If you’ve ever found yourself in the Starbucks drive-thru way too early in the morning just for one of those seasonal Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, this recipe is about to change your life (and maybe your morning routine).
I remember when Starbucks first dropped these muffins, I ate them constantly. Some days they were perfect, fluffy, and dreamy…and other days it felt like the barista might’ve blinked twice at the oven timer. Still, I kept going back. Fast-forward to this year, when I started brainstorming easy fall treats, and I thought, why not just make them myself? Spoiler: they turned out better than Starbucks.
I started with my easy pumpkin cake recipe, tweaked it into muffin form, and added the star of the show: a rich, tangy cream cheese swirl right in the middle. Finished with sweet, toasty pumpkin seeds on top, these muffins came out gorgeous. The flavor? Light, airy, just sweet enough, and not so pumpkin-heavy that it tastes like you licked a fall candle. Honestly, you could even swap the pumpkin puree for sweet potato if that’s your vibe, it would be equally delicious.
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
- Shortcut win: We’re using a box of Duncan Hines spice cake mix as the base. No shame, it keeps things simple and foolproof.
- Cream cheese center: That creamy, tangy filling hits every single time.
- Pretty + tasty: The toasted pumpkin seeds give crunch, sweetness, and major “wow” factor.
- Kid-friendly easy: The directions are so simple, you could let your little ones help with the mixing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Muffins:
- 1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 block cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Pumpkin Seed Topping:
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
How To Make Them
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with liners.
- Mix the muffins: In a big bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree until it looks smooth.
- Scoop it in: Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to fill each muffin liner about 3/4 full with the pumpkin batter.
- Make the filling: In another bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Pipe or spoon: Add a dollop of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin. (Don’t worry if it spreads—it’s supposed to be messy-cute.)
- Toast the seeds: In a small skillet, cook pumpkin seeds with brown sugar until the sugar melts and sticks to the seeds. Let them cool a bit.
- Top it off: Sprinkle the candied pumpkin seeds over each muffin.
- Bake: Pop the pan in the oven for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, they’re done!
- Cool + enjoy: Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before digging in. (Trust me, the cream cheese center is lava if you rush it.)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 1 box Duncan Hines spice cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 block cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Pumpkin Seed Topping:
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with liners.
- Mix the muffins: In a big bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree until it looks smooth.
- Scoop it in: Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to fill each muffin liner about 3/4 full with the pumpkin batter.
- Make the filling: In another bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Pipe or spoon: Add a dollop of cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin. (Don’t worry if it spreads—it’s supposed to be messy-cute.)
- Toast the seeds: In a small skillet, cook pumpkin seeds with brown sugar until the sugar melts and sticks to the seeds. Let them cool a bit.
- Top it off: Sprinkle the candied pumpkin seeds over each muffin.
- Bake: Pop the pan in the oven for 20 minutes. Check with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, they’re done!
- Cool + enjoy: Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before digging in. (Trust me, the cream cheese center is lava if you rush it.)
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These muffins are proof that sometimes the “copycat” version ends up being the glow-up. They’re bakery-level cute, ridiculously easy, and taste like fall in a wrapper. Whether you’re meal-prepping snacks for the week, showing off at a potluck, or just craving something cozy with your coffee, this recipe delivers.
Save yourself the Starbucks line, make these at home and thank me later.
