Craving Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins? This simple copycat recipe bakes up ultra-moist, warmly spiced muffins with a tangy cream cheese middle and café-style pepita (pumpkin seed) crunch—good for fall cozy breakfasts, entertaining and meal prep.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
It’s pumpkin season, and we’re all in. When the air turns chilly, I crave heat spices and delicate, cozy bakes—like these cream cheese–stuffed pumpkin muffins—made with 100% pumpkin puree (not pie filling!) and a straightforward selfmade pumpkin pie spice from pantry staples. The creamy vanilla center turns a easy muffin into a bit of deal with—principally pumpkin cheesecake muffins with out all the trouble. You get that Starbucks look and style, however cheaper per muffin, and also you management the components. I really favor mine—they style more energizing, and I can dial the sweetness down (I’m not into overly candy desserts). They’re additionally good for Thanksgiving brunch and a comfy Christmas breakfast. They appear tremendous cute and you’ll add many extra pumpkin seeds on prime than I did!
Craving Fall Season Pumpkin Flavors?
In case you’re in a baking temper or have bought an excessive amount of canned pumpkin puree, do that fall dessert/brunch lineup: my Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake, comforting Pumpkin Banana Bread, or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. And if you happen to’re going savory later, my Pumpkin Ravioli and Creamy Sausage Pumpkin Gnocchi preserve the theme going—no further sugar wanted. And, lastly, as a cherry on prime, do your self a favor and make my Stuffed Mini Pumpkins (full of sausage, apples, dried cranberries, spinach, pecans, feta cheese, onions, garlic, and contemporary herbs). All these recipes are good for Fall and Winter vacation celebrations: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and Christmas!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
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Elements
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon floor nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon floor ginger
- ¼ teaspoon floor cloves
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup mild brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and barely cooled
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 massive eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 tablespoons uncooked sugar
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Directions
For the cream cheese filling
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In a small bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla till clean and creamy. Switch to a piping or ziplock bag and chill for half-hour.
For the muffin batter
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
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In a separate massive mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine collectively the pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla till clean.
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Add the dry components to the moist and fold collectively gently till simply mixed.
Assemble and bake
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Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling every about ¾ full. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the chilled cream cheese filling into the middle of every muffin. Sprinkle with uncooked sugar and pumpkin seeds.
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Bake for 18–22 minutes, or till muffin tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin half comes out clear.
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Cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly.
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Step-by-step pictures: I present very useful step-by-step pictures under this recipe card – scroll down. ⬇️ ⬇️
Notes
- Chill the filling: Chilly, pipable cream cheese offers a tidy middle and prevents it from bleeding into the batter—I examined this and it’s the cleanest methodology.
- Don’t overmix: When combining dry and moist components, do it gently. Overmixing toughens muffins and shrinks the dome.
- Fill to ¾ full (no extra): This batter rises effectively; ¾ full offers a excessive crown with out overflowing.
- Verify doneness proper: Insert a toothpick into the pumpkin half, not the cream cheese; it ought to come out clear or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow them to set: A ten-minute pan cool lets the crumb set so the creamy middle stays intact whenever you transfer them.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves: They add basic pumpkin pie spice vibe. You’ll be able to sub 2–2½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice whole. I like a cinnamon-forward profile.
- Pumpkin purée (¾ cup): Use 100% pumpkin, not pie filling. Butternut or candy potato purée additionally work (well-drained).
- Uncooked sugar + pumpkin seeds: These present the signature café crunch. No pepitas? Strive chopped pecans or walnuts. No uncooked sugar? Use turbinado or a lightweight cinnamon-sugar sprinkle.
Storage
- Fridge: Due to the creamy middle, stash these in an hermetic container within the fridge as much as 4 days. Once you’re able to eat, heat one 10–15 seconds within the microwave or pop it in a 300°F oven/toaster oven for five–7 minutes.
- Freezer: In addition they freeze like champs—wrap individually and freeze as much as 2 months, then thaw in a single day within the fridge and reheat the identical method.
Diet
Easy methods to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheeese Muffins (Step-by-Step Photographs)
- Collect all of the components – this photograph conveniently reveals each single ingredient you want (labeled):
- Make the cream cheese filling first: beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer till clean, then scrape it right into a piping or zip-top bag and chill for half-hour.
- Put together: In the meantime, warmth the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Dry components: Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in a single bowl.
- Moist components: In a separate massive bowl, combine pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla till clean.
- Mix: Fold the dry components into the moist simply till mixed.
- Assemble: Divide the batter among the many liners (about ¾ full). Pipe roughly 1 tablespoon of the chilled cream cheese into the middle of every, then sprinkle with uncooked sugar and pumpkin seeds.
- Bake 18–22 minutes, till the tops are set and a toothpick inserted within the pumpkin half comes out clear.
FAQs
- Can I exploit pumpkin pie filling as an alternative of purée? I don’t suggest it; pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced, which throws off stability and texture. Use 100% pumpkin for constant outcomes.
- How do I get a giant, bakery-style dome? Begin with a correctly preheated 350°F oven, fill cups ¾ full, and keep away from overmixing. In case your oven runs cool, muffins received’t rise—use an oven thermometer.
- Why did my cream cheese sink? If the batter was too unfastened or the filling too heat, it could actually sink. I chill the filling half-hour and preserve batter on the thicker facet by measuring flour appropriately (spoon and stage).
- Can I make these with out the seeds on prime? Completely. Skip pepitas or swap chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, or simply uncooked/turbinado sugar for crunch.
- How do I make these much less candy? Cut back granulated sugar within the batter by 2–3 tablespoons and/or skip the uncooked sugar topping. The cream cheese middle provides tang that balances properly even with barely much less sugar.
