If you love all things pumpkin, you’re going to adore these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins! They are the perfect blend of warm, spicy pumpkin bread, layered with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with a delicious crumble topping. This Starbucks copycat recipe tastes just like the popular muffin sold at the famous coffee shop, but for a fraction of the price. Bake up a batch of these scrumptious sweet muffins for a crisp fall breakfast, a team snack after a game, or the perfect after school treat.
Ingredients in this Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
You will absolutely love the three layers in these gorgeous pumpkin muffins! Each layer in this muffin recipe is packed with flavor and easy to make. Here’s what you need:
Pumpkin Muffin Batter
Pumpkin puree – I like to use 16 ounces of canned pumpkin puree. Make sure this is NOT pumpkin pie filling, which has extra pumpkin pie spice. We also have a great post on how to make pumpkin puree three different ways, if you’d like to make it from scratch. Applesauce – one cup, unsweetened applesauce. This takes the place of any oil in the recipe. Sugar – two cups, regular white sugar. Eggs – use three large eggs, adding one at a time and mixing on low speed. Vanilla Extract – one teaspoon Flour – three cups, all purpose flour, sifted or spooned into the measuring cup one cup at a time. Baking powder – one teaspoon Baking soda one teaspoon Salt – one teaspoon kosher or regular table salt Cinnamon – two teaspoons Nutmeg – one teaspoon Cloves – half a teaspoon Ginger – half a teaspoon. All these spices give the muffins a rich taste that just tastes like fall!
Sweet Cream Cheese Filling
Cream cheese – eight ounces, or one package. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it blends with the sugar and vanilla to create a creamy cheesecake filling. Sugar – one third cup granulated sugar, NOT powdered sugar. That will create more of a cream cheese frosting, not a cheesecake-like filling. Vanilla – one teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Topping
Flour – just about half a cup of all purpose flour Brown sugar – half a cup, firmly packed Butter – three tablespoons, melted
Are Muffins Made with Applesauce Healthy?
Because this recipe calls for applesauce rather than oil, they are a healthier option compared to more traditional muffin recipes that use higher amounts of fat and sugar. For one, applesauce can act as a natural sweetener, so you don’t need as much sugar in the recipe. Applesauce also takes the place of all of the fat, like butter, vegetable or coconut oil, cutting down extra calories. Plus, combining applesauce with pumpkin, which is already nutritious, packs these muffins with more vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Tips for Baking Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
When baking these muffins, there are some tips and tricks to making sure they turn out perfectly fluffy and tasty every time:
Add-Ins/Substitutions
To keep the glorious pumpkin flavor but switch things up a bit, try adding in any of these yummy ingredients to the muffin batter:
Chocolate chips White chocolate chips Walnuts Pecans Raisins Cranberries Drizzle a powdered sugar glaze over the top of the muffins for extra sweetness.
How to Store Cream Cheese Muffins
As a general rule, baked goods containing dairy, cream cheese, etc. need to be refrigerated so they don’t spoil. Keep these leftover muffins in the fridge in an airtight container. READ NEXT: 25+ Thanksgiving Pies and Desserts
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
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