There’s something magical about the first crisp day of fall, and these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are the perfect way to welcome the season. They are everything you could want in an autumn bake: tender, spiced pumpkin cake with a surprise pocket of creamy cheesecake, all finished with a crunchy pecan streusel. These are truly one of our family’s favorite fall treats.
I’ll always remember my sister Jennifer insisting our pumpkin muffins needed a “secret treasure.” That sweet cream cheese filling was her brilliant idea, and now it’s a joyful family tradition we bake up every single year to welcome the autumn chill.
What Makes These Muffins So Special?
- Taste: A perfect balance of warm pumpkin spice and sweet, tangy cream cheese.
- Texture: Incredibly moist and tender cake with a smooth, creamy center and a crunchy streusel top.
- Ease: Three simple components (batter, filling, topping) that come together much faster than you’d think.
- Occasion: Ideal for a cozy fall breakfast, an afternoon snack with coffee, or a delightful dessert.
Let’s Gather Our Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
A Few Tools I Find Helpful
Before we start mixing, here are a couple of little things that make the process a breeze.
Muffin Tin
A standard 12-cup muffin tin is the heart of this operation, ensuring each muffin bakes evenly.
Ice Cream Scoop
I find using a medium ice cream scoop is the cleanest and easiest way to portion out the batter evenly into the liners.
How We’ll Bring These Muffins to Life
First, Warming Up the Kitchen
First things first, let’s get that oven warming up. Preheat it to 350°F (175°C) and place your paper liners in the muffin tin. Getting everything ready ahead of time always makes the baking process feel so much calmer.
The Scent of Autumn Spices
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. I love this step, the warm scent of the spices starts to fill the kitchen, and it instantly feels like fall.
Mixing Our Spiced Pumpkin Batter
In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, oil, eggs, and vanilla until everything is smooth and well combined. Gently pour this wet mixture into your dry ingredients and stir only until you no longer see streaks of flour. Remember, a few lumps are perfectly okay; overmixing is what makes muffins tough!
Whipping Up the Creamy Center
Now for the “secret treasure,” as Jennifer called it. In a medium bowl, beat your softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until it’s wonderfully smooth and creamy. Making sure the cream cheese is truly at room temperature is key to avoiding lumps.
Creating That Crumbly Topping
In another small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse, crumbly sand. If you’re using them, stir in the chopped pecans for a lovely extra crunch.
The Fun Part: Assembling Our Muffins
This is where the magic happens! Fill each muffin cup about halfway with the pumpkin batter. Then, add a generous spoonful (about a tablespoon) of the cream cheese mixture right into the center. Top it off with a bit more pumpkin batter, filling the cups to about three-quarters full.
Adding a Little Crunch
Generously sprinkle the streusel topping over each muffin. Don’t be shy here, the crunchy topping is one of the best parts!
A Golden, Baked Finish
Place the muffins in your preheated oven and bake for 20–22 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the cakey part of a muffin, avoiding the cream cheese center. If it comes out clean, they’re ready. Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
A Little Note on Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate and can vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. The values are calculated per muffin.
If You’d Like a Lighter Muffin
- Flour Swap: For a little extra fiber, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour.
- Reduce the Sugar: You can slightly reduce the granulated sugar in both the muffin batter and the filling by a few tablespoons without drastically affecting the final result.
- Oil Alternative: For a lighter muffin, you can replace half of the vegetable oil with unsweetened applesauce.
How We Love to Enjoy Them
There’s truly no wrong way to enjoy these cream cheese muffins, but here are a few of my favorite ways:
- Serve them warm, right out of the oven, with a pat of butter for an extra touch of indulgence.
- Enjoy one with a steaming mug of coffee or a spiced chai latte on a chilly morning.
- Pack them for a lovely autumn picnic or share them with neighbors, they are a wonderful gift.
My Tips for Muffin Success
- Don’t Over-Stir: Stir the wet and dry ingredients together only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can result in dense, tough muffins instead of light and tender ones.
- Room-Temp Cream Cheese is Key: Ensure your cream cheese is fully softened. If it’s too cold, your filling will be lumpy instead of smooth and creamy.
- Don’t Crowd the Tins: Don’t fill the liners more than three-quarters full. This gives the muffins room to rise beautifully without spilling over the sides and making a mess of your oven.
How to Keep Your Muffins Fresh
Because of the cream cheese filling, these muffins should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4-5 days. You can enjoy them cold or let them come to room temperature before serving.
From My Kitchen to Yours
Baking is so much more than just following steps; it’s about pouring love into what you create and making memories along the way. I hope this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins brings as much warmth and joy to your kitchen as it has to mine. I hope you’ll share them with people you love and start your own traditions.
A Few More Questions You Might Have
Can I make them without the topping?
Absolutely! If you prefer a simpler muffin or are short on time, you can skip the streusel topping entirely. The muffins will still be incredibly moist and delicious.
What kind of pumpkin should I use?
It’s best to stick with 100% pure pumpkin purée for this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling comes pre-sweetened and spiced, which will throw off the flavor balance and sweetness of the muffins.
Can I freeze these for later?
Yes, they freeze wonderfully! Allow the muffins to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
Print
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
Tender, spiced pumpkin muffins filled with creamy cheesecake and topped with a crunchy pecan streusel, the perfect cozy fall treat.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cream Cheese Filling: 8 oz cream cheese, softened; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Streusel Topping: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed; 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk pumpkin purée, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth for the filling.
- For the streusel, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans if using.
- Fill muffin cups halfway with pumpkin batter. Add 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling to each, then top with more batter (about 3/4 full).
- Sprinkle generously with streusel topping.
- Bake 20–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the muffin (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean. Cool before serving.
Notes
Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese, fall baking, streusel, pumpkin spice