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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Fall Recipe

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These pumpkin cream cheese muffins feature a tender spiced muffin, a creamy cheesecake-like center, and a crunchy buttery streusel topping. Perfect for fall mornings, brunches, or holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for filling)
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup (70g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter, melted
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease well.
  2. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over and stir with a fork until clumps form. Set aside.
  3. Make the cream cheese filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla, beat again. Sprinkle flour or cornstarch over and mix until just combined. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In another medium bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add oil, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (10-12 folds). Do not overmix.
  7. Assemble muffins: Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Drop 1-1½ teaspoons cream cheese filling in the center. Top with another scoop of batter to cover filling completely. Cups should be about ¾ full.
  8. Add streusel: Sprinkle streusel generously over each muffin, pressing gently into batter.
  9. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not cream cheese) comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
  10. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are crucial for best texture. Do not overmix batter. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, use dairy-free cream cheese and substitute buttermilk with almond milk plus lemon juice. Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://platebelle.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-fall-recipe-2/