These soft and tender pumpkin cream cheese muffins are stuffed with cream cheese filling and topped with cinnamon sugar.
These Starbucks copycat pumpkin muffins are so delicious and easy to make at home!
Each muffin is made with pumpkin puree, giving it a moist and tender texture, and is stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling that melts in your mouth.
To top it all off, these muffins are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, adding a perfect touch of warmth and sweetness.
The flavor is perfectly balanced, with the spiced pumpkin batter complementing the tangy cream cheese filling. You can enjoy these as a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack.
For more pumpkin desserts, check out my pumpkin tres leches cake, pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, and pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Pumpkin flavor- the rich, warm taste of pumpkin is the star of these muffins and goes perfectly with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Texture- these muffins have a perfect balance of moistness and fluffiness. The pumpkin puree and oil keeps them soft, while the baking process ensures they are light and airy.
- Cream cheese filling- hidden inside each muffin is a delish cream cheese filling. This creamy surprise adds a tangy and creamy contrast to the sweet pumpkin batter, making every bite an indulgent.
- Cinnamon sugar topping- a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top adds an extra layer of sweetness and spice. It creates a slightly crunchy crust that complements the soft muffin inside.
- Time- these muffins come together in under an hour from start to finish and are perfect when you are short on time but want to make a delicious muffin.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Pumpkin puree- you can use either canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree, make sure that you strain the extra liquids from your fresh pumpkins.
Pumpkin pie spice- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, make a homemade mix of pumpkin spice.
Spices- for spices, I used cinnamon, and nutmeg, which goes perfectly with the pumpkin flavor.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. Cake flour will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the muffins to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda aren’t expired.
Vegetable oil – I used vegetable oil for this recipe. Canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Brown sugar- adds a caramel and rich flavor. Use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this.
Vanilla extract- you can use vanilla bean extract or pure vanilla extract for better flavor.
Milk- use whole milk for this. 3% will be great for this recipe.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the cream cheese filling
Cream cheese– you will need to get your cream cheese to room temperature. Use full-fat cream cheese for this.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, milk, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Set aside while you make the cream cheese filling.
In a small mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and creamy. Transfer the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and cut off the tip.
Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling almost to the top using an ice cream scooper or a large cookie scooper. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling on top of each muffin.
Top each muffin with the cinnamon sugar.
Bake in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 5 minutes, and then bake for another 10-12 minutes at 180c (350f) or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Expert Tips
- Use pure pumpkin puree in this recipe! It is very important that you use pure pumpkin puree in this recipe. Make sure that you are not using the presweetened or pre-spiced pumpkin puree. You will be able to find this information on the ingredient list of your pumpkin puree can.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing. This helps it blend smoothly without lumps.
- Even distribution. Make sure each muffin has an equal amount of batter and filling to ensure consistent baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist muffins and not dense and dry muffins.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Avoid overbaking! Check your muffins a few minutes before the recommended baking time. They're done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full. This allows room for the muffins to rise without overflowing.
- Cool before serving. Allow muffins to cool in their pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps set the filling inside.
Faq's
Muffins are less sweet, denser, and often include fruits, nuts, or whole grains—more suited for breakfast or snacks. Cupcakes are sweeter, lighter in texture, topped with frosting, and served as desserts.
Muffins use a quick bread method while cupcakes follow the creaming method common to cakes.
Your muffins may be dry if you overbaked them. Keep your eye on them while they're baking. Also, you may add too much flour. Make sure you measure your flour correctly.
The secret to moist muffins is balancing wet and dry ingredients, avoiding overmixing, and adding yogurt, buttermilk, fruit puree, or applesauce.
These add moisture without making the muffins dense. Also, baking at the right temperature ensures even cooking and prevents drying out.
Storing
Store these muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing
To freeze these muffins, start by letting them cool completely after baking. Once cool, wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
This helps prevent freezer burn and keeps them fresh. Place the wrapped muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container, squeezing out as much air as possible.
Label the container with the date and type of muffins. When stored properly, muffins can last in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw, simply remove the desired number of muffins from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
You can also warm them in the microwave for a quick treat. Freezing muffins is a great way to save time and always have a tasty snack on hand.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Dairy-free- you can make these muffins dairy-free by replacing the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese.
Variations
Nuts- fold in ½ cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans to the batter for added crunch and flavor.
Crumble topping- add a delish and buttery crumble topping on top of each muffin. Use the recipe from my apple crumble muffins.
Cream cheese glaze- make a cream cheese version by mixing 4 oz softened cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, and 2-3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
Serving Tips
Maple glaze- after baking and cooling, drizzle muffins with a simple maple glaze made from 1 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- Muffin pan
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag
- Cookies scoop set of 3 (the best cookie scoop we used)
- Muffin liners
More muffin recipes
Apple Crumble Muffins- These apple crumble muffins are filled with chopped apples, topped with a buttery crumble, and topped with a delicious glaze.
Cinnamon Streusel Muffins- These cinnamon streusel muffins are made with a moist cinnamon muffin, topped with buttery streusel topping and an easy glaze.
Pumpkin Banana Muffins- These pumpkin banana muffins are moist and fluffy filled with chocolate chips and topped with a cinnamon streusel topping.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Best Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Copycat)
Ingredients
For the muffin batter
- 15 oz Pumpkin puree
- 2 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
- ⅔ cup Vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup Milk
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
For the cream cheese filling
- 5 oz Cream cheese room temp, full fat
- 3 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, milk, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix with a whisk until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible. Set aside while you make the cream cheese filling.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and creamy. Transfer the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and cut off the tip.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tins filling almost to the top using an ice cream scooper or a large cookie scooper. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling on top of each muffin.
- Top each muffin with the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake in a 200c (400f) preheated oven for 5 minutes, and then bake for another 10-12 minutes at 180c (350f) or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree in this recipe! It is very important that you use pure pumpkin puree in this recipe. Make sure that you are not using the presweetened or pre-spiced pumpkin puree. You will be able to find this information on the ingredient list of your pumpkin puree can.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing. This helps it blend smoothly without lumps.
- Even distribution. Make sure each muffin has an equal amount of batter and filling to ensure consistent baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist muffins and not dense and dry muffins.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Avoid overbaking! Check your muffins a few minutes before the recommended baking time. They're done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full. This allows room for the muffins to rise without overflowing.
- Cool before serving. Allow muffins to cool in their pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, which helps set the filling inside.
Eric says
These are so incredibly yum!