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pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins So Good

Soft, moist, and bursting with fall flavor, these Starbucks copycat Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are even better than the original. Each muffin is swirled with a tangy-sweet cream cheese center and finished with optional pumpkin seeds or coarse sugar for a bakery-style treat at home.
Prep : 10 Total : 25 minutes
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Ingredients
  

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 4 ounce cream cheese very well-softened to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon milk any kind works
  • 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Muffin Batter

  • 1.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 0.75 cup pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 0.33333333333333 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
  • 0.25 cup milk any type
  • 2 tablespoon molasses
  • 2.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (Optional)

  • 0.25 cup pumpkin seeds divided among muffins
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sugar decorator's sugar or Sugar In The Raw, divided

Instructions
 

Preparation Steps

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan thoroughly with floured cooking spray or grease and flour each cup; set aside.
  • Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon flour, 1 teaspoon milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  • Muffin Batter (Dry): In a large bowl, whisk 1¼ cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  • Muffin Batter (Wet): In another large bowl, whisk ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, ¼ cup milk, molasses, and 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla until smooth.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until combined; do not overmix.
  • Scoop about 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup, filling between ⅔ and ¾ full. Do not exceed ¾ full to prevent overflow.
  • Place the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or a zip-top plastic bag, and snip off the tip. Slowly pipe 1½ to 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each raw muffin, allowing a small peak to show on top.
  • Optionally, sprinkle each muffin with coarse sugar or pumpkin seeds around the exposed cream cheese center.
  • Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the muffin (not the cream cheese) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Let muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Notes: *For best results, use full-fat cream cheese. **Dairy or plant-based milk works. ***If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, combine 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part ginger, ½ part nutmeg, ½ part allspice, ¼ part cloves. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. Bring to room temp before serving for best texture.