Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins (Printable)

Moist banana muffins featuring rich caramel cream cheese swirls for an irresistible sweet treat any time of day.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or apply nonstick spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, oil, and sugar until combined. Add mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until smooth.
04 - Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Swirl in caramel sauce, leaving streaks for marbled effect.
06 - Spoon batter into each muffin cup, filling approximately two-thirds full. Dollop 1 tablespoon caramel cream cheese mixture onto each muffin, then gently swirl with a toothpick or skewer.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid testing through cream cheese swirl.
08 - Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese swirl stays molten and luscious while the banana cake around it stays impossibly moist, like you've discovered two textures in one bite.
  • These are deceptively simple to make but taste like you spent hours planning something elaborate, which feels pretty good.
02 -
  • Don't test the doneness near the cream cheese swirl or you'll always think they need more time; test in the plain banana cake instead.
  • Room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable—cold cream cheese will seize up and create lumps that even an electric mixer can't fix.
03 -
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill your muffin cups evenly so they bake at the same rate and look uniform on the plate.
  • If your cream cheese mixture is too thick to swirl, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
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