This pumpkin muffin recipe with cream cheese and streusel topping are beyond words. The combination of cream cheese and pumpkin pie filling works seamlessly in this deliciously easy recipe topped with crunchy streusel and a cheesecake glaze.
Looking for pumpkin recipe ideas? Try my fantastic pumpkin cheesecake recipe, the perfect combination of pumpkin pie and cheesecake in one. Or my copycat Starbucks pumpkin bread for a lovely pumpkin variation.
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🎃 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
If you want the best pumpkin cream cheese muffins on your table this fall, then this Starbucks-inspired pumpkin recipe is what you need! Although it may seem complicated with the many steps required to make them, I assure you it is easier than it looks and great for getting the kids involved in the baking process.
Since I was a small boy in school, I have been baking muffin recipes from various creations like apple & cinnamon to Nutella & banana bread. Still, there is something special about pumpkin and cream cheese muffins that puts them above the others.
The pumpkin spice is notable with every bite, and the 2 layers of cheesecake mixture give them a creamy, moist texture, topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel crumb topping. And if I'm honest, you'll never get something this good from Starbucks.
They are incredibly moreish and can be made gluten-free or sugar-free.
🍽 What you need
When pumpkin is in season, I always recommend buying a fresh pumpkin and making homemade pumpkin puree for a richer pumpkin flavor to make pumpkin bread and muffins. Still, you can buy canned pumpkin puree to save yourself some time if you prefer.
Equipment
- Muffin pans
- Electric mixer
- Medium mixing bowls x2
- 2 Large mixing bowls x2
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese - softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter - cold and cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Muffin Batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 10 ounces pumpkin puree - can
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese - room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoons vanilla
- salt - a pinch
🔪 How to make
Learn how to make this delicious pumpkin muffin recipe with my step-by-step instructions. You only need half an hour of your time, and everything is put together in a few simple steps that every home cook will be able to make.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius) and grease your muffin tin with cooking spray or melted butter.
Steps to make the cream cheese filling
- Combine all the cream cheese filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pop the mixture in the freezer for later.
Steps to make the streusel topping
- Combine the streusel topping ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well with your fingertips to make coarse crumbs, and place the bowl in the fridge later. Make sure all the butter pieces are coated with the oat and flour mixture.
Steps to make the muffin batter
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set them aside.
- Grab the medium mixing bowl and whisk the wet ingredients with the electric whisk until well combined and looking smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin batter into the dry mixture and use the electric whisk slowly to make a smooth batter. You don't want to overwork the batter; incorporate the batter enough until it's just combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin pan, then grab the cream cheese mixture from the freezer, scoop the mixture into each muffin holder, and top with the remaining pumpkin batter. Do not overfill each muffin holder as it will expand during baking and make a mess.
- Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the pumpkin mixture and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Check to see if the muffins are baked to perfection by sticking a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean, they are ready.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Steps to make the cream cheese frosting
- Combine the cream cheese frosting ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and beat with the electric mixer until well combined. It should be thickened & slightly runny, but not too runny.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins with a spoon or pour the mixture into a zip-lock bag and make a nice pattern over the top.
💭 Top tips
- Add chocolate chips to the pumpkin batter to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
- For extra crunchy in the streusel topping, add some chopped walnuts, almonds, or chopped pecans.
- Instead of all-purpose flour, use a gluten-free flour variant like whole wheat flour or rice flour to make gluten-free pumpkin muffins.
- To reduce the calories, I recommend substituting the whole milk for almond milk, the veggie oil for coconut oil or canola oil, and the granulated sugar for coconut sugar or erythritol.
- Make sure the dairy products for the batter are at room temperature. This makes it easier for the ingredients to incorporate together.
📖 Variations
If you're looking for more delicious muffins to make for your guests, check out some of these worldly creations that are perfect for breakfast, taking to picnics, or creating a muffin giftbox.
Lemon Raspberry Pound Cake Muffins
An irresistible lemon pound cake recipe with a jammy center and a sweet raspberry frosting is a match made in heaven! These super moist, lemony-flavored muffins taste amazing first thing in the morning with a strong brew of coffee.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
These crunchy coffee cake muffins with a cinnamon swirl are super-duper moist and extremely moreish. The sour cream filling helps them from drying up during baking and gives them extra layers of deliciousness with every bite. Coffee cake just got a new facelift!
Very Chocolatey Brownie Muffins
Chocolate lover beware!!! These extremely chocolatey muffins are filled with enough chocolate chips and cocoa powder to delight any chocolate lover and combined with walnuts to give them a nice crunch throughout.
🥫 Storage
Muffins can last for a good few days in the fridge or even at room temperature covered well in a dry place, and you can even freeze them for another week, which is great for making them in advance.
Room temperature - Cover the muffins in a kitchen cloth and store them in a dry cupboard away from the sun or place them in a bread bin. They will last up to 3 days at room temperature.
Fridge - Once the pumpkin muffins have cooled down, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer - Transfer any leftover muffins to an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you want to eat them.
👪 Serving size
These delicious pumpkin muffins make 12 generous-sized servings. Typically I recommend scaling this recipe twice for 24 muffins and even three times for 36 muffins. As a general rule, store 12 in the fridge and freeze the remaining pumpkin muffins for another day.
Pumpkin muffin cups with a cream cheese center and a cinnamon crumb topping are just perfect to make for your family and friends this fall, and if you have any kids, get them involved in the process also.
📋 Recipe
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Topping
- 6 ounces cream cheese - softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons butter - cold and cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Muffin Batter
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 10 ounces pumpkin puree - can
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese - room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- salt - a pinch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 205°C and grease a 12 cup muffin tin (or 6 cup jumbo muffin tin).
Steps to make Cream Cheese Filling
- Put the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla into a small mixing bowl, and use and electric mixer to blend together until smooth. Put the mixture into your freezer while you prepare the muffin batter.
Steps to make Streusel Topping
- Put the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter pieces, oats and flour into a bowl. Use your fingers (or a pastry cutter) to blend until it comes together with the butter in as small of pieces as possible. Put the mixture in the fridge until needed.
Steps to make Muffin Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and sugar and set aside.
- Put the pumpkin, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla into a separate mixing bowl, and use your hand mixture to puree until combined and smooth.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and use your hand mixer again to blend together until combined - do not over mix.
- Spoon about ⅓ of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, then use two spoons (or an ice cream scoop) to put a generous dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top. Cover with the remaining batter, making sure to not fill the muffin cups too full.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of streusel topping on each muffin, then bake in the oven for about 15 mins, or until a toothpick test comes out clean.
Steps to make Cream Cheese Glaze
- While the muffins are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using your mixer again to beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
- Allow the muffins to cool before removing them from the muffin tin, then drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the top, using a pastry bag or a zip lock with the corner snipped off.
Video
Notes
- Add chocolate chips to the pumpkin batter to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
- For extra crunchy in the streusel topping, add some chopped walnuts, almonds, or chopped pecans.
- Instead of all-purpose flour, use a gluten-free flour variant like whole wheat flour or rice flour to make gluten-free pumpkin muffins.
- To reduce the calories, I recommend substituting the whole milk for almond milk, the veggie oil for coconut oil or canola oil, and the granulated sugar for coconut sugar or erythritol.
- Make sure the dairy products for the batter are at room temperature. This makes it easier for the ingredients to incorporate together.
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