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Cozy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

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These cozy pumpkin muffins feature pockets of creamy, tangy cream cheese nestled inside warmly spiced pumpkin batter, topped with a perfectly crumbly cinnamon streusel. Perfect for fall mornings or gatherings, they are tender, moist, and irresistibly delicious.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour (or almond flour for a gluten-free option)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk (or plain yogurt as a substitute)
  • 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened and cubed
  • For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease it well.
  2. Make the cinnamon streusel: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside in the fridge.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until just combined.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula. Avoid overmixing; lumps are fine.
  6. Incorporate the cream cheese: Carefully fold in the cubed cream cheese, keeping the cubes somewhat intact.
  7. Scoop the batter evenly into muffin cups about 3/4 full. Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon streusel on top of each muffin.
  8. Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden on top, streusel is crisp, and a toothpick inserted near the cream cheese pockets comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use softened but not melted cream cheese to keep pockets intact. Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent tough muffins. Chill the streusel topping before baking to maintain crumbly texture. Muffins are best cooled for at least 10 minutes to set properly. For dairy-free versions, use coconut cream cheese and coconut yogurt. You can swap pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree or fresh roasted pumpkin puree.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/cozy-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-with-cinnamon-streusel-easy-recipe/