cheesecake stuffed pumpkin muffins

These beauties hit all the right notes. Perfectly spiced pumpkin flavor. Not too sweet cheesecake filling. Delightful streusel topping with lots of tender crunch. Make these Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Muffins. Your family will thank you.

There are a few steps to follow, but take my word on this …they’re quick and easy. You can actually present these gems to your hungry crowd in less than an hour.

Let’s start with the streusel topping.

• Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. I always use flour that is organic, non-GMO and free of glyphosate. My personal favorite is from a domestic company, Sunrise Flour Mill, located in Minnesota.  Alternatively, gluten-free flour can be used if desired.
• Dark brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content.
• Old fashioned rolled oats – Regular or quick-cooking oats will work equally well. Regular oats will produce a slightly more hearty texture. If making gluten-free muffins, be sure the package is labeled Certified GF.
• Salt – Finely ground table salt is fine.
• Butter – At room temperature. Salted butter can be used as it is typically more convenient than the unsalted version.

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats and salt.

• Work in the butter, mixing until coarse crumbs form.
• Set the streusel crumb topping aside.

Just three ingredients for the cheesecake filling…

• Cream cheese – At room temperature. If you’re looking for a possible substitute, Mascarpone – a rich and creamy Italian cheese – can be used. Another option would be Neufchatel – a low-fat version of regular cream cheese.
• Granulated sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness.
• Pure vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is recommended over imitation vanilla.

Have you noticed that there’s no need for any type of appliances on this one?

• Place the soft cream cheese in a small bowl.
• Stir in the sugar and vanilla.
• Stir until creamy and well blended.
• Set the bowl aside while you work on the muffin batter.

The ingredients needed for the batter of your Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Muffins…

• Pumpkin puree – Do not substitute with pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is simply pureed pumpkin with no additional ingredients. In contrast, pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made mixture containing pumpkin puree, along with added sugar, spices, and thickeners.
• Eggs – Large eggs (chilled or at room temperature) will work in this recipe. 
• Dark brown sugar – In contrast to its white counterpart, brown sugar boasts a richer, caramel-like, slightly nutty flavor due to its molasses content.
• Neutral oil – Avocado oil or refined coconut oil would be good options. Even though it’s not really neutral, I’ve used olive oil here with good results. It’s advisable to avoid seed oils since they can be toxic when heated.
• Honey – Using honey, instead of sugar, rounds out the flavor. In lieu of honey, you could use real maple syrup.
• Salt – Finely ground table salt is fine.
• Pumpkin pie spice – Typically a mixture of ground cinnamon, cloves & ginger. May also include ground allspice & nutmeg. See Recipe Notes for a quick homemade mix.
• Baking powder – Baking powder contributes to a lighter, fluffier texture in baked goods. I use Otto’s brand. Contains no cornstarch and is non-GMO. Carried at Whole Foods or purchased on Amazon.
• Baking soda – Contributes to a slightly tangy flavor as well as creating a chewier texture. Baking soda also helps baked goods to brown.
• Milk – Regular milk is recommended but reduced-fat milk should be okay.
• Unbleached all-purpose flour – Alternatively, gluten-free flour can be used if desired.

Once again, no appliances needed. A whisk and spatula will do the job.

• Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and milk.
• Grab your spatula and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. 
• Add the flour and mix until well combined.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
• Whisk briefly to incorporate any scrapings.

You’re on the home stretch now.

• Be sure that you have your oven preheating to 400°F.
• Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with papers.
• Once in place, lightly grease the inside of the papers.
• Gather up all of your prepared mixtures.

• Drop a scant two tablespoons of the batter into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom.
• Dollop on a generous tablespoon of filling, then cover with another scant two tablespoons of the muffin batter.
• Sprinkle each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture. 

Ready for the oven. They’ll need to hang out in there for about 20 minutes.

Take a look at these beauties. All in less than an hour.

Can these Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Muffins be made gluten-free?

Absolutely. Simply swap out the flour in the streusel topping and muffin batter with you favorite gluten-free version.

Love the addition of a bit of cheesecake in your baked treats?

You may want to give these Easy-To-Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies a try from Truffle Nation. So good.

Looking for a dairy-free recipe? 

• Use non-dairy milk in the batter.
• Coconut oil or margarine in the topping.
• Vegan (non-dairy) cream cheese in the filling.

I can’t take credit for the recipe for these Cheesecake Stuffed Pumpkin Muffins.

The original formula can be found on the King Arthur Baking website.

I did my normal tweaking here and there to make it my own but kudos to them for the inspiration. 

And while I’m at it, thanks to my lovely granddaughters …Sophia and Ava.

They had lots of fun helping me with this post. Sophia artfully arranged the ingredients for the best composition in each shot. Then with the help of her little sister, Ava, she took each and every photo.

We may have some future food bloggers in our midst. ❤️❤️

 

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For the pumpkin lovers…