Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Mentally, I’ve been in strawberry season since January. Physically, I’ve had to wait until now and I just can’t hold out on some of these strawberry recipes any longer.

I’m fairly confident the first documented friendship was between strawberries and cream.

While I’d love to indulge in a bowl of strawberries and fresh whipped cream it seems a little more realistic to take this concept into muffin form.

Why have I not baked with strawberries until now? They literally melt into the batter.

Also, these muffins aren’t too sweet, which keeps you from feeling like you’re having a cupcake for breakfast. There are two entire cups of strawberries in here after all…. basically the same as having a smoothie.

You mainly taste the fresh strawberries, cinnamon, and then that hit of cream cheese. What I’m trying to say is these might be my new favorite muffin.

Inspired by sweetpeasandsaffron

You’ll need:

2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon

0.5 teaspoon salt

0.75 teaspoon sugar

1 egg

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

0.25 cup vegetable oil

2 cup strawberries (cut into small pieces)

0.5 cup cream cheese (room temperature helps)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin tray with liners (or grease). The recipe said this would make 12 muffins and mine made nine. Apparently I am aggressive with my portioning (not surprising).

In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl beat egg. Add milk and oil to egg and combine. Form a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix until JUST combined. Mix in strawberries. Do not over mix, I repeat, do not overmix.

Spoon batter into muffin tray. Add one teaspoon of cream cheese on the top of each muffin pressing so that it lies level with the top of the batter. I rolled the cream cheese into a little ball in my hand before placing in batter.