Description
These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins combine moist pumpkin-spiced batter with a luscious cream cheese filling and a sweet cinnamon streusel topping. Perfect for autumn breakfasts or cozy snacks, these muffins bake to golden perfection with a tender crumb and rich flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Muffins
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375F (190C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners to prepare for baking.
- Make Cream Cheese Filling: In a mixing bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add granulated sugar and vanilla extract, then mix until creamy and fully combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated into the butter-sugar mixture.
- Incorporate Pumpkin and Milk: Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until mixed well, then add whole milk and stir. Scrape down the bowl sides to ensure all ingredients are combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula, stirring until just combined. Avoid over-mixing for tender muffins.
- Fill Muffin Liners: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin muffin batter into the bottom of each liner. Use the back of a spoon to create a small crater or nest in the center of the batter.
- Add Cream Cheese Filling: Drop a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into each crater, then cover with more pumpkin muffin batter until liners are ¾ full, smoothing the top.
- Prepare Streusel: Whisk together flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix or toss until the mixture becomes clumpy.
- Top Muffins: Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over each filled muffin liner.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 375F (190C) for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with dry pumpkin crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow muffins to cool in the tin for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve once cooled to room temperature for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days to maintain freshness.
- Ensure cream cheese is fully softened at room temperature to avoid lumps in the filling.
- Do not overmix the batter; gentle folding will keep muffins tender and moist.
- The pumpkin spice blend can be adjusted to taste if preferred less or more spiced.
- Use paper liners for easy removal and cleanup of the muffins.
- Allow muffins to cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
