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.
Follow me for more great recipes
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
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe August 2016. Updated October 2020, August 2023 and September 2025.
This post contains affiliate links.
Great autumn treat! The cream cheese filling is especially tasty. I slightly reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe because I prefer things not as sweet, but overall this was a success and my family liked them as well.
Whether you’re enjoying it with a warm cup of coffee on a crisp autumn morning or as an afternoon snack, this muffin is a delightful treat that captures the essence of the season. I highly recommend giving it a try if you’re a fan of pumpkin-flavored goodies, as it’s sure to satisfy your cravings for fall flavors.
i bake a lot so i had ALL the ingredients on hand 🙏 made double bc i had 2 cans of pumpkin, now my man can share w his coworkers & also deliver some to my mom to take to work 😁 they were delicious! i looove baking but i usually bake & give away bc i dont care for sweets lol
Came out great! I like the consistency of the cream cheese icing. Would love to try this with apples too.
These turned out delicious! I substituted butter for the oil and love them. Will definitely make this recipe again. 😊
These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are amazing! The filling is great and the streusel topping makes them so delicious! The recipe made 18, so we had some to share with friends!
These are the best pumpkin muffins! The cream cheese swirl and crumb topping take these over the top. Delicious and loved by my whole family!
These muffins were delicious. I love how putting the cream cheese mixture in the fridge while making the rest of the batter caused it to not spread everywhere through the muffin! I served these to family and every person loved them and were wildly impressed!!! Definitely making again!
This are delicious pumpkin muffins. The ratio of cream cheese filling: muffin: streusel topping is just right. Adding the filling is a little tedious, but well worth it for this delicious muffin.
Yum! I love these for fall. Super easy and I just froze them and take one out on the way to work in the morning and microwave for a quick and easy breakfast.