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Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Easy Streusel Recipe

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These perfect pumpkin cream cheese muffins with streusel top are a happy accident turned into the most-requested fall bake. Spiced pumpkin muffin, creamy tangy cream cheese filling, and crunchy buttery streusel come together in one incredible bite.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk (or ⅓ cup milk mixed with ½ teaspoon vinegar, let sit 5 minutes)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (full-fat)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (for cream cheese filling)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese filling)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and work into flour mixture with fingertips until it resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter chunks. Stir in nuts if using. Refrigerate until needed.
  3. Prepare cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and ½ teaspoon vanilla, beat until combined. Set aside at room temperature.
  4. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, black pepper, and salt.
  5. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay). Do not overmix.
  7. Assemble muffins: Fill each muffin liner about halfway with batter. Drop a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling into the center of each, pushing it down slightly. Top with another scoop of batter to cover cream cheese completely (liners should be about ¾ full).
  8. Add streusel: Sprinkle cold streusel generously over each muffin, pressing gently into batter.
  9. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening oven, reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into muffin part (not cream cheese center) comes out clean.
  10. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely if possible, but warm muffins are also delicious.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid dense muffins. Keep cream cheese at room temperature for smooth filling. The high-heat start (425°F) is essential for tall domed tops. Test doneness with a toothpick inserted into the muffin part, not the cream cheese center. Let muffins cool properly so the filling sets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Muffins taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://sagestirs.com/perfect-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-streusel-recipe/