This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins combine all the flavors of pumpkin spice with the richness of cream cheese. Topped with crunchy streusel topping, they’re a perfect treat for fall.
Featured with this recipe
If you love all things pumpkin, you’re going to adore these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins! They are the perfect blend of warm, spicy pumpkin bread, layered with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with a delicious crumble topping. This Starbucks copycat recipe tastes just like the popular muffin sold at the famous coffee shop, but for a fraction of the price. Bake up a batch of these scrumptious sweet muffins for a crisp fall breakfast, a team snack after a game, or the perfect after school treat.
Ingredients in this Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
You will absolutely love the three layers in these gorgeous pumpkin muffins! Each layer in this muffin recipe is packed with flavor and easy to make. Here’s what you need:
Pumpkin Muffin Batter
- Pumpkin puree – I like to use 16 ounces of canned pumpkin puree. Make sure this is NOT pumpkin pie filling, which has extra pumpkin pie spice. We also have a great post on how to make pumpkin puree three different ways, if you’d like to make it from scratch.
- Applesauce – one cup, unsweetened applesauce. This takes the place of any oil in the recipe.
- Sugar – two cups, regular white sugar.
- Eggs – use three large eggs, adding one at a time and mixing on low speed.
- Vanilla Extract – one teaspoon
- Flour – three cups, all purpose flour, sifted or spooned into the measuring cup one cup at a time.
- Baking powder – one teaspoon
- Baking soda one teaspoon
- Salt – one teaspoon kosher or regular table salt
- Cinnamon – two teaspoons
- Nutmeg – one teaspoon
- Cloves – half a teaspoon
- Ginger – half a teaspoon. All these spices give the muffins a rich taste that just tastes like fall!
Sweet Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream cheese – eight ounces, or one package. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it blends with the sugar and vanilla to create a creamy cheesecake filling.
- Sugar – one third cup granulated sugar, NOT powdered sugar. That will create more of a cream cheese frosting, not a cheesecake-like filling.
- Vanilla – one teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Topping
- Flour – just about half a cup of all purpose flour
- Brown sugar – half a cup, firmly packed
- Butter – three tablespoons, melted
Are Muffins Made with Applesauce Healthy?
Because this recipe calls for applesauce rather than oil, they are a healthier option compared to more traditional muffin recipes that use higher amounts of fat and sugar. For one, applesauce can act as a natural sweetener, so you don’t need as much sugar in the recipe. Applesauce also takes the place of all of the fat, like butter, vegetable or coconut oil, cutting down extra calories. Plus, combining applesauce with pumpkin, which is already nutritious, packs these muffins with more vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Tips for Baking Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
When baking these muffins, there are some tips and tricks to making sure they turn out perfectly fluffy and tasty every time:
- Use cupcake paper liners and spray the inside and all around the muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. This will be so helpful when it’s time to take them out of the tin because they won’t stick to the sides.
- Fill the muffins at least to ¾ full. Much like a cake, they will rise and fall just a little bit.
- The cream cheese filling will rise in the muffin while it bakes in the oven so be sure to not overfill the bottom of the muffin with batter.
- Use a toothpick to check when the muffins are done. It should come out clean.
- Once the muffins are cooled, use a knife to slide around the edge of the muffins so they come out of the tin clean.
Add-Ins/Substitutions
To keep the glorious pumpkin flavor but switch things up a bit, try adding in any of these yummy ingredients to the muffin batter:
- Chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Raisins
- Cranberries
- Drizzle a powdered sugar glaze over the top of the muffins for extra sweetness.
How to Store Cream Cheese Muffins
As a general rule, baked goods containing dairy, cream cheese, etc. need to be refrigerated so they don’t spoil. Keep these leftover muffins in the fridge in an airtight container.
READ NEXT: 25+ Thanksgiving Pies and Desserts
More Pumpkin Recipes
Can’t get enough pumpkin recipes? We can’t either! Try some of these scrumptious pumpkin dishes and enjoy the flavors of fall all day long.
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Muffin pan
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pure pumpkin puree canned
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
For the filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, applesauce, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until moistened. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the sugar, milk, flour and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- For the topping, combine the brown sugar, flour and melted butter in a bowl until it's nice and crumbly.
- Grease muffin liners.
- Fill each muffin liner a little less than ½ way full.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin liner.
- Add the remaining muffin batter to each top making it ¾ full.
- Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for 2 minutes, take them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use cupcake paper liners and spray the inside and all around the muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. This will be so helpful when it’s time to take them out of the tin because they won’t stick to the sides.
- Fill the muffins at least to ¾ full. Much like a cake, they will rise and fall just a little bit.
- The cream cheese filling will rise in the muffin while it bakes in the oven so be sure to not overfill the bottom of the muffin with batter.
- Use a toothpick to check when the muffins are done. It should come out clean.
- Once the muffins are cooled, use a knife to slide around the edge of the muffins so they come out of the tin clean.
