Alright, so muffins aren’t exactly a dessert by nature. But they COULD be! And, I daresay, if any muffin recipe was going to fit into the “dessert” category, I’d say this is the one. It’s moist, soft, and vibrant- just like a cream cheese muffin should be. And the best part? ANY berries will do. Got raspberries? Use em. Blueberries? Throw em in. Blackberries? You get the picture. They’ll all work. Furthermore, because you’re using frozen berries, they’re always in season. (Even if you decide to use non-store-bought-fresh-berries, I advise you freeze them. Otherwise, the color of the berries will bleed into the muffin- I like to see spots of red/fruity-ness throughout separated by cake.)

Another positive about these muffins, (as if one needed more convincing), is their ability to withstand some time in the freezer. This is good, especially since we’re supposed to be eating healthier, right? So, freeze the evidence temptation to allow yourself the ability to pace yourself and your family.

This is especially helpful to me. As I shared on Friday, I need to start eating healthier. But, hey, I can’t quit all the bad stuff cold-turkey. I mean, that’s dangerous, right? So, preparing delicious (albeit unhealthy) food will continue, but in moderation, offset by great healthy recipes, and the leftovers will go in the freezer so they can’t all be eaten at once. Good plan.

Okay, bad plan, but AWESOME muffins. On with the recipe.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

5 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup low-fat buttermilk

2 cups frozen raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (f). Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until blended. Add sugar, beat, add vanilla, egg whites, and egg, beat again. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Slowly mix dry ingredients to the wet, mixing continually. Add flour and buttermilk slowly. Fold in raspberries. Pour batter into muffin cups, bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack, eat, thank me later.

Do you have a fave semi-dessert recipe? Share it in the comments!

Download the .pdf version of this recipe: Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Update: We were invited to link up this recipe on Sweet as Sugar Cookies for a linky party! Check it out. 🙂