Description
A delicious recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins featuring a creamy cream cheese filling, spiced pumpkin batter, and a crunchy pecan streusel topping. These moist muffins are perfect for fall baking and make a delightful treat for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Crumb Topping
- 2/3 cup raw pecan halves
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed (salted or unsalted)
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 15 oz. can Libby’s pure pumpkin puree (heaping 1 ¾ cup)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (324 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Garnish (Optional)
- Coarse raw turbinado cane sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream Cheese Filling: Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Whisk by hand or with a handheld mixer until smooth. Freeze the filling while preparing the rest of the recipe so it becomes slightly stiff but still pliable and scoopable.
- Streusel Crumb Topping: Place pecan halves in a food processor and pulse 3 times. Add flour, both sugars, and cinnamon, then pulse a few times to combine. Sprinkle cold cubed butter over the mixture and pulse until it resembles small pebbles with chopped pecans. If needed, rub remaining butter pieces between fingers to incorporate. Set the topping aside in the freezer.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 22 muffin cups with liners and lightly spray them with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, gently whisk eggs. Add granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, and vegetable oil, mixing just until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all the spices until evenly combined.
- Combine Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Assemble Muffins: Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin liner and spread to cover the bottom. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of the cream cheese filling on top of the batter. Cover with remaining batter, dividing evenly. Top each muffin with about 1 heaping tablespoon of the streusel crumb topping and gently pat it down so it sticks during baking.
- Bake: Place muffin tins in the preheated oven and bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top batter (avoiding the cream cheese center) comes out clean. Baking time may vary depending on how chilled the cream cheese filling is.
- Cool and Serve: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and coarse raw cane sugar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. For a warm muffin, microwave briefly before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese filling is stiff but pliable; chilling it for 20-30 minutes helps achieve the right consistency for a soft but cohesive filling.
- Weigh the flour for best accuracy. If measuring by cup, fluff and spoon the flour then level it to avoid dense muffins.
- If using a pumpkin puree brand other than Libby’s, drain excess moisture before use to prevent dense muffins.
- Baking time depends on how firm the cream cheese filling is; a softer filling will increase baking time slightly.
- Store muffins in an airtight container refrigerated after 2 hours at room temperature. Use parchment paper between stacked muffins to prevent sticking. Consume within 3-5 days for best taste.
- Rewarm muffins in the microwave for a few seconds to enjoy them fresh and soft.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
