Pumpkin spice muffins with a cream cheese filling and pecan topping are easily the best pumpkin muffins you'll ever make. These pumpkin cheesecake muffins are moist and full of fall flavors.
The cream cheese filling is a nice surprise to bite into and the praline pecan crumb topping adds some sugary crunch to the muffins.
Every fall season, pumpkin and pumpkin spice come to life in such a variety of products and edibles! No doubt it's one of the reasons I look forward to the fall season each year.
Most well known for its use in pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and, more often than not, allspice.
Cream cheese is the heart of these warm pumpkin cream cheese muffins, giving them richness and a nice surprise when you bite into one.
Topping the pumpkin muffins with praline pecan and cinnamon crumb toppings is not a requirement, but it adds so much flavor and a nice crunchy texture.
These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are decadent and irresistible, but if you're looking for more Fall Muffin Recipes, try coffee doughnut muffins and apple pie muffins.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- These muffins have the wonderful fall flavors we look forward to all year!
- Tastes like dessert for breakfast!
- A super moist and tender muffin and will stay that way for days.
- They transport well if you want to bake a double batch to share.
Ingredients
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients you need to make pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese filling. You probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen, if not all of them.
Here's what you need:
- Muffins: You will need basic baking supplies including, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and eggs.
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned or homemade depending on what you have!
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon: The pumpkin spice gives flavor to the muffins while the cinnamon is part of the topping added to the top of the muffins.
- Unsalted butter: Great for baking because it gives you more control over the salt in the muffins.
- Cream cheese filling: Made by mixing cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Pecan topping: Made with pecans, vanilla, corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar and salt.
For the full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe further down the page.
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Here an overview of the step-by-step method for making pumpkin cream cheese muffins. For the complete instructions, and nutrition information, check the printable recipe card further down on the page.
Step One: Prepare Crumb Topping
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar.
- Combine the pecans, sugars and salt in a bowl. Add corn syrup and vanilla then use a spoon to combine.
Step Two: Make the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Blend the cream cheese, icing or powdered sugar, and vanilla together with a mixer. Set this mixture aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until blended together.
- Combine the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla In a separate bowl.
- Gradually stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin, mixing just until all the ingredients are combined. Do not over mix!
Step Four: Get Muffins Ready to Cook
- Grab your prepared muffin pan and fill each of the cups up about halfway.
- Use a soup spoon to press a hole down into the batter, large enough to hold approximately two teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the hole of each muffin.
- Add the leftover batter to each muffin and ensure the cream cheese mixture is totally covered.
- Cover the top of each muffin completely with the pecan topping. Make sure to use it all.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of each muffin.
- Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached; about 35 minutes.
TOP TIP: Remember to rotate your muffin pan halfway through baking if you have hot spots like I do.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan set on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then, remove muffins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack too cool for at least five more minutes, if you can wait that long!
Substitutions and Variations
If you don’t have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up, here are some helpful tips for you to change this cream cheese pumpkin spice muffins recipe.
- No pumpkin pie spice? Use cinnamon instead or make your own pumpkin pie spice by combining ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.
- Swap the pecans. Walnuts work great or you can use any other nut that you like.
- Cream Cheese: Skip the cream cheese filling if you want or smear it on as a cream cheese frosting instead!
- Topping: You could replace the pecan and cinnamon topping with a streusel topping with brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Cover any leftover muffins tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freezer: Wrap well in plastic wrap and store in an airtight bag or container in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Tips
- Put the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the batter. Otherwise, if it is placed too high it may poke through the top.
- Be sure to gently press the pecan topping into the top of the muffin batter before baking. The cinnamon sugar can then be sprinkled on.
- Don't over mix the batter or you may end up with tough muffins.
- Make sure you grab pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling!
FAQ
Do you have questions about these pumpkin spice muffins? If so, here are some of the most commonly asked questions.
It is the butter and pumpkin puree that make the muffins so moist.
You can use this DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe using 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground allspice. You can also use just cinnamon too!
Watch Video for How to Make
Producing a video on how to make my favorite stuffed pumpkin muffins was exciting to say the least! Showing can be better than the written word, so take a moment and see just how easy this recipe is.
More Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love
If you're specifically looking for recipes made with pumpkin, have a look at these.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Equipment
- wooden spoon or Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
PECAN TOPPING
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons corn syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
FILLING
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar or icing sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
MUFFINS
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree canned, unsweetened
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING
- In a small bowl combine sugars and cinnamon. Set aside.
PECAN TOPPING
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together pecans, sugars, and salt. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir, using a spoon or your fingers, until blended. Set aside.
FILLING
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, blend cream cheese, icing or powdered sugar and vanilla together. Set aside. You will be adding about 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture to each muffin shortly. Set aside.
MUFFINS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12 hole muffin with cooking spray and a light dusting of flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt until blended together. In a separate bowl, combine canned pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Gradually stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Grab muffin pan and fill each of the cups about half way.
- Using a soup spoon, press a hole down into the batter, large enough to hold approximately 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture. Next, add cream cheese mixture to each hole inside each muffin.
- Now add leftover batter to each muffin and make sure the cream cheese mixture is totally covered.
- Muffins should be filled to the edge of each muffin hole. Using your fingers, cover each muffin top completely with the pecan topping. Make sure to use it all.
- Sprinkle the top of the pecan mixture with cinnamon sugar. Sometimes not all of the cinnamon sugar gets used. So I was going to post this recipe with half of the amount but my friends told me they use most or all of it and so I leave that decision up to you!
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached; about 35 minutes. Remember to rotate muffin pan halfway through baking if you have hot spots like I do.
- Allow muffins to cool in pan on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove muffins from the pan and put them on a wire rack for about 5 more minutes if you can stand to wait that long! Enjoy!
Notes
- Put the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the batter. Otherwise, if it is placed too high it may poke through the top.
- Be sure to gently press the pecan topping into the top of the muffin batter before baking. The cinnamon sugar can then be sprinkled on.
- Don't over mix the batter or you may end up with tough muffins.
- Make sure you grab pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling!
Nutrition
This post was originally published in October 2018. It has been republished with new content and images.
Amanda Dodd says
What is the topping on the ingredient list under the muffins category???
Karin and Ken says
I have no idea how that appeared there but I can't thank you enough for pointing the error out to me. Really. These muffins are so good. I hope you'll still try them. Thank you again and take care of you. Karin
Lisa says
I could eat your pecan crumble topping all day and so could my husband. I just love this recipe. Best pumpkin muffins ever. Thank you.
Karin and Ken says
You made my day! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to let me know! We love these muffins around here and I am happy to hear you do too! Thank you again and take care. All the best. Karin
Sam says
I have been baking for forty years and these are the best pumpkin muffins I have ever made. Looking forward to making your pumpkin pie next. Thank you for sharing it. Love the site.
Karin and Ken says
That is quite the compliment and I will take it! Thank you for saying so. I love these muffins but when you put recipes online it’s like you wait to see if anyone else likes whatever you made as well! That is why I am always so grateful to hear your opinions, both good and bad. Take care and if you wouldn’t mind please let me know what you think of our pumpkin pie. I would be grateful. My fingers are crossed that you enjoy that recipe too! All the best. Karin
Shelly says
Cant wait to make these again. They are so good I ate 3 right away. I eat the tops last too You are not the only one and these tops are incredible. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Karin and Ken says
You are most welcome! They are definitely addictive! So glad to hear you eat the muffin tops last too! I was hoping I am not the only one! Thank you for taking the time to let me know that you enjoyed them! You truly made my day! All the best. Karin
Michelle says
These are so good. I’m making them again for my parents this weekend. Thank you for sharing. I love your site.
Karin and Ken says
They are definitely addictive! Glad you enjoyed them! We absolutely love them around here too! Hope your parents enjoy them as well! Take care and all the best. Karin
Charlotte says
These are the best pumpkin muffins hands down I have ever tried. I love the pecan topping. Thank you for sharing. I will be making these again.
Karin and Ken says
Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed them. They are a definite favorite around here. You truly made my day! All the best. Karin