Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

These Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins are soft, moist, and made with juicy raspberries, a sweet cream cheese center, and buttery crumbs on top. They look like they came from a bakery, but they are easy enough to make at home.

Raspberries make these muffins bright and fresh, while the cream cheese filling keeps them rich and moist. The crumb topping adds that bakery-style finish, making them great for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or sharing with family and friends. If you love this kind of muffin, be sure to check out my cream cheese muffins collection with even more flavors.

Why You’ll Love These Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

• Cream cheese filling: The sweet, cheesecake-like center sets these muffins apart from regular raspberry muffins.
• Soft and moist: Greek yogurt keeps the muffin batter tender without making it heavy.
• Fresh raspberry flavor: Juicy raspberries add a bright, slightly tart contrast to the sweet filling and glaze.
• Buttery crumb topping: The golden streusel adds a bakery-style finish without making the muffins complicated.
• Great for breakfast or dessert: They are simple enough for a morning treat, but pretty enough for brunch, holidays, or sharing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• All-purpose flour: Used in both the muffin batter and the crumb topping.
• Brown sugar: Gives the streusel topping a richer flavor and helps it bake up golden.
• Unsalted butter: Melted butter brings the crumb topping together.
• Cream cheese: Use room-temperature cream cheese so the filling mixes smooth and creamy.
• Sugar: Sweetens both the muffin batter and the cream cheese filling.
• Cornstarch: Helps the cream cheese filling stay a little thicker while baking.
• Egg: Adds structure to the muffin batter.
• Greek yogurt: Keeps the muffins soft, moist, and tender.
• Vegetable oil: Adds moisture and helps keep the muffins from drying out.
• Vanilla extract: Adds flavor to both the muffins and the cream cheese filling.
• Fresh raspberries: Use fresh raspberries for the best texture. If they are very large, cut them in half or into smaller pieces before adding them to the muffins.
• Powdered sugar and milk or cream: For a simple glaze to drizzle over the cooled muffins.

How to Make Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

1. First, make the crumb topping. Stir together flour, brown sugar, and salt, then add melted butter and mix with a fork until coarse crumbs form. Set it aside while you prepare the filling and muffin batter.
2. Next, make the cream cheese filling. Mix softened cream cheese with sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla just until smooth and combined.
3. For the muffin batter, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg and sugar, then add Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
4. Gently fold in part of the raspberries, or save most of them to add by hand while assembling the muffins. Spoon a little batter into each muffin liner, add the cream cheese filling in the center, then add a few raspberry pieces. Top with more batter, more raspberries, and a generous amount of crumb topping.
5. Bake until the tops are golden brown and the centers are set. Cool the muffins, then drizzle with the simple glaze before serving.

Tips for the Best Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

• Do not overmix the batter. Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Overmixing can make the muffins dense instead of soft and tender.
• Use room-temperature cream cheese. Softened cream cheese mixes smoothly and makes the filling creamy without lumps.
• Do not overfill the muffin cups. Fill each liner about 2/3 full, or no more than 3/4 full. These muffins have cream cheese filling, raspberries, and crumb topping, so they need room to rise.
• Cut large raspberries. If your raspberries are very large, cut them in half or into smaller pieces before adding them to the muffins.
• Add some raspberries by hand. Raspberries are delicate and can tint the batter pink if you stir too much. Fold in just part of them, then add the rest by hand while assembling the muffins.
• Use fresh raspberries if possible. Fresh berries hold their shape better and give the muffins the best texture.
• Cool before glazing. If the muffins are still warm, the glaze will melt and run off instead of setting nicely on top.

How to Keep Raspberries from Sinking or Bleeding

• Raspberries are much softer than blueberries, so they can break easily and release juice into the batter. To keep the muffins looking pretty, stir the batter gently and avoid mixing all the raspberries in at once.
• I like to fold in only part of the raspberries, then add the rest by hand while filling the muffin cups. This helps keep the berries more evenly scattered and prevents the batter from turning too pink.
• If the raspberries are large, cut them into smaller pieces so they are easier to distribute through the muffins.

How to Store Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Store Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Because these muffins have a cream cheese filling, they should not be left at room temperature for too long.

For the best texture, let the muffins sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before serving. You can also warm them very briefly in the microwave, but keep in mind that the glaze may soften.

Can I Freeze Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins?

Yes, you can freeze these muffins. Let them cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

For best results, freeze the muffins without the glaze and add the glaze after thawing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.

More Cream Cheese Muffins to Try

If you love muffins with a sweet cream cheese filling, try my Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins next. They are one of my favorite cream cheese muffin recipes, and the blueberry version is always a reader favorite.

For more cream cheese muffin flavors, you may also like Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins, Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins, and Peach Cream Cheese Muffins. They all use the same idea of soft muffins with a creamy filling, but with a different fruit flavor.

If you want a simpler raspberry muffin without the cream cheese filling, try my Raspberry Streusel Muffins. And for the raspberry and cream cheese combination in cake form, check out my Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake or Raspberry Cheesecake Crumb Cake.

You can also try my Berry Cream Cheese Muffins if you like a mix of raspberries and blueberries in one muffin.

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