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These Banana Cream Cheese Muffins are so easy to make and they have the best banana flavor. The addition of cream cheese in the center which makes each bite something new – like cream cheese banana bread but in muffin form!
Banana Muffins
Muffins like this one are the perfect recipe for anyone who has a busy schedule and often lets breakfast fall on the back burner. Every few weeks, whenever you have a chance, make these muffins and then pop them in the freezer. Every morning, put it in the microwave and you are good to go.
The banana mixture in these muffins is my best banana bread recipe with a delicious cream cheese swirl. The result is the best muffin recipe ever! Sprinkle some chopped nuts on top and this recipe is set for any hectic day!
Ingredients Needed
- Granulated Sugar: I typically use white sugar in my banana bread, but light brown sugar can be substituted.
- Vegetable Oil: Or canola oil or even melted butter.
- Bananas: Be sure to use overripe mashed bananas – they should have lots of brown spots. The more brown spots, the sweeter the banana – perfect for baking.
- Sour Milk: This can also be buttermilk, since we don’t often have sour milk anymore (my recipe comes from the 70s, when milk did go sour often). To make sour milk, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice to your milk, or use buttermilk. Nondairy milk can also be used.
- Baking Soda: The acid from the sour milk interacts with the baking soda to create a fluffy moist muffin.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure it is room temperature to avoid lumps.
How to make Cream Cheese Banana Muffins
- Mash bananas with a fork in a medium bowl. Stir oil and sugar with wooden spoon or spatula in a large bowl. Add bananas, eggs, milk, vinegar, baking soda, and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. (I used to do this in a blender; see recipe notes).
- Stir flour mixture into banana mixture with the milk. Add nuts, if using.
- Make the cream cheese filling: Mix together cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Fill muffin liners with about 2 tablespoons of muffin batter. Add some of the cream cheese mixture and place remaining muffin batter over the top. Sprinkle with nuts if using (or chocolate chips would be good too!)
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the side of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Chop 1/2-1 cup of nuts to add to the batter, and then sprinkles some of the excess on top after baking. I love using pecans or walnuts.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
- I really prefer using paper liners for muffins – it keeps the centers nice and moist.
FAQs
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes you can! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
How do you keep banana muffins moist?
These muffins are incredibly soft and moist because of the oil (oil makes them more tender) and because of the combination of baking soda and sour milk. The three of those together create the best fluffy muffins.
Cream Cheese Banana Muffins Recipe
Cream Cheese Banana Muffins – this EASY banana muffins recipe is my favorite and it’s FULL of a sweet cream cheese mixture! Everyone loves these muffins!
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Filling:
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese , room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar
For the bread:
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 7 tablespoons sour milk or add 1 teaspoon vinegar to the milk to sour it, see note
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped nuts , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups.
- Make the cream cheese filling: mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
- If you're using milk and vinegar, add 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice and 7 tablespoons milk to a measuring cup and let sit 5 minutes.
- Mash bananas with a foil or potato masher in a large bowl. Stir in oil and sugar with wooden spoon or a hand mixer.
- Add eggs, salt, and baking soda, stir. Add milk and flour and mix until combined (batter will be slightly lumpy).
- Fill muffin cups with about 2 tablespoons of muffin batter. Add about ½ teaspoon of cream cheese to the center of each muffin, then top with another 1 tablespoon of batter. Sprinkle with chopped nuts on top, if desired.
- Bake for 14-18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the side of a muffin. Cool 5 minutes in pan then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
I used to use a blender to make all my banana bread recipes but, while I still love that method, it make more dishes, so I edited the recipe. Here is how to use the blender:
Stir oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add bananas, eggs, milk, vinegar, baking soda, and salt to a blender jar and blend until smooth. Pour half the banana mixture into the oil mixture with 1 cup of flour. Stir until just incorporated, then add the remaining banana mixture and flour. Stir until just incorporated. Stir in nuts, if using. Continue with the rest of the recipe.
Milk: You can use buttermilk (7 tablespoons) or make your own “sour” milk by adding 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then adding 7 tablespoons milk and letting sit for 5 minutes. You can use any kind of milk (dairy or nondairy).
Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Other Muffin Recipes
Need more muffins to make ahead of time and freeze for an easy breakfast? Here are some of my favorites:
I just finished baking the cream cheese banana muffins. Yummy 😋