Description
These Moist Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins are a perfect fall treat combining the warm spices of pumpkin muffins with a creamy cheesecake center and a crunchy streusel topping. Easy to prepare and bursting with autumn flavors, they’re great for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
Ingredients
Streusel
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, 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
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 425ºF and line 14 muffin cups with liners to prepare for baking.
- Make the Streusel: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Add 4 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter and mix with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Prepare the Muffin Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. In another bowl, combine ⅔ cup brown sugar, ½ cup oil, ¼ cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup pumpkin puree, and 2 eggs. Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth, then add to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a small bowl, beat together 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 egg yolk using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Muffins: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin muffin batter into each lined muffin cup. Add about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling on top of the pumpkin batter. Then add another 2 tablespoons of pumpkin batter to cover the cheesecake layer, filling the muffin cups to the top. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over each muffin and gently press it into the batter.
- Bake the Muffins: Bake muffins at 425ºF for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF without opening the oven door. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, totaling 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to ensure a smooth filling.
- Do not overmix the muffin batter to keep the muffins tender.
- Keep the oven door closed when lowering the temperature to avoid temperature drops that can affect baking.
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute cream cheese and buttermilk with vegan alternatives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
