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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Recipe

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Tender, spiced pumpkin muffins with a creamy, tangy cream cheese center and a crunchy, buttery streusel topping. This easy recipe is a love letter to fall, perfect for lazy Sunday mornings or holiday brunches.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (100% pure, not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 8 oz (226g) block cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Streusel Topping:
  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) cold butter, cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
  2. Make the streusel topping: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse, crumbly sand with some pea-sized butter bits. Refrigerate while preparing other components.
  3. Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until combined and silky. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  6. Make the muffin batter: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
  7. Assemble muffins: Using a cookie scoop, drop a generous tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup, filling about 1/3 full. Make a small well in the center. Drop a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese filling into each well. Top with another scoop of batter, covering cream cheese completely (cups should be about 3/4 full). Sprinkle generously with chilled streusel topping.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Tops should be golden brown.
  9. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For best results, keep cream cheese filling cool and streusel chilled. Do not overmix batter. When testing for doneness, insert toothpick into muffin part, not cream cheese center. Muffins keep well in refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, streusel topping, fall baking, pumpkin cream cheese, easy muffin recipe

Find it online: https://emmastirs.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-recipe/