Even with all that going on they are still super easy to make and soooooo good.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins. With Cream Cheese Filling. With Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel Topping. With… jk. I think that’s enough yes? These are your new favourite fall muffin, I promise. They are even better than your Starbucks fave. Super moist, high rise, creamy cheesecake-like filling and a crisp, buttery, brown sugar pecan streusel topping.
And right now you’re probably like, seriously Joni, can you add any more features to these muffins.? And the truth is that yes, friends, yes I could have. I showed restraint. Sometimes that is very hard for me and I have had muffins that couldn’t rise even the tiniest smidge because the poor things were so weighed down with toppings. So I know better now. Sometimes… sometimes… less is more. Did these really need a streusel? Probably not. Is it overly indulgent? Definitely. Is it incredibly delicious? Absolutely.
These muffins are currently my favourite way to start the day. Are they healthy? Who am I to say? They do have some oat flour in them and we all know that pumpkin is chock full of important vitamins. And nuts? A superfood no? Let’s not overanalyze things here, we can have salad for lunch.
pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese filling and streusel topping, how to make them…
Step 1: Make the streusel topping by mixing together some flour, cinnamon, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter until crumbly and set aside. You don’t have to add the streusel if it’s not your thing. You can simply go Starbucks style and sprinkle the tops with a few pepitas, but trust me when I tell you this topping is delish.
Step 2: Make the muffin batter by mixing together flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Pumpkin Pie Spice (buy it or make it… my recipe is in the recipe notes below). In another bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin purée, buttermilk and oil (I use olive and I don’t care what anyone says you can’t taste it). Combine the dry with the wet and move on…
Step 3: Make the filling by whisking together some softened cream cheese with a little sugar, vanilla and an egg yolk.
Step 4: Make your muffins. Fill the muffin cups about halfway with muffin batter, add in a dollop of cream cheese, top with more muffin batter and sprinkle with streusel. None of this needs to be perfect so don’t stress… See pics above.
Step 5: Bake ’em and eat ’em. I like them warm with butter and coffee, but serve them however you like.
Pumpkin spice muffin Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Flour – I use a combination of all purpose flour and oat flour, but feel free to use only all purpose.
Pumpkin – is it safe to say that by 2023 and 8 bazillion pumpkin recipes in circulation I do not have to tell you to use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling? Please tell me we’re at that place.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – I’m surprised they don’t sell this in gas stations by now, but nevertheless, it is available in most grocery stores. Or you can make your own… my recipe is in the recipe notes below.
Buttermilk – if you don’t have any you can water down some yogurt or just make your own buttermilk.
Oil – I may get yelled at for this, but I use olive oil in my baking all the time and nobody has died – or complained – yet. I swear you can not taste it.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe Variations:
- Leave off the streusel, add the cream cheese to the top of the muffin batter instead of the middle and top with chopped pepitas for a more accurate Starbucks dupe.
- Leave off the streusel and add 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the batter and add a few to the top of each muffin before baking.
- Add 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans to the muffin batter for pumpkin pecan muffins.
looking for more easy muffin recipes? try these…
- Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Muffins
- Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Banana Carrot Muffins
- White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- Spiced Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins
Recipe-ish…
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Ingredients
For the Topping:
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup pecans finely chopped
- 1/4 cup butter melted
For the Muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup oat flour or additional 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup oil**
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Filling:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425.
Make the topping:
- Combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well.
- Add in the melted butter and mix until well combined and crumbly. Set aside.
Make the muffin batter:
- Combine the flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil, vanilla and buttermilk and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. Set aside.
Make the filling:
- Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Make the muffins:
- Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
- Fill each muffin cup half full with muffin batter.
- Divide the filling mixture evenly between the muffins.
- Use the remaining batter to fill the muffin cups.
- Top each muffin with streusel, slightly pressing it down to adhere to the batter.
- Bake at 425 for 5 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake and additional 15-18 minutes.
Notes
Let me know what you think below and if you like this Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe I think you should try my Upside Down Puff Pastry Apple Tart. It’s so easy and really delicious.
