You will love these Starbucks-inspired pumpkin cream cheese muffins. These are simple spiced pumpkin muffins with a sweet cream cheese center baked right in. They turn out soft and fluffy with a tender crumb and warm pumpkin spice flavor—perfect for fall mornings or an afternoon treat.
This recipe was first published on September 13, 2021.
If you love the Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffin, this copycat version delivers the same cozy flavors with fresher texture and homemade appeal. These muffins are oil-based, which keeps them light and tender, and the cream cheese filling adds a sweet, creamy surprise in the center.
These muffins work well for breakfast, brunch, or a snack. Store them in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese filling, and they’ll stay fresh for several days. They also freeze well if you want to keep a batch on hand.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Better than store-bought – These homemade muffins taste fresher and more flavorful than a chain-bought version, and the texture is unbeatable right from the oven.
- Cost effective – You can make a dozen muffins for a fraction of the cost of buying them individually.
- Freezer friendly – Bake a double batch and freeze extras. Reheat in the microwave or thaw in the fridge for a quick treat.
Ingredients
- sunflower oil (recommended for a neutral flavor)
- brown sugar
- cane sugar (or white sugar)
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- buttermilk
- pumpkin puree (use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- baking soda
- baking powder
- cream cheese
- pumpkin pie spice
- cinnamon
How To Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Make the pumpkin batter. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and pumpkin puree until smooth. You don’t need an electric mixer—just whisk until combined.
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon) over the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
Make the sweet cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese with butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a round tip or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
Assemble the muffins. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Use a 3-tablespoon scoop (or spoon) to add batter to each liner. Insert the piping tip about 1/2″ into the batter and squeeze a small amount of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin, then top with a little more batter if needed to cover.
Bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and bake the muffins for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C) and continue baking for 12–14 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
How To Store
Store these muffins in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese filling. They keep well for up to 5 days in an airtight container or zip-top bag. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed bag. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature, or reheat briefly in the microwave from frozen.
Pumpkin Recipes
- Stuffed Shells With Pumpkin Cream Sauce
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Cinnamon Rolls With Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Bread
- 20 Min Pumpkin Ravioli
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
12 muffins
15 minutes
19 minutes
34 minutes
Soft, spiced pumpkin muffins with a sweet cream cheese center — a cozy homemade treat for fall.
Ingredients
pumpkin batter
- 6 tbsp sunflower oil (82 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cane sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (measured as a liquid)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
sweet cream cheese filling
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cane sugar (or white sugar)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Whisk together the sunflower oil, brown sugar, cane sugar, vanilla, eggs, buttermilk and pumpkin puree until smooth.
- Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon over the wet ingredients.
- Mix until just combined.
- Line a muffin tin with liners and add 3–4 tbsp batter to each cup.
- Beat the cream cheese, butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until creamy for the filling.
- Transfer filling to a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip the corner.
- Insert the tip about ½” into each muffin and squeeze a small amount of filling into the center.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F and bake 12–14 more minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve.
Notes
Measure liquid ingredients (oil, buttermilk, pumpkin puree) using a liquid measuring cup for accurate results.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 520
Total Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 46mg
Sodium: 339mg
Carbohydrates: 98g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 78g
Protein: 5g
Nutrition information is an estimate from online calculators.