Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are a soft and moist pumpkin spice muffin filled with a creamy cheesecake center and topped with buttery streusel.

Pumpkin cheesecake muffins combine the cozy flavors of pumpkin spice with a rich cream cheese filling and crunchy streusel topping. They are easy and even better than Starbucks. Lauren Allen

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If Fall were a muffin, it'd be this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.

I look forward to them every year! The pumpkin spice flavor is cozy and nostalgic, while the surprise cream cheese filling makes them taste like little bites of pumpkin cheesecake wrapped in a muffin. I especially love the streusel topping that gives them the best crunch on top. They’re easy enough to whip up on a weeknight but special enough to bring to a fall gathering, and my family never lets a batch last more than a day.

How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate while you prepare the muffin batter.

Muffin Batter: In one bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin purée until smooth. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Bake: Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then cover with more batter until each cup is about 3/4 full. Sprinkle generously with the streusel topping. Bake for 18–20 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Lauren Allen

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Serves 18

Prep 1 hour Cook 18 minutes Total 1 hour 18 minutes

Pumpkin Muffins:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, or homemade

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 4 ounces plain cream cheese , softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Streusel Topping:

• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling: Prepare cream cheese filling by combining the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix well until smooth. Refrigerate while you make the muffins.

Muffins: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir and set aside. In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Streusel Topping: Add the streusel topping ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine using a pastry or fork, until crumbly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a standard muffin pan, or line with paper liners.

Fill each muffin cup with a heaping tablespoon of batter. Place a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin cup. Add additional muffin batter until the cups are 3/4 way full. Sprinkle crumb topping over the top of each. (This recipe will make 18 regular size muffins, or 12 very large muffins. If you want to use all the batter to make large muffins, add 6-10 minutes to the bake time. I’ve never had them overflow on me.)

Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes. Remove from muffin pan and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Store pumpkin cream cheese muffins in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.

Freezing Instructions: Place muffins in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1gm, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 155mg, Potassium: 28mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

This article was originally published on tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Follow on Instagram.

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