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These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are super moist and fluffy and feature a cheesecake filling! Made with easy ingredients, they take just 25 minutes to bake.
How do you elevate the humble pumpkin muffin? Stuff it with cream cheese and add a streusel topping!
The popular Starbucks pumpkin muffin inspired these pumpkin cheesecake muffins. After doing many taste tests and so much recipe testing, I’ve created an even better version that is deceptively easy to make and perfect for Fall… and so much cheaper too!
These muffins have the best texture– they are super moist and fluffy, and the cream cheese filling is creamy and smooth. Once you add the streusel topping over each one, it adds a subtle crunch that completes it.
Taste-wise, it’s full of warming pumpkin flavor, and the filling actually tastes like cheesecake!
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Simple ingredients. Pumpkin, eggs, and some pantry staple ingredients are all you’ll need.
- Ready in under 25 minutes. From prep to plate, these take almost no time at all.
- Perfect for the holidays. These are the ultimate seasonal baked goods that are a must for the holiday season or when you want a little something between meals or after dinner.
What we love about this recipe is that everything is made with a couple of mixing bowls. No fancy gadgets or kitchen utensils are needed, and clean-up is a breeze.
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- All purpose flour. Simple and perfect for baking. I’ve also tried these muffins with wholewheat flour and it works well too. Just be wary that the muffins will be darker in color and a teensy bit more dense.
- Baking soda. Gives the muffins some rise and fluffiness.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the sweet ingredients.
- Eggs. Room temperature.
- Pumpkin puree. Unsweetened pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup. Adds sweetness to the muffins. You can also use honey or agave nectar.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good muffin.
- Coconut oil OR butter. I prefer using coconut oil but melted butter also works. If you do go for the coconut option, opt for refined coconut oil, which has no coconut flavor.
- Sweet cream cheese filling. A combination of softened cream cheese and sugar. Do not use light or reduced-fat cream cheeses as they have added moisture, and the lack of fat will dry them out once completely baked.
- Streusel topping. Classic crumb ingredients like butter, brown sugar, flour, and a touch of cinnamon.
How to make pumpkin cream cheese muffins
Besides prepping the three parts of the muffin batter, there isn’t much hands-on time needed. Ready to get your bake on?
Step 1- Make the muffin batter. Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until a smooth batter remains.
Step 2- Make the cheesecake filling. In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese with sugar until combined.
Step 3- Make the streusel. Add the melted butter to a bowl, followed by the sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Step 4- Assemble the muffins. Now, fill a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners. Fill 2/3 of each muffin liner with the batter, followed by a spoonful of the cream cheese filling, more batter, then a sprinkle of streusel on top.
Step 5- Bake. Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Avoid overbaking the muffins, as they will continue to cook as they are cooling down.
- The streusel topping is completely optional, so feel free to omit if desired.
- If you’d like a sweeter muffin, you can use pumpkin pie filling instead.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion out the muffin batter into the muffin pan.
- Add other spices like ground nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover muffins can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to five days. If you’d like them to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place the cooled muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More delicious pumpkin recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
There are 197 calories in each muffin. These are the better options than the Starbucks ones, which have over 450 calories each.
If you find your muffins are gummy, it is due to there not being enough batter covering the cream cheese filling. For the muffins to be super moist and fluffy, there needs to be ample muffin batter throughout.
When made with gluten-free flour, these muffins are suitable for those who are celiac.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cheesecake filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
For the streusel topping
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Gently fold through dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar. In another bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Fill each muffin liner with 2/3 of the muffin batter. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture into the center. Fill with the remaining 1/3 of muffin butter on top. Sprinkle the streusel topping on each one.
- Bake the muffins for 22-25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin completely.
This looks I am trying to find stuff that is gluten and dairy free any ideas how to turn this one and without loosing
flavor?
Hi Rose! You can sub the flours for GF flours and I used dairy free cream cheese and dairy free milk 🙂
First off, even though you don’t have Thanksgiving…pumpkin is celebrated in America the second fall hits ? but second, oh my gosh thank you for this Recipe! As a gluten free and clean eater, I can’t wait To try this out!
Thanks so much, Braiden!
Whenever I find something that really looks good on Pinterest- it often brings me to your blog. Your recipe is similar to my peanut butter and jelly muffin too.. Love your idea to switch it to pumpkin and cream cheese. Love it! Pinning them for now, will make them in the fall when I can make my own pumpkin puree.
That’s so kind of you- Thank you!
Arman,
I’ve still got a wee little pumpkin in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve. Now I’m getting a hankering for muffins. Again!
I should curse you for giving me the pumpkin hankering, but these look too good.
Thanks Kirsten! I actually have to chuck a pie (squash pie) at Meg- Her squash muffins made me want to hack one to death (the pumpkin)
I do not see how cream cheese blowing up is a problem… at all… Mmm…
I have not ever tried one of those Starbucks sandwiches, so I’ll have to take your word for it. If you are ever in the West Coast part of the states, I can MAKE you a proper sandwich! or be a tour guide and show you some dang fine sandwich shops!
…still cannot figure out how overstuffed cream cheese is wrong.
Kristina, I am holding you to that, if should you decline on I arrive, I will spray your sriracha in your contact lenses solution, like the twat I am and did to myself today.
Touch sriracha. Touch eyes = pain.
Oh dear lord, you had me laughing through this whole post. Ok, pumpkin pie is one of the best things about Thanksgiving. Now I have been a S’bucks consumer for years and have NEVER seen this sandwich you describe. But then again I live in a town where 75% of the population view coffee as a sin, so we have a small S’bucks. If you ever find yourself in the States during Turkey day, pop on over, I’ll feed you a feast.
BEST things? Michelle pumpkin pie was edible punishment (but that’s because in Australia it’s never eaten sweet!).
You know I’m holding you to that. I’ll bring a koala.
I never thought of filling a muffin with cheesecake filling – genius!
Thanks Stephanie! A nice surprise 😉
These look so good! I am a fan of pumpkin pie, but these look even more fabulous!
Thank you for your kind words, Julie!
You nailed it! Great job…
And I’m more than happy to reap the benefits of round 5 🙂
#Recipeoftheweek
Please come over for some! 🙂
These look great! Well done for persevering! #recipeoftheweek
Thanks so much, Hayley!
I am just drooling here over that cream cheese filling. It’s crazy how delicious these muffins are but how healthy they are too!
I know, right! FIVE bloody attempts to get it correct!
These look positively yummy! I think all your experimenting yielded tasty results!
Thank you so much, Amy! 🙂
I’m sending over some T-day treats for ya! 😉
Also, I am on board with pumpkin anything & everything…except pumpkin pie. Blech.
Mermaid- If I get a working visa in the USA next year, i’m inviting myself over 🙂
You’re welcome here anytime!