Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
These Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins are soft, spiced, and filled with a creamy center. A perfect copycat recipe to enjoy your favorite fall treat at home—warm, cozy, and bakery-style delicious.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
1. Make Cream Cheese Filling:
In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag and set aside.
2. Preheat Oven:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or lightly grease.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
4. Mix Wet Ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Combine Wet & Dry:
Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Assemble Muffins:
Fill each muffin cup ⅔ full with pumpkin batter.
Pipe about 1–2 teaspoons of cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.
Sprinkle tops with pepitas.
7. Bake:
Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.
8. Serve:
Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
Don’t Overmix: Mixing too much can lead to dense muffins.
Toothpick Test: Avoid testing in the cream cheese center—test the muffin part.
Storage: Keep muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.
Make-Ahead: Cream cheese filling can be prepped a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
