Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins (Print)

Moist banana muffins featuring luscious caramel cream cheese swirls for a perfect anytime snack.

# Ingredients:

→ Muffin Batter

01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
08 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
09 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1/4 cup whole milk

→ Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl

13 - 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1 large egg yolk
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 1/4 cup thick caramel sauce

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or apply nonstick spray to each cup.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk melted butter, vegetable oil, and sugar until well combined. Add mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Whisk until smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain muffin texture.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Swirl in caramel sauce, leaving visible streaks for marbled appearance.
06 - Distribute batter evenly among muffin cups, filling approximately 2/3 full. Dollop 1 tablespoon caramel cream cheese mixture onto each muffin. Using a toothpick or skewer, gently swirl mixture into batter.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Ensure toothpick avoids cream cheese swirl when testing.
08 - Allow muffins to cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • That surprise burst of caramel and cream cheese in every bite feels indulgent without being overly fussy.
  • They stay moist for days, which means you can actually bake them on Sunday and enjoy them all week without guilt.
  • The batter comes together in minutes, so you can have warm muffins cooling on the rack before your coffee even gets cold.
02 -
  • Overmixing the banana batter is the enemy—fold it just until the flour disappears or you'll end up with dense, tough muffins that taste more like a brick than a snack.
  • That cream cheese absolutely must be softened to room temperature, or it will refuse to mix smoothly and you'll have little lumps sabotaging your swirl.
  • When testing for doneness with a toothpick, make sure you're checking the banana cake part, not stabbing directly into the cream cheese swirl, or you'll never get a clean test.
03 -
  • Fill your muffin cups with a spring-loaded ice cream scoop for even batter distribution, which means your muffins bake at the same rate and look uniform in the tin.
  • If you want lighter muffins without losing moisture, swap half the butter for Greek yogurt and they'll still be tender but feel less indulgent.
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