Description

Rich, moist pumpkin muffins featuring a tangy cream cheese center and a crunchy streusel topping. These budget-friendly, kid-approved treats are perfect for fall baking and easy to make ahead.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
15 oz (425g) canned pure pumpkin puree
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz (225g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (30g) sugar (for filling)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for filling)
1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar (for streusel)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp (30g) cold butter, cubed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree until combined.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling them halfway.
Pipe a dollop of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin. Top with a small spoonful of batter to cover the filling.
In a small bowl, mix streusel flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold cubed butter with fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form.
Sprinkle streusel topping generously over each muffin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the batter (avoiding the center) comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Use cold butter for the streusel to ensure crumbly texture. Ensure cream cheese is full-fat block style, not tub spread. Canned pumpkin puree should not be pumpkin pie filling. Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 280
Sugar: 22
Fat: 12
Saturated Fat: 4
Carbohydrates: 38
Fiber: 2
Protein: 5

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, fall baking, streusel topping, easy breakfast, budget recipe, kid-friendly