Berries and cream is one of the definitive combinations of summer, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy them any day of the year! Strawberries & Cream Bites are one way you can get the sunshine sweetness of summer even in the depths of winter! Each tender, brown-sugar sweetened oat cake is loaded with a creamy, tangy strawberry filling and bits of juicy strawberries. Mmmm, doesn’t that just sound like paradise? Ready in under an hour and perfect for taking on the go, Strawberries & Cream Bites make mornings feel like a fresh summer’s day… even in stormy weather!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a small bowl, add the cream cheese and the jam and whisk to combine.
Step 4 –In a large bowl, add the oats, the milk, the brown sugar, the applesauce, the eggs, the baking powder, the vanilla, and the salt and stir to combine.
Step 5 –Fold 1/2 cup of the strawberries into the milk mixture.
Step 6 –Fill each of the muffin cups with 2-3 tablespoons of the batter.
Step 7 –Top the batter in each up with an even dollop of the strawberry cream cheese and an even amount of the remaining strawberries.
Step 8 –Add the remaining batter evenly to each of the cups, adding just enough so the strawberries in each cup are covered and press slightly on each to compact them.
Step 9 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 10 –Cool the bites in the pan for 10 minutes.
Step 11 –Run a knife around the edges of the muffin cups to release the cakes and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 12 –Serve.
