The muffin base for this recipe is adapted from my homemade Pumpkin Loaf recipe — one of my all-time favorite fall treats that I recommend checking out!
MAKING CREAM CHEESE FILLING FOR MUFFINS
The key to a perfect cream cheese-filled muffin is to keep the cream cheese filling chilled. I recommend chilling it for at least 25 to 30 minutes in the freezer before using it. This helps it stay firm and makes it easier to pipe into the muffins. Some recipes add flour or cornstarch to thicken the cream cheese filling, but I prefer the texture and creaminess of just the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
HOW TO MAKE BAKERY-STYLE MUFFINS
The best way to achieve that bakery-style, domed muffin cap is to begin by baking the muffins at 425℉ for 5 minutes to help them puff up and rise. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350℉ to ensure they cook through completely without overbrowning.
STORING MUFFINS WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING
After the muffins have cooled to room temperature, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge (just to be on the safe side). They are perfectly delicious straight out of the fridge, but you can always reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or a low-temperature oven for a few minutes if you prefer them warmed.
PREPARING THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Using an electric hand mixer, and in a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream cheese for about a minute, until it is smooth and creamy. Add in the granulated sugar and vanilla and continue to mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until well combined.
Chill the cream cheese filling in the freezer for at least 25 minutes, stirring it half way. In the meantime, you can continue on to make the muffin batter.
PREPARING AND BAKING THE MUFFINS
Preheat your oven to 425℉ degrees and prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Set the bowl aside.
In a second large bowl, whisk the eggs until homogenous. Then, whisk in the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Set this bowl aside.
If it hasn’t been 25 minutes since adding your cream cheese mixture into the freezer, do not proceed. Once it has been at least 25 minutes (and your cream cheese mixture is firm), spoon the mixture into a piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) and place it back in the freezer until needed.
Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, half at a time, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
Fill each muffin liner to the top with batter. This recipe should make around 12 to 14 muffins.
Remove the cream cheese filling from the fridge and cut the tip of the piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) so that the opening is between ¼” and ½”.
Place the tip of the piping bag down into the center of each muffin. Slowly squeeze the piping bag — while pulling it in an upward motion — until a small peak of cream cheese filling forms on the top of the muffin batter. You should aim for about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of the cream cheese filling in each muffin. (I suggest working relatively quickly so the cream cheese remains as firm as possible.)
Sprinkle the edges of each muffin with the chopped pumpkin seeds.
Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes. Then, turn the oven to 350℉ and continue to bake for another 17 to 20 minutes, until they are puffed up and browned around the outer edges. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick at an angle beside the cream cheese filling.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can serve them warm, room temperature, or chilled.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Muffin Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz (1 block) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Topping
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
Equipment
Instructions
Preparing the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add in sugar and vanilla, and continue to mix until well combined (about 2 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.8 oz (1 block) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature⅓ cup granulated sugar½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Chill the cream cheese filling in the freezer for at least 25 minutes, stirring it midway. (It will firm up — this is okay!)
- After at least 25 minutes, spoon chilled cream cheese filling into a piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) and return to the freezer, until needed below.
Preparing and Baking the Muffins
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425℉ and prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda½ tsp baking powder½ tsp kosher salt2 tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp ground cloves¼ tsp ground nutmeg¼ tsp ground ginger
- In a second large bowl, whisk eggs until homogenous. Add in pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Whisk to combine and set aside.3 large eggs, at room temperature1 ½ cup pumpkin purée1 cup granulated sugar½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed½ tsp pure vanilla extract½ cup vegetable oil
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, half at a time, and whisk just until smooth and combined.
- Pour muffin batter into muffin liners, right to the top. (This recipe yields 12 to 14 muffins.)
- Remove chilled cream cheese filling and cut the tip of the piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) to create an opening between ¼" and ½" wide.
- Insert the tip of the piping bag into the center of each muffin. Slowly, but firmly, squeeze the piping bag while pulling it upward to create a small peak of cream cheese filling on the top of the muffin batter. (You should aim for about 1 to 1 ½ Tbsp of filling in each muffin.)Note: I recommend working relatively quickly, so the cream cheese filling remains as firm as possible during this step.
- Sprinkle the top edges of each muffin with chopped pumpkin seeds.⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
- Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350℉ and continue baking until the muffins have puffed up and browned around the edges (about 17 to 20 minutes more). To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the muffin at an angle (avoiding the filling); it should come out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Once fully cooled, store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Storing Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling: After the muffins have cooled to room temperature, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge — just to be on the safe side. They are perfectly delicious straight out of the fridge, but if you prefer them warmed, you can easily reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or in a low-temperature oven for a few minutes.
