Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins (Printable)

Soft banana muffins with marbled caramel cream cheese swirls for a sweet, indulgent snack.

# What You 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat with 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 together 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. Do not overmix.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Swirl in caramel sauce, leaving streaks for a marbled effect.
06 - Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full. Dollop 1 tablespoon caramel cream cheese mixture onto each muffin. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl into batter.
07 - Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid testing through cream cheese swirl.
08 - Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The caramel cream cheese swirl creates pockets of richness that make every bite feel special, even though they're surprisingly easy to add.
  • They're sturdy enough to wrap up and take anywhere, yet tender and moist enough that nobody suspects you didn't spend hours on them.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese is cold, it won't blend smoothly and you'll end up with small chunks instead of silky swirls, so take it out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead.
  • Don't insert the toothpick through the caramel swirl when testing for doneness, as that's exactly where the cream cheese sits and it'll make you think they're underbaked when they're actually perfect.
03 -
  • If your caramel sauce is too thin, simmer it in a small saucepan for a minute or two until it thickens enough to coat a spoon without running off immediately.
  • Mashing bananas by hand with a fork leaves tiny pieces that add lovely texture; a food processor makes them too smooth and uniform.
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