Banana Cream Cheese Muffins (Soft Banana Bread Muffins with Cheesecake Centers, 35 Min)

Posted by by Sara 20 hours Ago 10 Views
Banana cream cheese muffins on a wooden board, golden banana muffins with visible white cream cheese centers, sliced banana slices on top, sprinkle of brown sugar

These are the viral TikTok upgrade to banana bread — soft moist banana muffins with a hidden gooey cream cheese cheesecake center. Two ways to use up brown bananas in one recipe. Thirty-five minutes, twelve muffins, kids and adults both inhale them. Stays soft for four days. Perfect for using up ripe bananas — the spottier the better.

Fun fact: banana bread became an American pantry staple during the Great Depression as a way to use overripe bananas instead of throwing them away. The cream cheese filling addition is much more recent — it became a TikTok phenomenon in 2022 after a baker named Joshua Weissman posted a video stuffing cream cheese into banana muffins. The hidden-filling muffin format has been around for decades, but the banana + cream cheese combination went viral.

Why this recipe works

  • USE VERY RIPE bananas. Spotty/black bananas have higher sugar and stronger banana flavor. Yellow bananas barely taste like banana.
  • FROZEN FILLING. Spooning cream cheese filling onto a tray and freezing 15 min before stuffing keeps it from leaking out the bottom.
  • DON’T OVERFILL. Filling fills 1/3 of the muffin only. More than that = collapse + leak. Less is more.

Ingredients

Serves 12 muffins.

  • Cream cheese filling:
  • 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Banana muffin batter:
  • 3 very ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Topping (optional):
  • Sliced banana for the tops
  • Sprinkle of demerara or raw sugar

Instructions
Close-up of one split muffin showing tender banana crumb, gooey cream cheese filling in the center, golden top

Step 1: Make + freeze the filling

Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Scoop 12 portions (about 1 tbsp each) onto a parchment-lined tray. Freeze 15 minutes.

Step 2: Prep oven + tin

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 3: Mash bananas + mix wet

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth (some lumps OK). Whisk in brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until combined.

Step 4: Add dries

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula just until no streaks of flour remain.

Step 5: Layer batter + filling

Fill each muffin liner 1/3 full with banana batter. Place a frozen cream cheese ball in the center of each. Top with more batter to cover (fill liners about 3/4 to top).

Step 6: Top with banana slice (optional)

Add a banana slice and a sprinkle of demerara sugar on each muffin top for bakery presentation.

Step 7: Bake

Bake 22-25 minutes until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted at the EDGE (not center — that’s the filling) comes out clean.

Step 8: Cool

Cool in tin 5 minutes, transfer to wire rack. Eat warm — the cream cheese filling is at peak gooey.

Nutrition information

  • Calories: 290 kcal per muffin
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36 g
  • Sugar: 22 g
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g

Pro tips for the best banana cream cheese muffins

  • FREEZE filling for SURE. Skipping the freeze step = leaky cream cheese all over the muffin tin. 15 min freezer is non-negotiable.
  • ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS. 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips folded into the batter for a chocolate-banana-cheesecake combo.
  • ADD WALNUTS. 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts in the batter for classic banana bread crunch.
  • DOUBLE the recipe. Makes 24 muffins. Use 2 muffin tins. Freezes beautifully.

Frequently asked questions

What if my bananas aren’t ripe enough?

Bake whole bananas (in peel) at 300°F for 30 min — softens and sweetens them. Cool, peel, mash. Instant ripe bananas.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Sub 1:1 GF flour blend (King Arthur Measure for Measure). Reduce baking soda by 1/4 tsp.

How do I store them?

4 days at room temp in a sealed container (use the bread trick — drop a slice of bread in the box, keeps muffins soft). Or refrigerate 1 week.

Can I freeze them?

Yes — freeze cooled muffins in a bag up to 3 months. Microwave 20 sec to thaw and warm.

Why did my filling sink?

Filling wasn’t frozen enough, OR you put too much. 1 tbsp per muffin, must be frozen solid before stuffing.