Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Sweet Cream Cheese Filling (Starbucks Copycat!)

pumpkin muffin on top of cupcake paper with five muffins beside, two gold forks, and white flowers around.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Sweet Cream Cheese Filling (Starbucks Copycat!)

Start your Fall mornings with an extra special treat...Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Sweet Cream Cheese Filling! It's the perfect muffin to enjoy alongside your morning (or afternoon!) cup of coffee. Sweet, tangy, rich, and oh-so delicious!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 30

Freezing Time: 30

Total Time: 1 45

Servings: muffins

Calories: 266kcal

Ingredients

Filling

1 cup cream cheese room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Seeds

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch salt
1 Tablespoon water
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅔ teaspoon baking soda
⅔ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1⅛ cups buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin purée
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Filling

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion mixture onto prepared pan.
Set in freezer while finishing recipe.

Pumpkin Seeds

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small skillet, combine sugar, spice, salt, and water.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils.
Let boil for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Stir in pumpkin seeds.
Cook and stir until sugar just starts to crystalize.
Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla.
Immediately pour onto prepared pan.
Separate with a fork.
Allow to cool.
Use a small food processor and a knife to chop the pumpkin seeds. Set aside.

Muffins

Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
Line muffin tins with paper liners, or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spice.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.
Whisk until combined.
Use a 3 Tablespoon scoop to portion batter into muffin cups.
Insert 1 cream cheese ball into each muffin.
Sprinkle top with pumpkin seeds.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until muffins test done.

Notes

Expert Tips:

When making the filling, be sure to thoroughly mix the cream cheese and sugar! Do not leave any lumps.
The cream cheese will still be sticky after freezing.
When making the syrup, be very careful! The mixture will boil and bubble up.
Constantly stir the pumpkin seeds in the syrup to ensure they are thoroughly coated and the syrup doesn't burn!
When you pour the pumpkin seeds on the lined pan, carefully break apart any clusters you may have.
Be careful to not over-mix the muffin batter!
Place the cream cheese at the center of each muffin and press down until the top of the cream cheese and the muffin batter are level.
Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds around the edges of the muffins!
When testing to see if the muffins are done, do not go through the cream cheese. Place your cake tester or toothpick beside to test the doneness of the muffin.

Nutrition