Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are made with pumpkin puree, warm pumpkin spice, and a sweet cream cheese filling, then topped with crunchy pepitas. It’s a starbucks copycat pumpkin muffin recipe you can now make at home.
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It’s great to enjoy for chilly fall mornings and afternoon coffee breaks. They’re also a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving breakfast table, fall brunch, or holiday baking lineup.
And for more pumpkin recipes, the recipes below are worth trying:
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/4 cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Pepitas/Pumpkin Seeds
Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients: - 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Step 1: Line 2 muffin trays with liners. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and sugars until well combined.
Step 3: Beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract.
Step 4: Stir or beat in the flour mixture (dry ingredients) until fully incorporated.
Step 5: Portion out the pumpkin muffin batter into the lined muffin trays, filling each muffin liner to 3/4 full.
Set the muffin trays aside as you prepare the cream cheese filling.
Step 6: In a medium-sized bowl, beat together all ingredients until well combined.
Step 7: Scoop the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag. Snip off the end and then insert it into each individual muffin, squeezing about 1 Tablespoon of the filling into the center of each.
Step 8: After you are done filling the pumpkin muffins, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the outside edge of each muffin.
Step 9: Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Step 10: Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pans for 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack.
Important Recipe Notes
- Let the cream cheese soften before mixing the filling. This makes it easier to beat into a smooth, creamy mixture without lumps.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can make your pumpkin muffins dense instead of soft and tender.
- Fill muffin liners only ¾ full: This gives the muffins enough room to rise without overflowing.
- Use a piping bag for the filling: A piping bag makes it easier to add the cream cheese mixture to the center of each muffin. If you don’t have one, a small zip-top bag with the corner snipped off works too.
- Add the pepitas before baking: Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the edges of each muffin for a little crunch in every bite.
- Check for doneness: Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean. Avoid testing directly through the cream cheese center.
- Let them cool before serving: Allow the muffins to rest in the pan for 1 minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cream cheese filling will be hot right out of the oven.
- Store leftovers properly: Because these muffins contain cream cheese filling, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and allow them to cool completely before storing.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Spice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/4 cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1/2 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Pepitas/Pumpkin Seeds
- Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Line 2 muffin trays with liners. Set aside.Pre-heat oven to 375F.Ina small bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree and sugars until well-combined.
- Beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Stir or beat in the flour mixture (dry ingredients) until fully incorporated.
- Portion out the pumpkin muffin batter into the lined muffin trays, filling each muffin liner to 3/4 full.Set the muffin trays aside as you prepare the cream cheese filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat together all ingredients until well combined.
- Scoop the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag. Snip off the end and then insert into each individual muffin, squeezing about 1 Tablespoon of the filling into the center of each.
- After you are done filling the pumpkin muffins, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the outside edge of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin pans for 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack.
