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Perfect Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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These Perfect Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are incredibly moist, with a hidden tangy cream cheese center and a crackly brown sugar streusel topping. They’re the ultimate fall treat, perfect for cozy breakfasts, holiday brunches, or any time you crave warm pumpkin spice flavors.

Ingredients

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  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (canola or avocado oil work too)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for cream cheese filling)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese filling)
  • ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (for streusel topping)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for streusel topping)
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for streusel topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay).
  6. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and flour for the streusel topping. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  7. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of muffin batter into the bottom of each liner. Drop a small spoonful (about 1 teaspoon) of the cream cheese filling in the center. Top with another tablespoon of batter, spreading it gently to cover the cream cheese. The liners should be about ¾ full.
  8. Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each muffin. Press it lightly into the batter.
  9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese center) comes out clean.
  10. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins. Keep the cream cheese just softened, not too warm, to prevent it from sinking. Chill the streusel topping before using for a better crumb texture. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the muffin part near the edge. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 5 days. They freeze well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese muffins, brown sugar muffins, fall baking, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, easy muffin recipe

Find it online: https://bakebeam.com/perfect-brown-sugar-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/