Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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4.98 from 49 votes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are perfectly spiced, moist, and have a sweet cream cheese filling inside.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Total Time55

Course: Baking

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Julia Foerster

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz block cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Praline Topping:

2 Tbsp brown sugar divided
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup pumpkin seeds chopped

Pumpkin Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup unsalted butter softened
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 420F (215C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
To make the filling: Microwave cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl on low power for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (without a tip) and set aside.
To make the pumpkin praline topping: In a small bowl combine 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Set aside. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add remaining brown sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until caramelized. Transfer caramelized pumpkin seeds to brown sugar mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine softened butter and sugar, beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes at high speed. Reduce speed to low, add pumpkin puree and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the cups all the way to the top. Sprinkle with Pumpkin Praline Topping. Cut off the tip of the piping bag and press about 2-3 Tbsp of cream cheese filling into the batter (see image above).
Bake for 5 minutes at 420F (215C), then keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F (180C) and bake for about 20 more minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top.
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.

Notes

Use muffin liners for this recipe!
A 15 oz can of pumpkin puree equals nearly 2 cups. It's 2 1/2 tablespoons short of 2 cups.
Don't over-mix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients!
If you don't have piping bags, a small cookie scoop works too for adding the cream cheese filling to the batter.
Fill the muffin cups all the way to the top with batter, then add the filling. This way you get bakery-style muffins!
The pumpkin praline topping is optional, but it adds crunch and flavor.
Make sure to press the filling into the batter by dipping the tip of the piping bag about 2/3 into the batter and then slowly releasing the filling while pulling out.
Don't let the muffins cool in the pan! Carefully twist them out of the pan after 10 minutes and transfer them to a cooling rack.

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