Get ready to indulge in the delightful flavors of fall with my scrumptious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin recipe – inspired by the seasonal Starbucks bakery treat.
These soft, super-moist muffins have a sweet, cream cheese center, and are bursting with pumpkin spice goodness in every bite.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to the kitchen, this recipe is a must-try for anyone who loves pumpkin.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
There’s nothing I love more than waking up to a delicious baked good alongside a cup of steaming hot coffee. And this pumpkin muffin makes cool fall mornings that much better. I think you’ll find this pumpkin cream cheese muffin extra special because:
- It has a surprise creamy filling. This recipe takes a normal pumpkin muffin and adds another flavor dimension with cream cheese filling in every bite. It’s like pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, but in muffin form.
- Easy to make with ingredients you may already have. This recipe calls for staple ingredients you may already have: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and so on. When the air starts to get crisp, I like to grab a few cans of pumpkin puree and blocks of cream cheese to keep on-hand, as well, so I can make these muffins when the craving hits.
- Saves you big at the coffeeshop. This Starbucks inspired recipe is just as delicious as the one from the coffeeshop, but you’ll save time and money when you bake up a dozen right in your own kitchen. Plus, I don’t know about where you live, but those dang pumpkin muffins sell out fast at my Starbucks!
Ingredients
- flour
- baking powder & baking soda
- salt
- pumpkin pie spice
- granulated sugar & brown sugar
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- milk
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin puree
- cream cheese
Key Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. I have not tested it with any substitutes.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – This recipe calls for both leavening agents. Brown sugar is an acidic and reacts with baking soda for some lift. If you swap out the brown sugar, which I don’t recommend, then replace the baking soda with an equal amount of baking powder.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – For simplicity, I use pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice blend. I also like cloves, so I add a touch. If you don’t have any or it’s not available where you live you can sub in a cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Replace 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice with 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves. Adjust to taste.
Sugars – You need granulated sugar and brown sugar for the muffin batter and cream cheese filling. The batter also has dark brown sugar in it, which I really suggest not substituting. It adds a richer flavor which enhances the pumpkin.
Eggs – You need two eggs for the muffin batter and an egg yolk for the cream cheese filling.
Milk – Any kind will do. I use whole.
Pumpkin Puree – Get a can of 100% pumpkin puree. Don’t accidentally get the pumpkin pie filling. It’s not the same.
Cream Cheese – Get a block, not the whipped kind that comes in a tub.
Instructions
To make this recipe you need a muffin pan, 12 paper muffin liners and a piping bag or plastic bag for the filling. I also like to use an electric mixer to make the filling silky smooth.
Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.
Make the muffin batter.
- In a large bowl whisk melted butter that’s cooled with granulated and dark brown sugars. Whisk in the eggs, followed by milk and vanilla extract. Stir in pumpkin puree until fully combined.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg (if using) directly into wet ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Set the batter aside to rest while you make the cream cheese filling.
Make the cream cheese filling.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and egg yolk. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Scoop the filling into a piping bag with tip or a plastic bag with corner snipped off. (Put the bag in a tall cup with the it folded over the edge of the cup, to make filling it easier.)
Assemble and bake.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each well almost to the top. If you have enough batter for a 13th muffin, just put a paper liner in a small oven-safe dish and bake it the same time as the tray.
- Insert the piping bag with cream cheese about halfway into the batter for each muffin, then squeeze the filling out as you remove the bag from the muffin.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350°F for the remaining time. Make sure to set a 5 minute timer!
- Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Leave muffins in tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
At least an hour before you begin, take eggs, butter, milk and cream cheese out of the fridge. It’s best to bake with room temperature eggs. The butter will be melted, but goes faster if it’s already softened. And the cream cheese needs to be room temp so it can easily be whipped.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet. This saves you an a bowl to wash (you’re welcome) and gets rid of clumps.
Don’t over-mix or under-mix the batter. The batter needs to be mixed enough for the formation of gluten which gives the muffin structure. But only mix until the dry ingredients are mostly wet. Over-mixing makes tougher muffins.
Rest the batter while you make the filling. Resting allows the leavening agents to work some of their magic. I just leave the batter in the large bowl and then gently scoop it into the muffin tins.
Inject filling into batter with a piping bag or large plastic bag with the corner snipped off. If you don’t care about the circle of filling showing on top, you can put half the batter in a muffin well, followed by a scoop of filling, and then topped off with the remaining batter.
Fill the muffin cups almost to the top. This helps make a tall muffin top. (We’re not going for flat muffins!)
Bake at 425°F the first 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F. Double acting baking powder reacts with heat to make fluffy muffins. The first time it acts is when it’s combined with the wet ingredients.
Serving and Storing
- Let muffins cool at least an hour before serving. (If you’re family is like mine, you may have to shoo a few hands away.)
- These muffins need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese. Once 100% cool, wrap the muffins in plastic, and place inside a sealed container in the fridge. Bring muffins to room temp or pop in the microwave to warm them up.
- Freeze muffins up to 2 months, wrapped tightly in plastic and placed inside a freezer bag. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
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More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
This Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin recipe is a must-try for pumpkin lovers. The muffins bake up into a perfectly moist, pumpkin-spiced treat with the most delicious sweet and tangy cream cheese center. Inspired from Starbucks, these fall-flavored pumpkin muffins go perfectly with your morning coffee or tea, or serve them when hosting an autumn brunch or Thanksgiving breakfast.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
Instructions
Make the Muffin Batter
- In a large bowl whisk melted butter that’s cooled with granulated and dark brown sugars. Whisk in the eggs, followed by milk and vanilla extract. Stir in pumpkin puree until fully combined.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg (if using) directly into wet ingredients.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined. Set the batter aside to rest while you make the cream cheese filling.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and egg yolk. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Scoop the filling into a piping bag with tip or a plastic bag with corner snipped off. (Put the bag in a tall cup with the it folded over the edge of the cup, to make filling it easier.)
Assemble Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and Bake
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each well almost to the top. If you have enough batter for a 13th muffin, just put a paper liner in a small oven-safe dish and bake it the same time as the tray.
- Insert the piping bag with cream cheese about halfway into the batter for each muffin, then squeeze the filling out as you remove the bag from the muffin.
- Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350°F for the remaining time. Make sure to set a 5 minute timer!
- Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Leave muffins in tin for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Notes
- At least an hour before you begin, take eggs, butter, milk and cream cheese out of the fridge.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet. This saves you an a bowl to wash (you’re welcome) and gets rid of clumps.
- Don’t over-mix or under-mix the batter.
- Rest the batter while you make the filling.
- Fill muffin cups almost to the top.
- Inject filling into batter with a piping bag or large plastic bag with the corner snipped off. If you don’t care about the circle of filling showing on top, you can put half the batter in a muffin cup, followed by a scoop of filling, and then the remaining batter.
- Bake at 425°F the first 5 minutes, then reduce to 350°F. This helps make a tall muffin top.
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