Meow Recipes: Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Muffins filled with cream cheese whipped cream.

HOLY. SMOKES. Pumpkin muffins are getting a lightly crunchy, sparkly cinnamon sugar topping, and then stuffed to the brim with maple cream cheese whipped cream. They are pure joy.

Part muffin, part cupcake, and part cream puff – in other words, a match made in heaven.

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Lindsay’s Notes

Bite shot of a pumpkin muffin filled with cream cheese.

These pumpkin muffins are exactly what I’ve needed these last few weeks: fluffy, joyful, distracting, unnecessary (but necessary), and comforting. (see also: this monkey bread)

I ate a cream cheese-filled pumpkin muffin from Caribou Coffee a few weeks ago, and that was the beginning of the end of this pumpkin muffin journey. Game over. It was SO good, and I was especially in love with the cream cheese layer – it wasn’t baked in, it was fluffy and light like a cream puff. Just injected right in the middle of the muffin.

And here we are now, making these at home. It feels wrong to call it a muffin, but calling it a cupcake isn’t quite right, either. Thankfully, I have full confidence that you’ll find the right moment to eat one of these: Saturday morning at home, holiday gathering, birthday party, football game. Midnight snack is also highly approved.

These muffins have been a delight and a joy in my life during these last couple crazy weeks. My girls have enjoyed sampling about 15 varieties of these as I worked them into exactly what I wanted them to be: fluffy, sparkly, just a tiny bit of crunch from the cinnamon sugar, and loaded (really, truly, LOADED) with fluffy whipped maple cream cheese.

I hope they bring a little bit of lightness and fun into your life this week!

How To Make These Pumpkin Muffins

Step 1: Make the muffins!

Standard pumpkin muffin material right here. I used these pumpkin muffins from Queen Sally of SBA – just changed the spices and the bake time instructions.

Scooping pumpkin muffin batter into a muffin tin.

Step 2: Make a cinnamon sugar topping.

This topping is minimal effort but adds a but of sparkle and crunch. I borrowed this topping from our Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake, which is a good next stop once you’re done with these.

Mixing together brown sugar topping in a bowl.

Step 3: Bake the muffins.

House smells amazing at this point.

Step 4: Make your whipped maple cream cheese filling.

This is a bit finnicky – don’t just throw it all in one bowl. Whip the cream cheese, whip the whipped cream, and then fold them together. Your efforts will be rewarded because THIS IS OTHERWORLDLY. This filling is borrowed from our Pumpkin Shortcakes with Cinnamon Apples, but just a bit more cream cheese forward.

Whipping together the cream cheese whipped cream in a bowl with an electric mixer.

Step 4: Cut a hole in the tops of the muffins.

You could also just skip this step and pipe your filling right in there, but this allows lots of room for lots of filling. Which is how I like it.

Plus, the extra little cone pieces are great for snacking and swiping into the extra cream cheese filling.

Cutting a hole into the muffins to fill with whipped cream.

Step 5: Pipe that filling right in there.

I use a little pastry bag, or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off also works. Fill ‘er up!

Piping in cream cheese to Pumpkin Muffins.

And… you’re a bakery owner now. They’re beautiful.

Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese filling.

And super delicious.

Watch How To Make These Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins

Print Recipe

Description

Pumpkin muffins are getting a lightly crunchy, sparkly cinnamon sugar topping, and then stuffed to the brim with maple cream cheese whipped cream. YUM.

Ingredients

Units

Pumpkin Muffins:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Maple Cream Cheese Filling:

3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup maple syrup (to taste)

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Instructions

Make Muffin Batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk oil and sugars. Add pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, and milk; whisk until just combined. Add flour, baking soda, spices, and salt; mix until just combined. Pour muffin batter into an oiled or nonstick muffin tin, filling about 3/4ths of the way to the top of each up.
Make Cinnamon Sugar: Mix up the cinnamon sugar topping in a small bowl.
Assemble and Bake: Spoon the cinnamon sugar over each muffin. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the tops spring back when gently pressed.
Make Maple Cream Cheese Filling: Add the cream to a small bowl and beat until light and fluffy and stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream, using the beaters again to smooth it out if needed. Add the maple syrup and mix until smooth.
Fill The Muffins: Once the muffins have cooled, cut a cone out of the center of the muffins using a small paring knife. Using a piping bag, or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off, add the filling to the center hole in the muffins. Fill it all the way to the top (the filling will be exposed at the top – cute).
Serve: These are ready to eat as-is! If making ahead, they should be stored in the fridge. They can be eaten at room temp or cold – both delicious!

Equipment

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Notes

The little cone pieces make great little snackers!

You’ll have extra filling – this is great for eating with the snack pieces, or dolloping on pancakes or waffles, or spooning over shortcakes, or topping a pie, just eating with a spoon out of the fridge.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American