Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins

These pumpkin cream cheese muffins have everything I want in a fall bake: a soft, warmly spiced pumpkin muffin, a rich cream cheese center, and plenty of buttery cinnamon streusel on top. Using both melted butter and oil gives the muffins the best of both worlds—the butter adds flavor, while the oil keeps them tender and moist for days. The muffin base is adapted from my favorite pumpkin bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen, with a few changes to transform it into a bakery-style muffin and to meet my flavor preferences. :)

For the filling, I always use Philadelphia cream cheese. It’s the only kind I buy because I prefer its smooth, creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor, especially in a recipe where the cream cheese is meant to stand out. And I also am familiar with the moisture content on it. I also use Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice because it’s my favorite (it has a little orange peel and cardamom in it!!), but I’ve included individual spice measurements if you’d rather make your own blend.

These pumpkin cream cheese streusel muffins feel special enough for a fall brunch or holiday breakfast, but they’re still simple enough to bake on an ordinary week day morning. Enjoy one slightly warm with a cup of coffee — and keep the extras in the refrigerator so the cream cheese filling stays fresh.

Makes 12 large muffins

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (And yes, I specifically use Philadelphia cream cheese. My fav flavor and texture.)

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée, about 1¾ cups

• ¼ cup neutral oil

• ¼ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 3 large eggs

• 1⅓ cups granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

For the spices, use either:

• 3 teaspoons Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice

Or:

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. (These are my favorite)

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, melted butter, eggs, and granulated sugar until smooth. Note: The blend of oil and butter is important here. The butter will give you better flavor, while the oil keeps the muffins moist after refrigeration — which matters because the cream cheese filling in these means the muffins need to be stored in the fridge.

3. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and your chosen spices. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

4. Add the flour and fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Let the batter rest for 20–25 minutes for taller muffin tops.

6. Make the cream cheese filling. Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

7. Make the streusel. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the flour and mix until crumbs form. Set aside.

8. Divide approximately half of the pumpkin batter among the muffin cups. Add about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling to the center of each muffin. Cover with the remaining pumpkin batter. The cups should be nearly full.

9. Sprinkle the streusel generously over each muffin.

10. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 16–20 minutes. The tops should spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin portion should come out with a few moist crumbs.

11. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack. Allow the cream cheese centers to set before serving.

Store the muffins covered in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature or warm them briefly before serving.