Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin and cream cheese were meant to be together…and these amazingly delicious pumpkin cream cheese muffins prove it! Light and fluffy, the pumpkin muffin is perfection, and that delightful cream cheese center is like the icing on the cake.
I’m no stranger to pumpkin muffins.
I love them. I live for them.

And to be quite honest, I make pumpkin muffins and other pumpkin goods year round (a rebellious but wonderful philosophy I encourage everyone to embrace).
But these pumpkin cream cheese muffins are waaaaaay up on my list of favorite pumpkin muffins. Like, waaaaaay up there.
I should probably declare them THE favorite, but I’m not willing to quite go that far yet.
Just know this: I love these pumpkin cream cheese muffins so very much. They are absolutely amazing.
My cousin Camille sent me this recipe years and years ago and told me to make them immediately.
She has great taste in food, so when she issues me an order like that, I can’t help but comply.
And I’m telling you, if you aren’t sick of pumpkin yet,
you
must
make
these.
There’s nothing difficult about these muffins – they are so easy!
But that phenomenally moist pumpkin muffin with a buttery, cinnamon streusel topping is to die for.
And if that isn’t enough, there is a little pocket of creamy, soft, sweetened cream cheese that is the most delightful surprise when you dive into these babies.
I’m a huge fan of the whole pumpkin and cream cheese combo.
I can literally eat almost a whole pumpkin roll by myself (a little alarming, but true).
I feel as though these pumpkin cream cheese muffins give you (and me!) the best of both worlds!
That delectable flavor combo is front and center without all the fuss of rolling up a cake in a powder sugar-laden towel while praying loudly and mightily that the cake actually survives the rolling process.
It’s quite stressful, really. Even though I try to tell you otherwise in this post.
If you’ve shed tears over failed pumpkin rolls, I encourage you to come over to the land of pumpkin cream cheese muffins instead.
Plus, I’ve never seen a pumpkin roll with buttery streusel, so there is that, too.
Let me say a quick word about muffin tins.
I’ve owned more brands of muffin tins over the last ten years than should be socially acceptable.
And I’ve been disappointed so.many.times in muffin tins that don’t bake evenly, or are too shallow or too flimsy or rust easily.
Right now, I’ve basically converted over to exclusively using the USA brand, and I have a few Farberware brand tins I use as well.
I swear, there’s something magical about the USA brand muffin tin (not affiliate with the company, just love this thing so much!).
Muffins and cupcakes bake so much more evenly with the most perfectly domed tops you’ve ever seen. It’s a thing of beauty, really…don’t blame me if it makes you emotional, too.
Plus, the wells are slightly deeper (same circumference) so the risk of muffin batter overflowing into the oven is extremely minimal.
So if you are in the market for new muffin tins, the USA ones are worth the investment (just reading through the reviews on Amazon may convince you).
So that’s that. I’ve now waxed poetic about pumpkin cream cheese muffins AND muffin tins (and kind of thrown the almighty pumpkin roll under the bus).
We better call it a day. Make these muffins, ok?
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 3 cups (426 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil, I often sub half applesauce/half oil
- 2 cups (425 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (15-ounce) can (425 g) pumpkin puree
Filling:
- 8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (36 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- For the cream cheese filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) until smooth. On a piece of parchment paper or greased foil, form the soft mixture into a log making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan once cut into pieces. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze until slightly hardened, 1-2 hours. ALTERNATE METHOD: sometimes I use my small cookie scoop (about a tablespoon in size) and portion out 24 cream cheese dollops on a parchment-lined plate or tray and freeze that way.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners (can bake in batches if you only have one pan) – see the note below for tips on muffin tins and how many to use.
- For the muffins, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil (and applesauce if using), sugar and pumpkin puree until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don’t overmix; a few lumps are ok!).
- For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix together with a handheld electric mixer, pastry blender or two forks until crumbly.
- Fill each muffin cup 1/3 of the way with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freezer and slice into 24 equal slices (no need to slice if you portioned the cream cheese mixture into individual dollops and froze). Place a slice or dollop of cream cheese on top of the batter in each muffin well and press lightly into the batter (no need to aggressively shove to the bottom, just a light press).
- Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups on top of the cream cheese (filling the muffin tins about 2/3 to 3/4 full, depending on how deep the muffin cups are). Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of each muffin. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top of the muffin (about 1/3 of the way down) comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats
Recipe originally posted November 18, 2009; updated with new pictures, commentary and recipe notes.
Let’s just have a moment of silence for how far my pictures have come since 2009.
I found your blog some weeks ago and, call my crazy, I read every article. This is the first recipe I tried and the result was amazing. Everyone loved these muffins and I will definitely bake them again. I couldn’t get pumpkin puree here in Germany so I made it from scratch while the cream cheese was freezing.
I doubled this recipe & it makes ALOT… 67 to be exact! My husband loved them & I’m putting them in my children’s lunches tomorrow. Also, make sure the cream cheese mixture is frozen pretty hard. If it’s too soft…it will bubble out of the top of the muffin.
I made these this week and you were right. They are amazing! I got lazy and just used raw sugar on top instead of the streusel and they were still amazing. Loved the cream cheese in the middle. Muffins stayed moist and yummy for a couple days. Thanks for another great recipe!
YAY!! It’s October 1st…officially the start of pumpkin season…so NOW I can make these again, without feeling guilty!! LOVE these muffins!! 😀
mmmm…these are REALLY good!
Made and LOVED – though did not wait long enough for cream cheese to freeze 100% when making them (nuts)- so some of the filling was ‘cake-like’ instead of ‘filling’- but kids still loved ! Made a ton of muffins so threw rest in freezer and have put frozen right into kids lunches for recess snacks where reportedly they just defrost to ‘cool’ by 10:15 recess time-with the filling still ‘cold’- perfect!
Oops nevermind my previous comment about refrigeration, saw others’ comments:)
SOOOOO delicious! Do these need to be refrigerated after baking?
I made these for Thanksgiving…soooo delicious!! Even my 11 yr old loved them!! He won’t eat pumpkin pie, well, he won’t eat ANY pie unless it’s chocolate! But he wanted to try them, so, not wanting to waste a WHOLE cupcake…I carefully sliced a small portion off of the cupcake, and he loved it! So this is a keeper in my family! Thanks again, Mel!!
I cannot stop making these. Add oats and chopped pecans to the streusel for some extra delicious texture. Thanks!
I like that idea! About how much do you add of each?
Melanie – I have been browsing your website for several months. I made this recipe two weeks ago for a little Packer party my family had–these are to DIE FOR!! I made them AGAIN a week later because I couldn’t get them off my mind. I omitted the cream cheese filling due to my dad not being a fan of cream cheese (crazy, right?!), but I’m looking forward to making them (yet again!) with the filling. Great recipe–thanks for sharing! 🙂
I made these on Sunday and took a few to my brother in law as a welcome home gift since he just returned from Iraq. We loved them! He loved them! I shared the link on Facebook and a bunch of my friends are excited to try this recipe- and some already have!
I had a little extra batter/struessel/cream cheese filling and kept it refridgerated/frozen to bake a few fresh ones when the rest were gone. Well, that day is today, and there are 4 more yummy muffins baking, scenting my house with the yummy smells of fall.
Jewely – yes, I think these probably need to be kept refrigerated, especially if it is longer than a couple of hours. I’m not sure how they would work out leaving out the cream cheese, you might try a basic pumpkin muffin if you end up deciding to leave out the cream cheese.
I want to send these to my daughter at university- do you think they will travel or do they have to be refrigerated? Would I have to leave the cream cheese out of the recipe?
Do these muffins need refrigerated after made or can they sit out in a container on the counter for a day or two? What is the storage process since it contains cream chesse?
Hi Angela – yes, I refrigerate these muffins for storage because of the cream cheese factor. I’ve let them stay out for up to 3 hours, but usually refrigerate them after that.
My friend shared this recipe with me. I made them for Thanksgiving and they are now a family favorite. I did bake them ahead and froze them. They were delicious. I plan to make them again this week. Thanks!
Glad you liked these muffins, Diane!
I LOVED these. I’m taking them to my early morning LDS Seminary kids tomorrow morning (as long as I can keep my husband away from them for that long). They are fantastic!!
Thanks, Liz! And bless you for being an early morning seminary teacher. Bless you, bless you!
made these yesterday 4 a fund raiser….they were the BEST muffins i have ever made (and i’ve made lots)…….already making 3 more batches…….thanks wont lose this recipe:):)..its awesome:)
fritzy – thanks for checking in on this recipe! I’m glad these muffins worked out so well for you!
I don’t know when I bookmarked this recipe, but I just made them and they are fantastic! I used 1/3 white whole wheat flour and couldn’t tell the difference. Such a great way to start my pumpkin-palooza (I love baking with pumpkin).
Jessica – so glad you liked these. It’s a reminder I need to make them soon!
Wow! These were really delicious! Def. a keeper! I got exactly 24 muffins and they puffed up nicely. The cream cheese filling is delicious! thanks for a great recipe!
Jeanette – so glad you liked these muffins. They are definitely some of my favorites (and I’m glad you are like me and make pumpkin goods all year long!).
How long does cream cheese usually take to freeze?
For this recipe, the cream cheese mixture needs about an hour or so in the freezer.
Everything you post is so delicious…can’t wait to try these!
Mel – so, so glad you liked these. Go ahead, eat them all, I think the pumpkin makes them healthy.
Oh.My.Word.
These are divine and I want to eat them all. Thanks for the recipe!
Melanie B.
Amber – thanks for letting me know that these pumpkin muffins were a hit. I’m glad they worked out, despite the cream cheese issue – but it sounds like they were still delicious!
I just made these delicious muffins, it’s the first Kitchen Cafe recipe I’ve made, they turned out delicious! I subbed half whole wheat and they were so tasty! I didn’t read the recipe ahead, so I had to add the cream cheese un-frozen, the cream cheese filling cooked a bit, but wasn’t dry at all. I can see how freezing it would keep it creamy. Thanks for posting the recipe!
The Three Amigos – thanks for letting me know you liked these – they were a huge hit around our house, too!
Melanee – glad these worked out for you – I bet they were a hit with your friends. They must love you for your cooking and baking skills!
I just gave these a try… YUM. I love them, they were so fun to make!
WOW. I just made these… and WOW. THEY ARE SO GOOD. I think I ate like 1/4 of the batter and cream cheese mixture before putting them into the muffins… I put them on our family blog, http://www.jonandamyduvall.blogspot.com if you want to look. THANK YOU!! I make so many of your recipes, I love your blog!
Hi Sherra – thanks for letting me know you liked these and for including how much your recipe made. It seems there is always a little variance with amounts. Glad these were a hit!
Made these this weekend and we loved them!! The recipe made enough for 2 dozen small muffins plus 2 dozen mini muffins that I froze for my daughter to take to school on Tuesday. Thanks for another great recipe! 🙂
Danae – I got this recipe from another blog (Annie’s Eats) and she posted it last year sometime so it must be another version that appeared in Rachael Ray’s magazine. I’ve actually seen variations of it in quite a few different places so it must be a popular combination!
We are so on the same wave length. We just got back from Mexico a few days ago and are already craving/missing the food. I was wondering if you’d possibly have anything close to a Mexican meal and look, the post before this one is * Mexican * Love it! Now I am going to make that meal! Thanks:)>
Have you ever made a cook book of your favorite recipes? Have you found a program online that you’ve liked? I am wanting to compile all my favorite family recipes (50% come from mykitchencafe:), well, somewhere close to 50%) and don’t know where to start. I was wanting to make a dessert and couldn’t find my recipe. It got me all in a panic about losing recipes etc. So I want to get them all together someplace-do you know of anywhere or should I just do a google search? Thanks!!
Is this recipe from this month’s Rachael Ray Everyday magazine? I made this (nearly?) Exact same recipe from that magazine, and they really are amazing. 🙂
i made these a couple weeks ago after finding them on annie’s eats and they were ahhhhhmazing! AND, they made a heaping 24 muffins that my coworkers were thrilled to help polish off :).
i actually think if i made these again i would try to make closer to 30 muffins out of it, as many of mine rose SO much they were stuck to the muffin tins.
I. Will. Be. Making. These. ’nuff said?!?
JoAnn – I haven’t frozen them so I’m not sure – but I can’t see why they wouldn’t freeze well. Let me know if you try it.
Melanie- these muffins look wonderful! I love everything pumpkin and cream cheese. I must make these. 🙂
oh, my, gorsh. why are you doing this to me?
these look amazing.
Oh yum. Honestly, who could ever be sick of pumpkin?
like starbucks’!!!! yummmmmmmm!
Holy COW. I’ve just added 3 pounds to my stomach area. Another 2 when I make and eat these.
for reals?! MAKING TODAY.
sigh. here we have yet another reason to bemoan my dislike of pumpkin. these look great, melanie. perhaps the cream cheese could redeem them for me.
oh wow!!!! i HAVE to try these!!!!
THANK you for the recipe. DOUBLE thank you for the added option of printing recipe with or without the picture! Judy B. Houston, Tx
Holy Cow those look awesome! I can’t wait to make them!
So glad you liked them! They’re my favorite muffins ever, for sure!
I think you’re right. I must make these. I hope they would freeze ok?
oh HELLOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!Looks sooooo fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!