Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)

Name: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (Starbucks Copycat)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cane sugar; ⅓ cup vegetable oil; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 2 eggs; ½ cup yogurt; 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 4 ounces cream cheese (softened); ⅛ cup maple syrup; ½ tsp vanilla extract; pumpkin seeds, optional

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are just like the ones at Starbucks, only better! This is the perfect muffin recipe for Fall! They are super moist, tender, perfectly spiced, and irresistible! They are baked with a maple cream cheese filling that makes these muffins heavenly! These are a copycat recipe of Starbucks' famous fall muffin but with real ingredients and fewer calories! These are perfect for breakfast or brunch and back-to-school or work lunches.

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Two stacked pumpkin cream cheese muffins, Starbucks copycat recipe.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are one of my favorite muffins at Starbucks. Every Fall, when they bring them out, I would pop in and pick up a muffin and a latte.

Last year, when we never left the house unless we had to, I was craving a pumpkin spice muffin filled with cream cheese. So I decided to make my own, and after a few attempts, I think I nailed it. So now I make these pumpkin muffins anytime I want! I like to keep them in the freezer for a quick muffin whenever I get a craving! They are great any time of the year!

These pumpkin muffins are super moist and were the inspiration for my Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins. They also contain yogurt like my Zucchini Bread with Cinnamon Glaze.

These muffins also pair perfectly with an Iced Coffee, Starbucks Toasted White Chocolate Mocha or, for the ultimate experience, Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte. 🙂

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Why We Love This Recipe
Ingredients
How to make copycat Starbucks pumpkin muffins
Make the cream cheese filling
More Starbucks Copycat Recipes
Equipment
Storage
Top tips
Common questions about Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
More Delicious Recipes
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Why We Love This Recipe

Easy to make
These muffins are always moist and tender
Perfect amount of pumpkin spice
Perfect for lunches
Amazing flavor
They freeze extremely well
A little taste of sweetened cream cheese in every bite
One bowl recipe
The cream cheese filling is so good!

Ingredients

Let's gather up the ingredients, and let's get started!

For the muffin, you will need:

Ingredients for pumpkin cream cheese muffins

cane sugar, or white sugar
vegetable oil
pumpkin puree
eggs
vanilla yogurt
pumpkin pie spice
salt
baking soda
all-purpose flour

For the cream cheese filling, you will need:

Ingredients for the cream cheese filling for pumpkin cream cheese muffins

Cream cheese, softened
maple syrup
vanilla extract
pumpkin seeds, optional

See the recipe card below for quantities.

How to make copycat Starbucks pumpkin muffins

There are 2 simple parts to this recipe, the muffin batter, and the cream cheese filling.

Mix pumpkin puree, oil, and cane sugar in a large bowl to make the batter. Add eggs, yogurt, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add flour and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.

Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin spice, and baking soda together in a bowl

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients for pumpkin muffins

Divide muffin batter evenly in muffin tins, filling each liner about ⅔ full.

Make the cream cheese filling

This filling is so good! Combine softened cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla in a bowl.

Make a divot in the muffin batter with a spoon and add 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling before baking. Use the back of a small spoon to push the cream cheese down into the muffin. The muffins will rise around the cream cheese filling while they bake.

Make a divot in the pumpkin muffin batter with the back of a spoon

Add cream cheese filling to muffin batter in divot and push down with the back of a spoon

Pop them in the oven and let them bake!

That's all there is to it! Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before you grab one! 🙂

Freshly baked pumpkin cream cheese muffins in muffin tins, cooling

Just baked pumpkin cream cheese muffins, just like Starbucks, with some muffins turned on their side in the muffin pan

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes

Equipment

Muffin tins
Cupcake liners
Cooling rack

Storage

Fridge: These will keep for about a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Freezer: These will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap after they cool and place them in a Ziploc bag. That way, I can grab one anytime I get a craving for one!

Top tips

Mix by hand for a tender muffin. If you use a mixer they won't be as tender.
Make a little divot in the muffin batter and place the cream cheese in it
Bring cream cheese to room temperature so there are no lumps
Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin cut in half with a muffin tin full of baked muffins behind it on a cooling rack

Common questions about Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Why did my cream cheese filling slip off?

Make a little divot in the muffin batter and place the cream cheese filling in it. Use the back of a small spoon to press it into the batter. The muffin will rise around the cream cheese as it bakes. If you use more than 1 tablespoon of filling, the filling will run out of the muffin.

Can I make pumpkin muffins without the cream cheese?

Of course! They will be a lot lower in calories and still taste delicious!

Can I use non-dairy milk?

Yes, of course! Any milk will work in this recipe!

If you love Starbucks' cream cheese muffins, you have to give this recipe a try! They taste unbelievably fresh and are way cheaper than the original! Plus, it is made with real ingredients and nothing artificial!

More Delicious Recipes

If you’ve tried Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

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