Description
Delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins featuring a creamy cream cheese filling, spiced pumpkin batter, and a crunchy pecan streusel topping. Perfect for fall gatherings or a cozy treat anytime.
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
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 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 and creamy. Freeze the filling to firm it up while you prepare other components.
- Streusel Crumb Topping: Pulse pecans in a food processor three times. Add flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; pulse to combine. Sprinkle cold butter cubes over the mixture and pulse until it resembles small pebbles. Rub in any large butter pieces by hand if necessary. Set aside in the freezer.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 22 muffin cups with liners and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, and vegetable oil until fully combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet pumpkin mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the batter light.
- Assemble Muffins: Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter into each muffin liner and spread evenly. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of cream cheese filling on top of the batter. Cover the cream cheese layer with remaining pumpkin batter. Top each muffin with heaping 1 tablespoon of streusel topping, gently pressing it into the batter.
- Bake: Bake muffins at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the top batter (not the cream cheese layer) comes out clean. Baking time may vary depending on how chilled the cream cheese filling is.
- Cool and Garnish: Let muffins cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Optionally sprinkle with ground cinnamon and coarse raw turbinado cane sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Reheat briefly in the microwave if desired.
Notes
- The cream cheese filling should be stiff but pliable to melt perfectly during baking. If prepping early, freeze for 20-30 minutes but do not freeze solid.
- Measure flour accurately by weighing or spooning and leveling to avoid dense muffins.
- If using pumpkin puree other than Libby’s, drain excess moisture to prevent dense texture.
- Baking times depend on how chilled the cream cheese filling is; softer filling requires longer baking.
- Store muffins at room temperature for up to 2 hours, then refrigerate in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Consume within 3-5 days for best flavor.
- Warm muffins slightly before serving for a fresh-baked texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
