Happy pumpkin spice season! All the wonderful holiday-themed cakes, pastries, and breads of the fall and winter brighten my mood every year. This year, with all the uncertainties, these little bits of sweetness are doing the most for my wellbeing and give me something to look forward to.
Furthermore, I have begun college! It’s been difficult to make time for proper baking projects and good eats since navigating online learning and understanding the expectations of college have been slow transitions. One thing that I’ve been craving are Starbuck’s pumpkin cream cheese muffins; although I live less than a 15 minute walk away from a Starbucks, my busy (or rather, lazy) self has not found the energy the stroll down to pick one up. This craving would not subside even after a few days, so I decided the best solution would be to make my own version at home since I needed an excuse to bake anyway.
These muffins are easy-peasy, require no special kitchen supplies, and will definitely be worth the barely 30 mins it takes to make them. The moist, pumpkin-spicy interior, tangy cheesecake-like filling, and crunchy pumpkin seeds topping constitute for the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert, and best yet, you get six of them for the price of one at Starbucks. Plus, it’ll make your house smell oh-so-wonderful✨☕️
Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 tbsp flour
Topping
- 2 tbsp crushed pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Whisk together all the wet ingredients of the batter, then whisk in all the dry ingredients.
- Line a cupcake tray with 6-8 liners, and fill the cavities.
- Combine all the ingredients of the filling. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and pipe into the centers of the batter.
- Top with pumpkin seeds. Bake for 16-18 mins, then cool for at least 10 mins and enjoy!!