Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are hands down one of my favorite muffin recipes ever! Packed with spices and filled with a cream cheese filling – these pumpkin muffins are incredibly moist and the perfect fall breakfast!
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS
We were at soccer practice when a storm rolled in. In Florida, the skies can go from clear to hurricane-like in 5 minutes. And it doesn’t just rain; the heavens open up and cover you in blankets of water.
The storm had its way with us and we were soaked from head to toe when my three boys and I ran to our car…which wouldn’t start. Uggh! My husband was out of town so I called my friend Jenee who sent her husband to my rescue.
Since my car was in the shop all day Saturday getting fixed, I took advantage of being home bound. I plugged in my Leaves air freshener, busted out my Halloween decorations with the boys, and baked these muffins as a thank you to my friends for helping me.
I’ve seen these muffins ALL over the Internet. Supposedly they are a Starbucks knockoff. But I had to know, as The Girl Who Ate Everything, if they were really worth all the hype.
Yes. Yes, they are. I usually like to let the food do the talking, but honestly they are one of the best muffins I’ve ever had – let alone made. Super moist, chock full of spices, and just like a muffin you would get in a bakery.
A cream cheese surprise in the middle mixed with the pumpkin is divine. They do have a couple of steps in making them, but it’s worth it. Eat them warm, cold, or room temperature. I ate WAY too many.
Put a generous dallop of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the batter. I put mine a little too high on a couple and the cream cheese poked out the top. Oops. |
OTHER PUMPKIN RECIPES
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are hands down one of my favorite muffin recipes ever! Packed with spices and filled with a cream cheese filling – these pumpkin muffins are incredibly moist and the perfect fall breakfast!
For the filling:
-
8
oz
cream cheese, softened -
1
cup
powdered sugar
For the muffins:
-
3
cups
all-purpose flour -
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon -
1
teaspoon
ground nutmeg -
1
teaspoon
ground cloves -
1
tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
pumpkin pie spice -
1
teaspoon
salt -
1
teaspoon
baking soda -
4
large eggs -
2
cups
sugar -
2
cups
pumpkin puree
(see Note) -
1¼
cups
vegetable oil
For the topping:
-
½
cup
sugar -
5
tablespoons
flour -
1½
teaspoons
ground cinnamon -
4
tablespoons
cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
-
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer to the freezer while preparing the rest of the batter. We just want the mixture to firm up. If you are making these in steps and have a long time before you’re assembling, just chill the mixture in the fridge so it doesn’t freeze all the way.
-
To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
-
To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I always get inpatient here and mix it together with my hands so that it looks like the texture of wet sand. I know you aren’t supposed to do it this way but I’m impatient. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.
-
To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Place a scoop of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. I use my smallest cookie scooper. You want to put the cream cheese lower than you think because it will rise a lot during the baking process. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.
-
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. I like them warm, cold, and room temperature.
Note: A standard sized can of pumpkin is 15 ounces, just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces). You could open another can if you want and freeze the extra or just use one can which is what I did. The amount is so little I don’t think it makes a difference in the final product.
Source: Annie’s Eats