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Homemade Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins - featured image
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These bakery-style pumpkin muffins feature a plush, moist crumb, tangy cream cheese center, and crunchy pepita topping—just like Starbucks, but easier and healthier at home. Perfect for cozy fall breakfasts, snacks, or brunch gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/4 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened non-dairy)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 6 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Optional: coarse sugar for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with pumpkin batter. Make a small well in the center of each muffin.
  7. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling into each well. Swirl with a toothpick if desired.
  8. Sprinkle pepitas and optional coarse sugar over the tops.
  9. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the muffin part comes out clean.
  10. Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Notes

For gluten-free muffins, use a 1:1 GF flour blend. For dairy-free, use plant-based cream cheese and non-dairy milk. Don’t overmix the batter for tender muffins. Room temperature eggs and cream cheese yield the best texture. Muffins freeze well for up to 2 months. If cream cheese filling is runny, chill before using.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, Starbucks copycat, cream cheese, fall baking, bakery-style, easy muffins, pepitas, breakfast, snack, autumn recipe

Find it online: https://magnetmeal.com/homemade-starbucks-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-easy-fall-bakery-recipe/