Description
Deliciously moist copycat pumpkin cream cheese muffins inspired by Starbucks, perfect for fall baking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240 mL) pumpkin puree, pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil preferred)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar (cane sugar can be used as alternative)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour (use gluten-free measure-for-measure blend with xanthan gum for gluten-free option)
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder, fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda, fresh
- 1 teaspoon (2.6 g) ground cinnamon, freshly ground preferred
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred
- 1 package (3.4 oz / 96 g) instant vanilla pudding mix (secret ingredient for moistness)
- 8 oz (227 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- Pumpkin seeds, to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat Your Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and allow it to fully heat. Fully preheated oven ensures even baking and proper muffin rise.
- Step 2: Prepare Your Muffin Tin: Line your muffin tin with sturdy paper muffin liners, one liner per cup. Ensure liners fit snugly to prevent batter leakage and for easy muffin removal.
- Step 3: Mix Pumpkin Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the wet pumpkin mixture using a spatula just until incorporated. Do not overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
- Step 5: Make Cream Cheese Filling: In another bowl, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Transfer filling to a piping bag or prepare a spoon for filling.
- Step 6: Scoop Batter into Cups: Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 to nearly full with pumpkin batter, leaving space for cream cheese filling.
- Step 7: Add Cream Cheese Filling: Pipe or spoon a dollop of the cream cheese mixture directly into the center of each batter-filled muffin cup. To help keep the filling centered, pipe slowly inside the batter and, if needed, use a toothpick to slightly swirl the filling to ensure it stays in the middle.
- Step 8: Sprinkle Pumpkin Seeds: Top each muffin with a few pumpkin seeds for added texture and visual appeal.
- Step 9: Bake Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the cream cheese filling comes out mostly clean. Begin checking at 20 minutes to avoid overbaking. Muffins should have a light golden top and produce a warm pumpkin aroma.
- Step 10: Cool and Serve: Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This assists the muffins in setting correctly and makes them easier to remove from liners.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep away from direct sunlight and heat sources to maintain moisture.
- Refrigeration: Store muffins in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days to maintain the freshness and texture of the cream cheese filling.
- Freezing: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- To ensure even cream cheese filling distribution, pipe small amounts while filling and gently swirl with a toothpick if needed to center the filling properly.
- If batter consistency is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, mixing gently until smooth and pourable but not runny.
- Use fresh baking powder and baking soda; test freshness by dissolving a small pinch in warm water—if bubbly, it is active.
- For stronger pumpkin spice notes, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dry ingredients mix.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent tough muffins; fold ingredients just to combine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg