Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are a soft and moist pumpkin spice muffin filled with a creamy cheesecake center and topped with buttery streusel. This easy fall recipe is even better than the bakery and makes the perfect sweet breakfast, snack, or dessert.
If Fall were a muffin, it'd be this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.
If Fall were a muffin, it'd be this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin. I look forward to them every year! The pumpkin spice flavor is cozy and nostalgic, while the surprise cream cheese filling makes them taste like little bites of pumpkin cheesecake wrapped in a muffin. I especially love the streusel topping that gives them the best crunch on top. They’re easy enough to whip up on a weeknight but special enough to bring to a fall gathering, and my family never lets a batch last more than a day.
How to make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:
Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate while you prepare the muffin batter.
Muffin Batter: In one bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, mix the eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin purée until smooth. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Bake: Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then cover with more batter until each cup is about ¾ full. Sprinkle generously with the streusel topping. Bake for 18–20 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack before serving.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup oil
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree , or homemade
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz plain cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Streusel Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar , packed
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream Cheese Filling: Prepare cream cheese filling by combining the cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix well until smooth. Refrigerate while you make the muffins.4 oz plain cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar
- Muffins: In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir and set aside. In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 large eggs, ¾ cup oil, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- Streusel Topping: Add the streusel topping ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine using a pastry or fork, until crumbly.2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons cold butter, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a standard muffin pan, or line with paper liners.
- Fill each muffin cup with a heaping tablespoon of batter. Place a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin cup. Add additional muffin batter until the cups are ¾ way full. Sprinkle crumb topping over the top of each. (This recipe will make 18 regular size muffins, or 12 very large muffins. If you want to use all the batter to make large muffins, add 6-10 minutes to the bake time. I’ve never had them overflow on me.)
- Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes. Remove from muffin pan and allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe August 2016. Updated October 2020, August 2023 and September 2025.
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I added a maple glaze these were SO good.
Any advice on making these into mini muffins?
Yes! Just reduce the bake time to about 10–12 minutes for mini muffins, and check early so they don’t overbake. Everything else stays the same—just smaller portions of batter, filling, and streusel.
Made your recipe, pumpkin roll and pumpkin muffin, was very delicious. Was pretty easy to make, thank you
Def one of the best, least complicated versions of this popular muffin…one thing I always do to make better, high rising,pretty domed muffins is to only fill every other muffin cup in the pans…they really rise up perfectly every time thanks to better air flow I learned! Thanks for the recipe, best time of the year!
Thankyou for so kindly sending me your recipe. ❤️
Great recipe. Good flavor. Would make a great substitute for pumpkin on Thanksgiving. A little putzy to make I thought
These melt in your mouth muffins were absolutely amazing!!!! Do yourself a favor and make them this fall!!
Good morning! I baked these this morning and they were really really good. This is from a person who does not really like pumpkin. Hubby (my taste tester) thought they were very good. Have a great weekend! Sue
Made these for our ladies gathering. The smell in our home was so warm and welcoming to those coming for a brunch. Loved the strudel topping with the pumpkin flavors. Everyone enjoyed the these muffins!