Description
Delicious pumpkin cheesecake muffins featuring a rich cream cheese filling, spiced pumpkin batter, and a crunchy pecan streusel topping. These moist and flavorful muffins are perfect for fall breakfasts or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Crumb Topping
- 2/3 cup raw pecan halves
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed (salted or unsalted)
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 15 oz. can Libby’s pure pumpkin puree (heaping 1 ¾ cup)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (324 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Garnish (Optional)
- Coarse raw turbinado cane sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream Cheese Filling: Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk by hand or with a handheld mixer until smooth. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until slightly stiff but scoopable.
- Streusel Crumb Topping: Pulse pecans 3 times in a food processor. Add flour, sugars, and cinnamon; pulse a few times to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Rub any stubborn butter pieces by hand. Set aside in the freezer.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 22 muffin cups with liners and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk eggs gently. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, and vegetable oil and mix until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Combine: Add dry ingredient mixture into the wet pumpkin mixture. Stir just until combined without overmixing.
- Assemble: Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin batter into each liner and spread to cover bottom. Add 1 rounded tablespoon cream cheese filling on top of each. Cover cream cheese with remaining pumpkin batter evenly. Top each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of streusel crumb topping and gently pat it into the batter.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into top batter (not touching cream cheese) comes out clean. Baking time may vary depending on cream cheese filling temperature.
- Cool: Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Optionally sprinkle with ground cinnamon and coarse raw cane sugar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Muffins can be warmed briefly in microwave before serving.
Notes
- The cream cheese filling should be stiff but pliable to melt perfectly during baking; refrigerate or freeze briefly if preparing ahead.
- For accurate flour measurement, weigh the flour or fluff and spoon it into measuring cups instead of scooping to avoid dense muffins.
- If using pumpkin puree other than Libby’s, drain excess moisture to prevent dense texture.
- Baking time varies with cream cheese filling softness; check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the batter without touching cream cheese.
- Store muffins in airtight container in refrigerator after 2 hours at room temperature; separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Consume within 3-5 days.
- Warm muffins slightly before serving for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
