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Cozy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Easy Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel

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Tender pumpkin muffins swirled with tangy cream cheese and topped with a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel, perfect for cozy fall mornings or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (60g) pecans, chopped and toasted
  • ⅓ cup (67g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly. Toast pecans in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then chop roughly and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Cut in the 2 tablespoons of cold butter using a fork or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate to keep cold.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil or melted butter, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thickened.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Batter should be thick but spoonable; avoid overmixing.
  6. Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
  7. Spoon half the pumpkin batter evenly into muffin cups (about 2 tablespoons each). Dollop a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture onto each, then top with remaining pumpkin batter to nearly fill the cups. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter.
  8. Sprinkle the brown sugar pecan streusel generously over each muffin.
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Rotate pan halfway if oven heats unevenly.
  10. Let muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins. Properly soften cream cheese for smooth swirling. Use cold butter for streusel to achieve a crisp topping. Toast pecans for extra flavor. Let muffins cool completely to keep streusel crunchy. Variations include gluten-free flour, vegan substitutions, and nut-free options.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cream cheese swirl, brown sugar pecan streusel, fall baking, cozy muffins, easy pumpkin recipe

Find it online: https://tempotaste.com/cozy-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-with-easy-brown-sugar-pecan-streusel-recipe/