Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

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.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Resting Time10

Total Time1 10

Servings:

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

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

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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

For a list of our favorite muffin recipes check out our Fall Muffin Recipes post for some great ideas.

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!

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