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Ultimate Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Fall Recipe

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These ultimate pumpkin cream cheese muffins have a tender, spiced pumpkin base, a creamy tangy center that stays put, and a buttery streusel topping that actually stays on top. They’re the kind of muffin that makes you close your eyes after the first bite.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your muffin tin with paper liners. This recipe makes 12 muffins, so get all 12 cups ready. I like to lightly spray the liners with nonstick spray, just to be safe.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces. Don’t overwork it—you want clumps, not paste. Pop the bowl in the fridge while you prepare everything else.
  3. In another small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar, flour, and vanilla until smooth. I use a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and give it another quick mix. Set this aside at room temperature.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Make sure there are no lumps—especially in the baking soda. Set aside.
  5. In a larger bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Then add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and uniform.
  6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few streaks of flour are okay—overmixing makes tough muffins. The batter will be thick and slightly fluffy.
  7. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin liner. Use the back of a spoon to make a small well in the center. Add about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into each well. Top with another 2 tablespoons of batter, spreading it gently to cover the filling completely. The liners should be about ¾ full.
  8. Take the streusel out of the fridge. Sprinkle a generous tablespoon over each muffin, pressing lightly so it sticks. Don’t pile it too high in the center—it will spread as the muffin bakes.
  9. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, check them. A toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese center) should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The tops should be golden brown and the streusel should look crispy.
  10. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This resting time is crucial—the cream cheese filling needs to set so it doesn’t ooze out when you bite into it.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients matter. Don’t overmix the batter. The streusel needs to be cold. Let them cool completely. Use a cookie scoop for even muffins.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin cream cheese muffins, fall muffins, pumpkin muffins, cream cheese filled muffins, streusel muffins

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