Creamy swirl, tall domes, and warm spice—ready in 35 minutes.
A plush pumpkin muffin with tangy cheesecake ribbon and crackly sugar on top—like the famous coffee-shop one, but softer and fresher.
Why You’ll Love It
- Coffee-shop copycat at home: That iconic tangy cream cheese center from Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, minus the price.
- Tall, bakery domes: Thick batter + high-heat start = sky-high muffins (great for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes searches).
- Swirl or filled: Do a bold Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffin or a hidden center.
- Scales down to minis: Perfect for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes and Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites.
Ingredients (notes only)
Pumpkin Batter
- Pumpkin purée (not pie filling) — moisture, color, and fall flavor.
- Eggs + oil — tender crumb; oil stays soft longer than butter.
- Brown + white sugar — balanced sweetness and caramel notes.
- Flour + baking powder/soda — lift.
- Warm spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove (or pumpkin pie spice).
- Vanilla + salt — round it out.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream cheese, powdered sugar — ultra-smooth; no grit.
- Egg yolk + vanilla + pinch salt — rich, custardy set.
Tops
- Coarse sugar (turbinado) or pepitas for crunch; optional cinnamon sugar.
Step-by-Step (Oven)
- Prep: Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Cheesecake: Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, pinch of salt until silky; refrigerate.
- Dry: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Wet: Whisk pumpkin, eggs, oil, brown + white sugar, vanilla until smooth.
- Combine: Fold dry into wet just until no flour streaks remain (thick batter).
- Fill: Spoon batter to ⅔ full, dollop 1 tbsp cheesecake in center, top with 1 tbsp batter (or marble with a skewer for swirl). Sprinkle coarse sugar/pepitas.
- Bake high then low: Bake 5 min at 425°F, then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake 14–16 min more, until a toothpick in the cake portion comes out clean.
- Cool: Rest 5 min in pan, transfer to rack. The cheesecake sets as they cool.
Pro Tips
- Thick batter wins: If batter seems thin, rest 5 minutes—flour hydrates and thickens.
- Room-temp cream cheese: Prevents lumps for a pretty swirl.
- High-heat dome: That 425°F burst creates lift, then 350°F finishes gently.
- Don’t overmix: Fold just to combine for tender crumbs.
- Storage flavor: Tastes even better on day 2 as spices bloom.
Variations (mapped to interests)
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Muffins: Swirl 2 tbsp cinnamon-brown sugar paste into batter; finish with a light vanilla glaze.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies: Use the cheesecake filling as a thumbprint center in your favorite pumpkin cookie dough.
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites: Bake in mini tin 10–12 min at 350°F after the 425°F burst (3 min at 425°F → 350°F finish).
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes: Same batter in cupcake liners; add vanilla buttercream ring around the cheesecake center.
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake (bars): Spread batter in 9×9 pan, ripple cheesecake over top; bake 28–34 min at 350°F (no 425°F step).
How to Serve
Warm or room temp with hot coffee; dust with cinnamon sugar; finish with pepitas for crunch. For parties, do half minis and half full-size for visual variety.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Counter: Airtight up to 24 hours.
- Fridge: 4–5 days (cheesecake center).
- Freeze: Up to 2 months; thaw wrapped at room temp.
- Reheat: 10–15 seconds in microwave to soften crumb.
FAQs
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
No—too sweet and spiced. Use pure purée.
Why start at 425°F?
Initial blast creates steam and tall domes, then lower heat cooks through.
Gluten-free or dairy-free?
Use 1:1 GF baking blend for flour; dairy-free cream cheese works but sets softer.
Oil vs. butter?
Oil keeps muffins moist for days; butter tastes great but dries faster.
Simple Nutrition (estimate per muffin, 12 muffins)
Calories 290 · Carbs 38g · Protein 5g · Fat 13g · Sugar 22g · Fiber 2g · Sodium 210mg
Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (Starbucks-Style)
Soft pumpkin muffins with a tangy cream cheese swirl or center, tall bakery domes, and crunchy sugar tops. Make full-size or mini bites.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temp (225 g)
- 0.25 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour (220 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 0.25 tsp nutmeg
- 0.125 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (220 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup neutral oil
- 0.5 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 0.33 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- coarse sugar or pepitas, for topping
Equipment
- oven
- 12-cup muffin tin
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- cooling rack
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- Beat cheesecake filling ingredients until smooth; chill while making batter.
- Whisk dry muffin ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves).
- Whisk wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla).
- Fold dry mixture into wet just until combined.
- Fill cups ⅔ full; add 1 tbsp cheesecake mixture; cover with 1 tbsp batter or swirl. Top with coarse sugar or pepitas.
- Bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 350°F (175°C) and bake 14–16 minutes until domed and set. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to rack.
Nutrition
Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 210mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 3800IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg
Notes
Air Fryer: Bake 6 muffins at a time at 320°F (160°C) for 12–14 min (skip 425°F burst). Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use 2½ tsp instead of individual spices. GF: Swap in 1:1 GF flour + 1 tbsp extra oil. DF: Use dairy-free cream cheese and oil (softer texture). Mini Bites: Yield 24–30 minis, bake 3 min at 425°F → 10–12 min at 350°F. Equipment: 12-cup muffin tin, mixer, bowls, whisk.
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