Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are loaded with flavor and topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds. Save money and make these homemade pumpkin spice cream cheese muffins instead of buying them at the coffee shop. These moist and soft pumpkin cheesecake muffins are perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins on a plate and in a basket.

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What Makes the Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins So Good?

Starbucks may be the place to go for pumpkin-flavored drinks, but this Starbucks pumpkin muffin recipe proves the cafe can also deliver amazing pumpkin-centric snacks!

These spiced pumpkin mini-muffins with a rich cream cheese filling are perfect for serving during the autumn or, really, any time of the year. Bake a batch and treat your family and friends to these delicious treats.

Why You Should Try This Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

These muffins are made with real pumpkin purée and flavored with a seasonal mix of spices, including cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. The result is moist muffins that taste a lot like pumpkin pie.

It is the rich and sweet cream cheese filling that takes this recipe over the top. It is good that these muffins are small because you will want to eat more than one.

Ingredients For Starbucks Pumpkin Muffins

To make the muffin batter, you’ll need:

All-purpose four
White sugar
Dark brown sugar
Baking powder
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Allspice
Ground ginger
Ground cloves
Salt
Whole milk
Vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
Canned pumpkin purée

Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling.

For the cream cheese filling, you’ll need

Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
All-purpose flour

For the garnish, you’ll need:

Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seeds that are roasted and have their hulls removed.

Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins ingredients on a tray.

How To Make Pumpkin Muffins Starbucks Style

To make the cream cheese filling:

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge about 15 minutes ahead of time to allow it to soften.
Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and flour in a small bowl.

cream cheese muffin filling ingredients in a bowl.

Use a silicone spatula to combine all the ingredients for the cream cheese filling.
After mixing well, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge until later.

To make the batter for these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:

Sift the dry ingredients for the pumpkin muffin batter into a medium bowl. If you don’t have a sifter, use a sieve or whisk the ingredients.

pumpkin muffins dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a large bowl, stir together the wet ingredients for the pumpkin muffin batter.

pumpkin muffins wet ingredients in a bowl.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while stirring.
If you have the time, cover the batter and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Letting the batter rest will make your muffins fluffier.

To bake copycat Starbucks pumpkin muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place muffin liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Using reusable silicone muffin liners can save you a lot of money.
Scoop a quarter-cup of muffin batter into each liner and lightly tap the tin to break up any bubbles and flatten the batter.
Drop a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each batter-filled liner.

Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins before baking.

Sprinkle chopped pepitas around the edges.
Bake for about 17 minutes.
Remove the tin from the oven but don’t remove the muffins. After 10 minutes, remove the muffins and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

two copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins on a plate.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Serve these muffins at room temperature or slightly warmed in the oven. They are perfect with a cup of strong coffee or tea for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

How To Store Leftover Pumpkin Muffins

Since Starbucks pumpkin muffins contain cream cheese, keep them in the fridge wrapped in plastic.

Take the muffins from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to allow them to come up to room temperature. To serve warm, wrap the muffins in aluminum foil and heat them directly on the oven rack in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes.

How to Freeze Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

To keep the muffins for up to three months, let them cool and then wrap them in plastic. Place the wrapped muffins in a bag and store them in a single layer in the freezer.

Thaw the muffins overnight in the refrigerator before eating.

How Long Do Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Last?

Eat refrigerated muffins within a few days and frozen muffins within three months.

overhead view of copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins.

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