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Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins with Sweet Cream Cheese Centers

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins bake up with domed tops and a sweet, smooth cream cheese center. A brief high-heat bake followed by a lower temperature helps create a bakery-style finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
chilling and cooling 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 283
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the centers
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour divided
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract divided
For the muffins
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree canned
  • 2 eggs large
  • 0.5 cup neutral oil
  • 0.25 cup whole milk

Equipment

  • 1 12-cup standard muffin pan

Method
 

Make the centers
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth.
  4. Mix in 1 teaspoon of the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.
  5. Refrigerate the filling for 15 minutes.
Mix the muffin batter
  1. Whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, milk, and remaining vanilla until smooth.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and fold just until no dry streaks remain.
Fill and bake
  1. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each liner.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling to the center of each liner.
  3. Divide the remaining batter among the cups to cover the filling.
  4. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F without opening the door and bake for 14–18 minutes, until the muffin tops are domed and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion near the edge comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  5. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes.
  6. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

For domed tops, avoid opening the oven door when reducing the temperature and fold the batter only until no dry streaks remain. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free variation, use dairy-free cream cheese and milk.