If you've been sleeping on stuffed muffins, these Gluten free Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins are your wake-up call. They are bakery-style stuffed muffins that are completely gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free! These gluten free raspberry muffins are stuffed with a creamy dairy free cream cheese filling, packed with juicy raspberries, and taste like something straight out of a bakery case.
This is your sign to take classic muffins and upgrade them into stuffed muffins! I might be the crumble queen, but sometimes I have to switch it up and this time I decided to add a cream cheese filling to a classic raspberry muffin recipe. These muffins are super moist thanks to the juicy raspberries and cream cheese, making them soft and luscious. Eating them will feel like you're indulging, but they're made with better for you ingredients!
Why You'll Love These Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins
- Allergy friendly: these gorgeous muffins are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free, and nut free (depending on the dairy free cream cheese you use). Indulgent muffins that everyone can enjoy!
- Stuffed: we're upgrading your basic muffin by adding a dreamy cream cheese filling to add flavor and fun.
- Refined sugar free: talk about a healthy muffin! These better for you raspberry muffins contain no refined sugar and stick to coconut sugar instead.
- Easy to make: they may look fancy, but they couldn't be easier. We make a basic mix and dump muffin recipe and just squeeze some cream cheese in the middle.
Ingredients for Gluten Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Gluten free raspberry muffins
- Gluten free flour: use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour blend with xanthan gum for best results.
- Tigernut flour (or almond flour): tigernut flour is a nut free alternative to almond flour, so it's great for those with nut allergies, but almond flour works just as well if tolerated!
- Coconut sugar: the unrefined sugar that keeps these muffins from being overly sweet.
- Olive oil: provides a light and airy texture.
- Dairy free buttermilk: I teach you how to make dairy free buttermilk in the full recipe card.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs help these muffins rise and hold together.
- Raspberries: fresh raspberries or frozen ones will work. Stick to fresh berries during peak berry season, if you can!
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract
Dairy free cream cheese filling
- Dairy free cream cheese: your favorite variety of dairy free cream cheese will work.
- Powdered sugar: keep these muffins refined sugar free by making your own. Blend together 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon tapioca starch.
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Gluten Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups or paper liners.
- Make the cream cheese filling by beating together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Set in the fridge.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together all of the wet ingredients, except the raspberries.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low or fold in with a spatula until a few flour streaks remain.
- Fold the raspberries into the batter until just combined.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup ¾ of the way full.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag. To fill the muffins, insert the tip ½ way into the center of each muffin and begin squeezing, pulling up slowly in a circular motion to make a swirl at the top so you can see the cream cheese in the center of the muffin. Repeat for all muffins, you may have some cream cheese mixture leftover (keep it!).
- Add some granulated sugar to the muffin tops if desired, for aesthetics.
- Bake the muffins at 425F for 5 minutes then drop the temperature to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes.
- The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese) comes out with a few crumbs on it. Let muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperature.
- Once muffins are cooled, store in the fridge for the cream cheese centers to set.
- Depending on the brand of cream cheese, sometimes dairy free cream cheese can sink after baking. That's okay! If you have leftover cream cheese filling, you can add it to the centers of the muffins to fill them out.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Tigernut flour: almond flour will also work. If you don't have either, you can use 2 cups of gluten free flour, but I suggest increasing the sugar to ¾ cup as tigernut or almond flour adds some natural sweetness.
- Coconut sugar: you can use white sugar, but these muffins will no longer be refined sugar free.
- Olive oil: melted butter or coconut oil may also work, but will result in a denser muffin.
- Buttermilk: you can use ¼ cup dairy free milk with ¼ cup dairy free yogurt or Greek yogurt.
- Cream cheese: any brand of cream cheese, dairy free or regular, will work.
- Variations: feel free to switch up the berries to your favorite kind - chopped strawberries, blueberries, etc. You can also add a streusel crumb topping of desired! Love a lemon berry flavor? Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the wet ingredients when mixing.
Tips for the Perfect Gluten Free Raspberry Muffins
- Measure flour correctly. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup then level off so you don't pack the flour and end up with too much.
- Don't over mix the batter. For best results with gluten free baking, you never want to over mix batter. Mix until just combined and in this case, until there are a few flour streaks remaining. The flour will get fully incorporated when you fold in the raspberries.
- Bake at two temperatures: start at 425F for 5 minutes to get that beautiful domed top, then drop to 350F for the remaining bake time. The initial high heat gives the muffins a quick rise before the structure sets.
How to Perfectly Stuff These Muffins
When you fill the muffins, insert piping tip halfway into the muffin and begin squeezing. The muffin should quickly start to expand, when that begins to happen swirl the tip in a small circle as you pull it out of the top of the muffin. This may take practice on the first 1-2 muffins, that's okay! The swirling and pulling motion helps with the look, but if that's too much, you can just insert the piping tip and squeeze until the muffin expands to top of the muffin cup then pull the piping tip out.
Fresh vs. Frozen Raspberries: Which Should You Use?
Either one will work! Fresh raspberries are great to use in the summer when they are in season, but frozen raspberries will work if you are making these in the off season. No need to thaw them, just add them to the batter frozen.
Serving, Storage, and Make-Ahead Tips
These are perfect for a spring or summer brunch, Mother's Day spread, or a fun weekend bake. Serve them slightly warmed with a cup of coffee or tea. The cream cheese center gets extra dreamy when they're just a little warm.
Keep these muffins stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They do taste best fresh, so if making them for an event, you can make them up to a day beforehand (just keep stored in the fridge).
You can freeze these muffins for up to 2 months, just thaw in the fridge overnight before eating. This will change the texture of the muffins some due to the moisture from the cream cheese, but they are still delicious.
FAQ
Yes! Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally gluten free. As always, double check your labels, like your baking powder and flour blend to make sure there are no hidden gluten-containing additives
Your favorite brand will work! I use Violife since it fits my personal allergies.
Yes, you can make them a day ahead, just keep them stored in the fridge.
Yup! Frozen raspberries work just fine, no need to thaw them just add frozen raspberries straight to the batter.
The muffins should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the muffin (not cream cheese) should come out with a few crumbs on it.
No need to worry, you can use a ziplock bag. Add the filling to a large ziplock then snip the tip off an use as a piping bag.
More Gluten Free Muffins You Have to Try
If you love fruity muffins, you have to try my Gluten Free Cherry Crumble Muffins or Gluten Free Blueberry Oat Muffins or Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins.
Want more stuffed muffins? My Gluten Free Banana Pudding Muffins contain a banana cream filling!
For my chocolate lovers, try my Gluten Free Double Chocolate Banana Muffins.
If you try these gluten free and dairy free raspberry cream cheese muffins, leave a rating and review below! Drop any questions in the comments and tag me in your bakes on social media.
Gluten Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins (Dairy free)
Equipment
Ingredients
Raspberry Muffins
- 1 ½ cups 1:1 gluten free flour
- ½ cup tigernut flour* or almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder (use 2 teaspoon at sea level)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup buttermilk (mix ½ cup dairy free milk with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Let sit 10 minutes)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries tossed in 1 tablespoon flour
Cream Cheese Filling
- 16 oz dairy free cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar**
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups or paper liners.
- Make the cream cheese filling by beating together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Set in the fridge.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt)
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together all of the wet ingredients (including coconut sugar), except the raspberries.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low or fold in with a spatula until a few flour streaks remain.
- Fold the raspberries into the batter until just combined.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup ¾ of the way full.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to a piping bag. To fill the muffins, insert the tip ½ way into the center of each muffin and begin squeezing, pulling up slowly in a circular motion to make a swirl at the top so you can see the cream cheese in the center of the muffin. Repeat for all muffins, you may have some cream cheese mixture leftover (keep it!).
- Add some granulated sugar to the muffin tops if desired, for aesthetics.
- Bake the muffins at 425F for 5 minutes then drop the temperature to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes.
- The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese) comes out with a few crumbs on it. Let muffins cool for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperature.
- Once muffins are cooled, store in the fridge for the cream cheese centers to set.
- Depending on the brand of cream cheese, sometimes dairy free cream cheese can sink after baking. That's okay! If you have leftover cream cheese filling, you can add it to the centers of the muffins to fill them out.
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