Take your muffins to the next level with these easy to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. A delicious combination of warm spices, filled and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect Starbucks Copycat recipe you can enjoy anytime, all year round!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
These muffins are perfect served at breakfast or for afternoon snack and anytime in between 🙂
Filled and topped with a piping of cheesecake batter offers tangy balance to the sweet pumpkin muffins. Super easy to make with basic ingredients, these are about to become your new favorite bake.
A quick process overview
NOTE:This is just a visual guide so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll need to scroll to the end for the full printable recipe with ingredient measurements and method.
The cream cheese filling
The cream cheese filling is a combination of cream cheese,sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Make this first and set aside before making your muffin batter.
Making the muffin batter
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl mix together the wet ingredients.
- Then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Whisk it all together to form a thick batter. Do not overbeat.
Filling and baking
- Add batter to about ¾ full. Keep in mind that when you pipe in the cream cheese filling, it's going to rise a little more.
- Fill the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag. You can use a piping bag with a tip or just a ziplock bag with the tip cut off.
- Insert it halfway into the batter and pull out, leaving a little dollop at the top. Depending on how much cream cheese you like, you can leave an even bigger dollop on top.
- For a little bit of crunch you can add a sprinkle of chopped pumpkin seeds around the edges of each muffin.
Frequently asked questions and tips
For these muffins you need warm ground spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
If you don’t have the spices listed here you can use pumpkin pie spice will work great too. Use 2 ¼ teaspoon then omit cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
However if you are unable to get these spices, the same amount of store bought allspice (mixed spice) will work as a substitute
Yes. I love baking with fresh homemade pumpkin puree, which I also used in this recipe. You can use canned pumpkin puree if you prefer. Any works perfectly fine.
If you are getting canned pumpkin, make sure that it is not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains spices and other flavoring which can affect the taste of the muffins.
The cubed pumpkin can either be steamed or roasted until tender. Once cooled, place the cooked pumpkin in a food processor or blender and blend for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat recipe!)
Ingredients
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE MUFFIN BATTER
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- ¾ cup brown or white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spices (see notes on spices and substitutes)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup oil (use a neutral flavor oil like canola or sunflower)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree see notes
Instructions
Preheat the oven and line muffin tin
- Preheat your oven to 350°F /180C° (160°C fan). Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line the muffin tin with 12 paper cup liners.
- Spray the inside of each muffin cup liner with a baking or cooking spray (optional) see notes
Make the cream cheese filling
- Use either a whisk, hand mixer or an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl. Set aside while you make your muffin batter.
Make the muffin batter
- In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients and spices.
- In a medium bowl mix together all the wet ingredients.
- Then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Whisk it all together to form a thick batter. Do not overbeat.
Filling and baking
- Fill the muffin cups liners with the batter to about ¾ full. Keep in mind that when you pipe in the cream cheese filling, it's going to rise a little more.
- Fill the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag. You can use a piping bag with a tip or just a Ziplock bag with the tip cut off.
- Insert the filled piping bag halfway into the batter and pull out, leaving a little dollop at the top. Depending on how much cream cheese you like, you can leave an even bigger dollop on top.
- For a little bit of crunch, you can add a sprinkle of chopped pumpkin seeds around the edges of each muffin. (optional)
- Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling has set. A toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin should come out clean once baked.
- Remove from the oven and leave the muffins in the pan to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Storing
- Store the baked pumpkin cream cheese muffins in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3-5 days.
- To freeze: Once cooled, place the muffins in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you don’t have the spices listed here you can use pumpkin pie spice will work great too. Use 2 ¼ teaspoon then omit cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
However, if you are unable to get these spices, the same amount of store-bought allspice (mixed spice) will work as a substitute Pumpkin puree: I love baking with fresh homemade pumpkin puree, which I also used in this recipe. You can use canned pumpkin puree if you prefer. Any works perfectly fine.
If you are getting canned pumpkin, make sure that it is not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains spices and other flavoring which can affect the taste of the muffins. If you are using fresh puree, then cube the pumpkin and either steam or roasted until tender. Once cooled, place the cooked pumpkin in a food processor or blender and blend for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Nutrition
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