For the batter.
  • 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 For the filling.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract For the filling.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth, then refrigerate until needed.
Make the batter and fill the cups
  1. Mix mashed bananas, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and evenly 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.
  3. Fill each muffin cup about 1/3 full with batter.
  4. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling to the center of each cup.
  5. Cover the filling with more batter until each cup is filled to about 3/4 full.
Bake
  1. Bake at 375°F for 20–22 minutes, until the tops are golden.
  2. Insert a toothpick into the batter area (not the filling) and bake 1–2 minutes more only if it does not come out clean.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the toothpick test in the muffin batter (not the cream cheese center) so you don’t overbake the filling. Store muffins covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; rewarm 10–15 seconds in the microwave. Freeze up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use a cup-for-cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the same amount for a gluten-free version.