Not-Too-Sweet Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
These pumpkin muffins hide a sweet cream cheese layer inside a spiced pumpkin muffin, which keeps them rich and moist rather than dry. The muffin itself is deliberately not too sweet, so the cream cheese and a cinnamon streusel on top carry the sugar and the crunch. They start in a hot oven for a tall, bakery-style rise, then finish low, twenty minutes total in the oven.
Equipment
Ingredients
STRESUEL
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter cold cut into pieces
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
MUFFINS
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
FILLING
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Prehea the oven to 425º. Line 14 muffin tins with liners
STREUSEL
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter and combine with your fingers or a pastry cutter.
MUFFINS
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, pumpkin and eggs. Whisk until well combined. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and stir, just until combined.
FILLING
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.
- To assemble, place about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin mixture in the muffin tin, add about 1 tablespoon cream cheese and then add another 2 tablespoons of pumpkin mixture so that the batter reaches the top of the tin. Cover with streusel and press into the batter.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425º, then reduce oven to 350º, (don’t open the oven door) bake an additional 15 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes so the cream cheese center can set before you lift them out.
- Because of the cream cheese filling, store these covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Bring to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.
- To freeze, cool completely and wrap individually, then freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 3102IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg
