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+ servings

Best Ever Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Tall, tender pumpkin cream cheese muffins with a luscious cream cheese center and a crunchy coarse sugar top. Perfect for fall breakfasts or dessert.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 285

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Muffins
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 15 ounces pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • coarse sugar for sprinkling, such as turbinado or demerara
Cream Cheese Filling
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon milk any kind
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method
 

Pumpkin Muffins
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg. Set aside. Spread the pumpkin puree on a plate and press a paper towel onto it to absorb excess moisture; repeat 3 to 4 times until the puree feels drier.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined—do not overmix.
Cream Cheese Filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 6 paper liners, spacing them out so the muffins have room to rise tall.
  2. Use a large cookie scoop to drop a heaping scoop of muffin batter into each liner. Sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar.
  3. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, flour, milk, and vanilla with a hand mixer on high speed until smooth and creamy.
  4. Transfer the cream cheese filling to a piping bag. Snip off the tip and pipe a dollop into the center of each muffin, using all the filling evenly among the 12 muffins.
  5. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the filling) comes out clean.
  6. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator—these taste best chilled.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 320mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19g

Notes

For best texture, spoon and level the flour or weigh it; compacted flour can make muffins dry. If you're at high altitude, add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the dry mix. Pull all dairy ingredients out of the fridge 2 hours before baking so they come to room temperature. To make your own buttermilk, stir 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These muffins taste even better after a few hours in the fridge—the filling firms up nicely.

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