Description
Moist pumpkin muffins filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel. These bakery-style fall muffins are warmly spiced, tender, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil, or 1/2 cup oil plus 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 cups (425 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (36 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar with a handheld or stand mixer until smooth.
- Form the cream cheese mixture into a narrow log on parchment paper, wrap it tightly, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Alternatively, portion it into 24 tablespoon-sized scoops and freeze.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and pumpkin puree until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Combine the streusel sugar, flour, cold butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Blend with a pastry cutter, mixer, or two forks until crumbly.
- Fill each muffin cup about one-third full with pumpkin batter.
- Slice the frozen cream cheese log into 24 equal pieces, then place one piece or frozen scoop in each muffin cup. Press it lightly into the batter.
- Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds to three-quarters full.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel evenly over the muffins.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out with moist crumbs.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- To make 1 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice, combine 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves. Triple this mixture for the recipe.
- The granulated sugar in the muffin batter may be reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
- The recipe can be halved.
- Shallow muffin cups may produce 28 to 32 muffins instead of 24.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 27
- Sodium: 202
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 41
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 43