My banana cream cheese muffins are soft, moist, and loaded with sweet banana flavor, rich swirls of cream cheese filling, and a buttery cinnamon streusel topping. If you’re looking for the perfect bakery-style muffin recipe to use up those overripe bananas sitting on your counter, you’ve come to the right place.
Every bite is packed with tender banana muffin, creamy cheesecake-like filling, and a sweet crumb topping that takes these muffins over the top. They’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon snack with a hot cup of coffee.
If you love recipes like this that double as breakfast or dessert, be sure to try my mini pineapple cherry cheesecake croissants, cranberry orange cinnamon rolls, and apple coffee cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and moist banana muffins
- Creamy cheesecake filling swirled throughout
- Sweet cinnamon streusel topping
- Great way to use ripe bananas
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- Freezer-friendly for meal prep
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Ripe Bananas: Add natural sweetness, moisture, and that classic banana bread flavor everyone loves.
- Sour Cream: A key ingredient for keeping the muffins soft, tender, and extra moist. It also adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness.
- Cream Cheese: Creates the rich, creamy swirl in the center of the muffins, making them taste almost like cheesecake.
- Cinnamon: Brings warmth and enhances the natural sweetness of the bananas and streusel topping.
Variations
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins: Fold semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter for a decadent twist.
- Add Nuts: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to make a banana nut muffin version.
- Pumpkin: Swap the banana with pumpkin for pumpkin streusel cream cheese muffins.
- Mini Muffins: Use a mini muffin pan and reduce the baking time.
- Extra Cinnamony: Add a little extra cinnamon to the streusel topping for even more warm spice flavor.
How to Make Banana Cream Cheese Muffins
Step 1: Mix the wet batter ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Then, fold in the mashed bananas.
Step 3: Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the remaining filling ingredients until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Step 4: Mix the streusel ingredients until crumbly.
Step 5: Fill prepared muffin tin wells half full. Then, add the filling, swirl with a toothpick, and top with more batter. Sprinkle generously with streusel.
Step 6: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
- Mix the batter only until combined. Overmixing can create dense muffins.
- A few swirls are all you need. Overmixing the cream cheese layer will cause it to disappear into the batter.
- Line the muffin tins with liners and spray them with nonstick spray to prevent the muffins from sticking.
- Cool the muffins completely. The cream cheese filling sets as the muffins cool, making them easier to enjoy.
Banana Cream Cheese Muffins FAQs
The combination of ripe bananas, sour cream, and cream cheese filling helps create an incredibly moist and tender muffin. Using overripe bananas adds extra moisture and natural sweetness.
Yes. Thaw frozen bananas completely and drain any excess liquid before mashing and adding them to the batter.
The best bananas are heavily speckled or mostly brown. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
Dense muffins are often caused by overmixing the batter. Mix the ingredients only until combined to keep the muffins light and tender.
You can refrigerate these muffins for up to 5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for longer storage.
Allow the muffins to cool completely, then wrap them individually and store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
A Great Dessert or Brunch Item With:
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Banana Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ brown sugar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Streusel Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Muffins
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and sugars.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in the mashed bananas.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in the egg yolks, sour cream, and sugar.
- Beat until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter.
- Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Fill each muffin liner ⅓ way, add in a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture and use a toothpick to swirl into the batter.
- Add more batter on top until about ⅔ of the way full.
- Now, top each muffin with a generous amount of streusel topping and bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Notes
- The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your muffins will be.
- Mix the batter only until combined. Overmixing can create dense muffins.
- A few swirls are all you need. Overmixing the cream cheese layer will cause it to disappear into the batter.
- Line the muffin tins with liners and spray them with nonstick spray to prevent the muffins from sticking.
- Cool the muffins completely. The cream cheese filling sets as the muffins cool, making them easier to enjoy.
Nutrition
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