Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
I love making these Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting whenever I'm craving that cozy fall flavor in a handheld, bakery-style treat. Each muffin is loaded with real pumpkin, warm spices, crunchy streusel, and tangy cream cheese frosting that keeps them moist and tender. They're perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween parties, back-to-school snacks, and potlucks, basically any time you need a crowd-pleasing fall dessert. They're easy to make ahead and store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Without frosting, they keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners
Ingredients
Muffin Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1½ cups pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 tablespoons milk as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, pumpkin purée, and Greek yogurt. Mix until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups pumpkin purée, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined—don’t overmix. Let the batter sit while you prepare the topping.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until the mixture becomes crumbly.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling about ¾ full. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of streusel topping. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat until creamy, adding more milk if needed for a spreadable texture.4 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-3 tablespoons milk
- Once muffins are fully cooled, pipe or spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I've made these muffins dozens of times, so here are my best tips for perfect results every time.
Use pure pumpkin purée, not pie filling: Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices that'll throw off the flavor and texture, so make sure you're using plain pumpkin purée, because this is the real star of the show.
Swap the dairy: You can use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt in equal amounts for a slightly tangier flavor and just as much moisture.
Try pumpkin pie spice: If you have pumpkin pie spice instead of pumpkin spice, use it in the same amount since they're essentially the same blend of warm spices.
Don't overmix the muffin batter: Mix just until you don't see any flour streaks. Overmixing develops gluten, making the muffins dense rather than light and fluffy. For extra lift, you can add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to the dry mixture before folding it into the wet ingredients.
Cool completely before frosting: If the muffins are even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide right off. Give them at least 30 minutes on the wire rack.
Store properly: Chill frosted muffins for up to a week. You can keep unfrosted ones at room temp for 3 to 4 days, or flash-freeze them on a baking sheet so they don't stick together or lose their streusel topping, then freeze in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw fully.
Nutrition
Calories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 191mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 5260IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!