Description

There’s nothing like the smell of pumpkin and warm spices drifting from the oven—it’s autumn in its purest form. These muffins combine a moist, spiced pumpkin base with a hidden pocket of creamy, tangy-sweet cream cheese and a crunchy, oat-and-pumpkin-seed streusel topping. Every bite is a bakery-worthy experience, perfect for cozy mornings, brunch, or an indulgent treat with coffee.

Ingredients

Scale

Cream Cheese Filling

16 oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
⅔ cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: 1 tbsp maple syrup

Crunchy Topping

4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp salted butter, melted
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ cup pumpkin seeds, chopped
½ cup granola or rolled oats
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Pumpkin Muffin Batter

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
30 oz (2 cans) pumpkin puree
Optional: 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp maple extract

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners or spray with non-stick coating.

2. Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and optional maple syrup. Mix until silky. Chill slightly.

3. Prepare the Crunchy Topping

Combine brown sugar, melted butter, and pumpkin pie spice until wet-sand-like.
Mix in pumpkin seeds, granola/oats, and pecans. Set aside.

4. Make the Batter

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
Mix in pumpkin puree and optional vanilla/maple extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Gradually fold into wet mixture. Mix until just combined.

5. Fill the Muffins

Scoop batter into muffin cups, about ¾ full.
Drop a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center.
Sprinkle crunchy topping over each muffin, pressing lightly.

6. Bake

Bake 27–30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Muffins are done when a toothpick in the batter (not the cream cheese) comes out clean.
Cool in pans 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Notes

Warm muffins for 10–15 seconds in the microwave to enjoy a gooey cream cheese center.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a bakery-style finish.
Pair with coffee, latte, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.