Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin muffins are filled with sweetened cream cheese and topped with brown-sugar streusel. Enjoy these pumpkin cream cheese muffins for a fall breakfast or sweet afternoon snack.
Servings 20 muffins
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese slightly softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
For the Streusel Topping
- ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup chopped pecans optional
For the Muffin Batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can pure pumpkin puree 15 ounces
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Optional Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 20 muffin wells with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.
- Prepare the Filling: In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until soft; about 3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until pretty smooth - there may be some cream cheese chunks, that's perfectly fine. Set aside.
- Prepare the Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add butter and mix with a fork until crumbly. Stir in optional pecans if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the Muffin Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until just combined and smooth - do not overbeat.
- Evenly distribute 1 ½ tablespoons (medium cookie scoop) of the muffin batter between 20 prepared muffin wells. Add about 2 teaspoons (small cookie scoop) of the cream cheese mixture into the center of the batter of each muffin. Top with an additional 1 ½ tablespoons of muffin batter. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
- Bake in preheated over for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove muffin pans to cooling racks and allow the muffins to cool completely before serving.
- Optional Glaze: Once the muffins are cool, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency. You want the glaze to be just thin enough to drizzle over the muffins.
Notes
Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.