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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast & Brunch » Muffins » Cherry Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

    Cherry Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

    Published: Sep 17, 2022 by Barbara Curry · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

    Cherry muffins cut open on a plate.
    Cherry muffins cut open on a plate.

    Fresh Cherry Muffins filled with cream cheese are the BEST muffins for breakfast or brunch. There’s a cheesecake filling surrounded by a scrumptious oatmeal cherry muffin.

    Oatmeal muffins filled with cherries and cream cheese on a plate.

    Cream cheese cherry muffins are going to be your new favorite breakfast muffin. They’re not over the top sweet like some breakfast muffins, but still a decadent treat.

    I first made these muffins in the summer when I had a bag of cherries from the grocery. Sadly, we don’t have many cherry trees in my neck of the woods, but since they ship pretty well, we can still get sweet cherries during the summer months.

    However, you don’t have to have fresh cherries for these oatmeal muffins, frozen will work too, or you could stick with a time honored favorite, blueberry muffins with a streusel topping.

    Pro tip: If using frozen cherries, you will need to thaw them first and drain off the juices.

    Any type of muffin that has cheesecake in the middle has to be wonderful including my pumpkin cream cheese muffins and chocolate cream cheese cupcakes. As with those, you get a couple of bites of cheesecake like filling in the center.

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      The cheesecake filling also keeps them from drying out as quickly, making these perfect for those time when you want to make them a day ahead of time.

      Oatmeal soaked in buttermilk creates a moist oatmeal muffin and the cherries add a natural sweetness so that they don’t need quite as much sugar as other breakfast muffins.

      Cherry muffins on a plate next to a bowl of cherries.

      Why you’ll love this recipe

      • Cherries add a unique taste
      • Cheesecake filling
      • Oatmeal soaked in buttermilk keeps them moist
      • You can use fresh or frozen cherries

      What you’ll need

      The ingredients you'll need for cherry muffins.
      • Old fashioned oatmeal – it will soak in buttermilk to create a great texture
      • Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk. You can use skim buttermilk or whole.
      • Cream cheese – for the cheesecake filling
      • Cherries – you can use fresh or frozen
      • Pantry staples – sugar, flour, vanilla, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and egg and butter.

      Pro tip: If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you can place each cherry over an empty wine bottle and use a chop stick to push the pit into the bottle. It’s quick and easy and you avoid the mess of cutting the cherry off the pit.

      How to make cherry muffins with cream cheese filling

      Step 1 – soften the oatmeal

      Combine oats and buttermilk and let them stand for 10 minutes.

      Oatmeal and buttermilk in a measuring cup.
      Oatmeal after it has soaked in buttermilk.

      Step 2 – make the filling

      With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until combined and set aside.

      The cheese cake filling for cherry muffins.

      Step 3 – make the batter

      Add egg and melted butter to the oat mixture and add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.

      The batter with eggs and butter.

      Gently stir in the cherries.

      Cherries added to an oatmeal batter.
      The completed batter for cherry muffins.

      Step 4 – layer the muffins

      Scoop 2 tablespoons of oatmeal batter into each muffin cup. Top with2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture and then top with 2 tablespoons of the remaining batter.

      A muffin tin filled with oatmeal batter and topped with cheesecake filling.
      Filled muffin cups with layers of batter and cheesecake.

      Step 5 – bake

      Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

      Baked cherry muffins on a cooling rack.

      Even though these have the extra step of layering the batter, it didn’t take any time at all and the outcome was worth the extra step.  These are so much better than a traditional breakfast muffin.

      Since these have the cream cheese filling, you will need to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 1-2 days. If you are not going to eat them right away, it is best to freeze them as the will dry out in the refrigerator.

      A cherry muffin, split open on a plate.

      FAQs and tips

      Can you freeze cheesecake muffins?

      Cheesecake muffins, just like cheesecake will freeze well, it’s the best way to store them as they will dry out in the refrigerator after a couple of days.

      How do you tell if cherry muffins with cream cheese are done?

      A toothpick in the center should come out clean. When the cheesecake filling is done, the rest of the muffin will be also.

      What can you do with fresh cherry

      • A dish of cherry pie with ice cream melting on the top.
        Cherry Pie with Crumb Topping
      • A spoonful of cherry clafoutis
        Cherry Clafoutis
      • A white platter of pork tenderloin covered in cherry sauce.
        Grilled Tenderloin with Cherry Sauce
      • two cherry hand pies on a plate with a glaze drizzled on them
        Cherry Hand Pies with Puff Pastry

      Favorite breakfast muffins you’ll love

      • Banana muffins with chocolate chips on a plate.
        Chunky Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins
      • Raspberry white chocolate muffins in a muffin tin next to a bowl of honey butter.
        Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins
      • A muffin pan of banana granola muffins
        Banana Granola Muffins
      • Two blueberry muffins with streusel topping on a marble board
        Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

      Adapted from Bake or Break 

      Cherry oatmeal muffins cut open with a cheesecake filling on a plate.

      Cherry Cheesecake Muffins

      Author: Barbara Curry
      Fresh Cherry Muffins filled with cream cheese are the BEST muffins for breakfast or brunch. There's a cheesecake filling surrounded by a scrumptious oatmeal cherry muffin.
      5 from 2 votes
      Print Pin
      PREP: 15 minutes minutes
      COOK: 20 minutes minutes
      Servings: 12

      Ingredients
       

      • 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
      • 1 cup buttermilk
      • 8 ounces cream cheese
      • ¼ cup sugar
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla
      • 1 cup flour
      • ¾ cup brown sugar
      • 1 teaspoon baking powder
      • ½ teaspoon baking soda
      • ½ teaspoon salt
      • 1 egg lightly beaten
      • ¼ cup butter melted
      • 1 cup cherries pitted can chopped
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      Instructions
       

      • Preheat oven to 450º. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
      • In a medium bowl, combine the oatmeal and buttermilk and let stand for 10 minutes. Then add the egg and melted butter and stir to combine.
      • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the oatmeal mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.
      • In a different bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until combined and creamy.
      • Using a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop, and add a scoop of batter into each muffin cup. Top with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of the oatmeal batter to the top.
      • Bake for 5 minutes at 450º then turn down the oven to 350º and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
      Barbara’s Tips + Notes
      • If you don’t use muffin liners, then spray the muffin tins with cooking spray.
      • You can use fresh or frozen cherries, if using frozen, let them thaw and drain any juice. 
      • Store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 
      • If you don’t have butter milk, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand for 5 minutes. 

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1serving | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 432IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
      Follow Me On SocialDid you make this recipe? Mention @ButterandBaggage or tag #ButterandBaggage on Instagram!

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      Comments

      1. Kailee says

        September 27, 2022 at 2:28 pm

        5 stars
        Wow, these sound delicious – can’t wait to try!

        Reply
        • Foodie Digital says

          September 27, 2022 at 2:30 pm

          Totally agree!

          Reply

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      Barbara Curry is the culinary adventurer of Butter & Baggage. With a dedicated enthusiasm for real butter made from happy cows she is in constant pursuit of delicious recipes and tasty dishes. She shares her experiences, ventures, and occasional misadventures because let’s face it things can get messy in any kitchen.

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