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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Streusel Recipe

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These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are impossibly moist with a tangy cream cheese center and a crunchy, buttery streusel topping. They’re quick, easy, and perfect for fall gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for filling)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for filling)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt (for streusel)
  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup flour, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cut in cold butter cubes with fingertips or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter lumps. Refrigerate.
  3. Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are fine). Do not overmix.
  7. Fill muffin cups: Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each liner. Add a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center. Top with another scoop of batter to fill liner about three-quarters full, covering the cream cheese completely.
  8. Add streusel: Sprinkle a generous tablespoon of cold streusel over each muffin, pressing gently.
  9. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) without opening the door. Bake for 15-18 more minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Don’t skip room temperature ingredients. Keep streusel cold for crunchiness. Do not overmix batter. Use a light-colored muffin pan for even baking. Test doneness in the muffin part, not the cream cheese center.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, streusel muffins, fall baking, pumpkin spice

Find it online: https://sunnysavory.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-streusel-recipe/