Description
These Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins feature a soft spiced pumpkin base, creamy cheesecake center, and a crumbly cinnamon streusel topping. They’re a cozy fall favorite—quick to make and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp Lifeway Plain Organic Whole Milk Kefir
Cinnamon Streusel:
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Lifeway Plain Organic Whole Milk Kefir
1 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C) and prepare a muffin tin with liners or a light coating of nonstick spray.
- Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and kefir until completely smooth; set aside.
- Cinnamon Streusel: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture forms moist, crumbly clusters.
- Dry Muffin Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Wet Muffin Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together oil, both sugars, eggs, vanilla, kefir, and pumpkin puree until well blended.
- Combine: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently, stirring just until the flour streaks vanish—don’t overmix.
- Layer Muffins: Fill each liner about ¼ full with pumpkin batter. Spoon ~1 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture into the center. Then add pumpkin batter to fill the cup about ⅔ to ¾ full. Spoon the rest of the cream cheese mixture on top of the muffins, then finish with a generous layer of the streusel topping.
- Bake: Place the muffins on the middle oven rack and bake at 425°F for 5 minutes before reducing the heat as instructed.
- Cool: Let the muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for best texture.
Mini muffins: Bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes.
Freeze cooled muffins for up to 1 month.
Add nuts to the streusel for extra crunch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 27 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Protein: 5 g