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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 pumpkin bread with a creamy, tangy cream cheese center and a crunchy streusel topping. They’re quick, easy, and perfect for fall gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for filling)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for filling)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (57g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon flour. Beat until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Add the cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients for the muffin batter: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
  5. Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
  6. Fold the wet into the dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold together gently until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  7. Fill the muffin cups: Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of batter into each liner. Drop a generous teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each muffin. Cover with another 1½ tablespoons of batter, spreading gently to cover the filling. Fill each cup about ¾ full.
  8. Add the streusel topping: Sprinkle a generous amount of streusel over each muffin, pressing down lightly so it sticks.
  9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center (avoid the cream cheese pocket) comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The tops should be golden and the streusel fragrant.
  10. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Keep the cream cheese filling cold-ish but softened; if your kitchen is hot, chill the filled muffin pan for 10 minutes before baking. Use a cookie scoop for even portions. Make the streusel ahead of time and refrigerate. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. Let muffins cool completely before storing to keep the streusel crunchy.

Nutrition

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

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