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Soft and tall pumpkin muffins filled with a creamy, tangy cream cheese center, bursting with classic pumpkin pie spices and perfect for fall mornings or snacks.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 15 oz Pumpkin puree (1 can), blotted to remove excess moisture
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 3/4 cup Brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • 1 Large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Sour cream, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
  • Coarse sugar (such as sugar in the raw), for sprinkling on top (optional)
  • Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 4 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp White granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Milk
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and place 6 muffin liners spaced apart in a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Spread pumpkin puree on a plate lined with paper towels and press additional paper towels on top about 4 times to blot excess moisture.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg.
  4. In another bowl whisk together melted cooled unsalted butter, blotted pumpkin puree, packed brown sugar, room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, and buttermilk until smooth.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
  6. Use a large cookie scoop to fill each liner to the top and sprinkle coarse sugar on top if desired.
  7. Beat room-temperature cream cheese with granulated sugar, flour, milk, and vanilla until smooth and transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
  8. Insert the bag tip about one-third of the way down into each muffin and squeeze to deposit a generous dollop of cream cheese filling near the top, dividing the filling evenly among the 12 muffins.
  9. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake another 6–8 minutes, testing doneness with a toothpick inserted outside the filling (it should come out clean).
  10. Let muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Refrigerate the cooled muffins before storing.

Notes

Blotting the pumpkin puree removes excess moisture, keeping muffins light and tall., Resting the batter after mixing helps gluten relax for fluffier muffins., Space muffin liners apart for even heat circulation and tall rising., Store finished muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days., Freeze muffins wrapped individually for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in fridge before reheating., Reheat chilled muffins in microwave for 10-20 seconds or oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes., Cream cheese filling can be made 1-2 days ahead and kept chilled., Muffin batter can be mixed and refrigerated up to 24 hours but baking the same day yields best rise., Can add streusel topping or mix-ins like mini chocolate chips or nuts for variation., For dairy-free, use vegan cream cheese and plant-based milk; for gluten-free, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sweetovenstories.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/