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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Streusel Recipe

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These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are incredibly moist, perfectly spiced, and feature a ribbon of creamy, tangy cream cheese in the center, topped with a buttery, crunchy streusel. They’re the ultimate fall treat, ready in about 35 minutes with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240g) canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for filling)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for filling)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar (for streusel)
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) cold butter, cubed (for streusel)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°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 brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in 3 tablespoons cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or fingers until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate until needed.
  3. Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Beat until combined and smooth. Set aside.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
  6. Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix; a few lumps are fine.
  7. Assemble: Divide half the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups (about ⅓ full). Drop a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each. Top with remaining batter, covering the filling completely (cups will be about ¾ full). Sprinkle chilled streusel generously over each muffin.
  8. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding cream cheese) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For best results, use full-fat block cream cheese (not spreadable). Let cream cheese and eggs come to room temperature. Chill the streusel to keep butter cold for a crunchy topping. Do not over-mix the batter. Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to prevent the cream cheese from oozing out.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, streusel muffins, fall baking, pumpkin cream cheese, easy muffin recipe

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