Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)

Gaaahh these pumpkin cream cheese muffins are my first pumpkin recipe of the Fall season and I am SO pumped about it! They’re loaded with homemade pumpkin pie spice flavor, a soft cream cheese center on top with a sprinkle of buttery cinnamon streusel.

These muffins are my love language and I’m completely unapologetic about it! 

They’re the perfect Fall breakfast to go with your pumpkin cream cold brew! And don’t even get me started because they’re so much better than the starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins.

Just like me starbucks copycat lemon loaf, they’re similar in appearance, but have more flavor, better texture, and they’re homemade = more delicious!! Not to mention, there’s a cinnamon streusel topping as opposed to pumpkin seeds – it gets no better than this. Besides, who needs to make a store run when you can make your own homemade cream cheese-stuffed pumpkin muffins right at home? 

Between the moist crumb, perfectly warm spiced flavor, cheesecake filling – you need to bake these immediately! 

Key Ingredients 

(full list of ingredients in the recipe card)

Pumpkin Puree – we’re using a whole can of pumpkin puree (do not use pumpkin pie filling, it’s NOT the same thing!!) so there’s no waste! Also, no need to blot the puree, we’re keeping it as is so that we get all of the moisture into these makings – 

Full-fat cream cheese – the cream cheese dollops take these from regular pumpkin muffins to the BEST pumpkin muffins! It’s like having creamy cheesecake in the center! Use full fat cream cheese here, this is no time for low fat! 

Spices – you’ll need cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. These are what gives the cream cheese pumpkin muffin it’s warm and cozy flavor. 

Eggs and Egg Yolk – the eggs are for the muffin batter while the egg yolk is for the cream cheese filling. The whole egg functions as a binder in the pumpkin muffin batter to provide structure. The egg yolk adds creamy richness to the cream cheese mixture and allows it to sit atop the muffin as opposed sinking to the bottom while baking. 

Vegetable Oil and Sour Cream – these ingredients bring on the moisture! Sour cream adds a hint of tang that complements the warm spices while vegetable oil is what keeps these muffins moist for days.

Vanilla Extract – just a smidge of vanilla extract brings all of the warm spices and pumpkin flavor together. 

How to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins 

Make the Cinnamon Streusel and Cream Cheese Layer

Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, all purpose flour, and cinnamon. Whisk together and add the melted butter. Mix until crumbles form and place into the freezer. 

Step 2: Add room temperature cream cheese to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, mix on medium speed for about 20-30 seconds, until smooth and fluffy. Then add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt. Continue to mix until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Prepare the Muffin Batter 

Step 3: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, sugar, vegetable oil, and sour cream. Whisk until smooth, then add eggs and vanilla extract, and canned pumpkin puree. Continue to whisk together until smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated.

Assemble and Bake 

Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no patches of flour, about 20 seconds. Do not overmix.

Step 6: Line two muffin pans with muffin/cupcake liners in every other muffin cup. Pour batter to the top of each lined muffin cup (about ¼ cup of batter). Dollop 1 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture on top of the muffin, then add the cinnamon streusel on top of the cream cheese. Pour 3 tbsp of water into the empty muffin cups.Bake one pan at a time for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and baking for 14-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Expert Muffin Making Tips

• MAJOR MUFFIN TIP RANT (super important though!): We’re baking 6 muffins at a time using a 12-cup muffin pan. That means there’s 6 empty muffin cups. There’s a small trick here – add about 3 tbsp of water to the empty muffin cups. This creates steam while the muffins are baking in the oven and keeps your muffins nice and moist. It also prevents your pan from warping. It’s a win win all around. 
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined to avoid tough muffins. Overmixing can lead to dense, chewy muffins instead of soft and fluffy ones.
• Check for Doneness with a Toothpick: Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, they’re done. This helps prevent overbaking, which can dry out the muffins.
• Let Them Cool Properly: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This prevents them from becoming soggy and helps them keep their shape.

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