Sweet cream cheese swirled through a warm pumpkin spice muffin and topped with sugary streusel – the perfect way to celebrate fall!

Pumpkin, cream cheese, and streusel all combine beautifully for fall. Feel free to mix and match: I’ve done Pumpkin Streusel muffins, Pumpkin Streusel muffins with Vanilla Glaze, Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel muffins, and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel muffins with Vanilla Glaze by combining these three options. Have fun!

*This recipe is based on a variation of my 6 Week Mix It Up Muffins. This recipe has been adapted to make fewer muffins (18) if you don’t want a full batch of base mix.

6 Week Mix It Up Muffins Base Ingredients – ¼ Recipe

  • 1 ¾ cups (slightly full) of Raisin Bran cereal
  • ¾  cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼  cups of flour
  • 1 ¼  tsp baking soda
  • ¼ – ½  tsp salt (depending on taste preference; I add ¼)
  • ½  tbsp cinnamon
  • ½ stick salted butter (¼ cup), melted and cooled OR ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ Tbsp vanilla (with a slight overpour)
  • 1 cup buttermilk *see Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

Pumpkin Option

  • 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Prep bowl, beaters
  • Takes 3-5 minutes

Streusel Option Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 c whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ c old fashioned oats
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Prep bowl
  • Takes 30 minutes for butter to come to room temp; 3-5 minutes to prep

Vanilla Glaze Ingredients

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp half and half, milk, or heavy cream (may add more if you want thinner glaze)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract (substitute maple for more fall flavor)
  • Prep bowl, beaters
  • Takes 3-5 minutes while your muffins are baking

Tools and Timing

  • The mix MUST chill at least 6 hours; in total, you’ll need about 7 hours to prep, chill, and bake these amazing muffins! About 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, get out your butter and cream cheese to allow them to come to room temp.
  • Muffin tin
  • Cooking spray (or muffin cup liners)
  • 3 Mixing bowls (with cover or plastic wrap for two); one should be heat-proof
  • Large wooden spoon or spatula (or mixing implement of your choice!)
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Background

My mom has been making this base recipe for years! Seeing as it’s a family staple, and it’s so easy and fun to modify, I thought it would be the perfect base for a variety of Fall Flavor muffin recipes! Check out my 6 Week Mix It Up Muffins post for other great muffin recipe ideas!

Streusel adapted from  Half Baked Harvest

Step-by-Step

  1. If using butter, cut into pats (1/2 inch pieces) and place in microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 second increments, stirring after each interval. Once completely melted, set aside to cool. (If using oil, skip this step.)
  2. Crack egg into a bowl; whisk and set aside.
  3. In your very large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. Add cereal and mix carefully so as not to crush the bran flakes.
  5. Check your butter – once it’s room temperature, pour the cooled butter into the eggs. Add the vanilla (and slightly overpour – this is one of my life rules). Whisk all together.
  6. Pour egg mixture on top of cereal blend.
  7. Add the buttermilk and mix everything together using a large wooden spoon or spatula.
  8. Molten Streusel Customization step: if you really LOVE chocolate, mix in ½ cup of chocolate chips.
  9. Chill batter at least 6 hours before using!
Check out the original base recipe post for other flavor options: pictured here are chocolate molten streusel, orange cranberry. pineapple mango, coconut pineapple mango, orange chocolate chunk, and streusel.

About 30 minutes before Baking

If using, make the streusel:

*Set out your 6 Tbsp of butter to come to room temperature.

  1. Blend sugar, wheat flour, oats, and cinnamon with a metal whisk. Then, using your fingers, incorporate the butter until you have “pieces” of streusel. (This is the fun part of making streusel – you squish the butter and the oat blend with your hands until the mixture looks like large crumbs!)

If using, prep the cream cheese filling:

*Set out cream cheese to come to room temperature 30 minutes ahead of time.

  1. In a prep bowl, beat the cream cheese for about 60 seconds so it gets creamy. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.

When Ready to Bake

Preheat oven to 400

  1. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray (or line with paper liners). Note: These muffins do not have a traditional “muffin top” so you only need to grease the cups and not the edges of the pan. For the cream cheese option, I prefer making them with the liners as the cups help keep the muffins together with the cream cheese filling.
  2. *If you made an entire batch of Mix It Up Muffins mix, get out 2 ½ cups of batter and stir in your pumpkin spice. If you only made enough for 12 muffins, simply stir in your pumpkin spice.
  3. Using a teaspoon, spoon a small amount of muffin mix into the muffin cup. You only want enough to cover the bottom of the cup.
  4. Scoop out about a tablespoon of cream cheese. Place it into the middle of the cup.
  5. Carefully place batter around and on top of the cream cheese.
  6. Sprinkle the top with streusel. Careful not to overfill or the streusel will spill over and burn. The cup should be about 3/4 full when everything is assembled.
  7. Bake 15-20 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven (if you didn’t use paper liners, let muffins sit in muffin pan for 5 additional minutes).

If using, make your glaze:

  1. Blend powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a bowl. You may drizzle the glaze directly onto the muffins from the bowl or use a plastic bag (or pastry bag, if you’re feeling fancy).

Serve and Enjoy

PS. If you have a few leftover muffins, store them in a Tupperware. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, microwave them for 30 seconds and serve!

  • caramel apple streusel muffins
    Caramel Apple Streusel Muffins
  • orange cranberry streusel muffins with vanilla glaze
    Cranberry Orange Streusel Muffins

Tricks, Tips, and Tweaks

*If you need to make fewer muffins, fill the empty muffin spots 2/3 full of water. This will ensure that your muffins cook correctly!

**Get to know your oven: every oven cooks differently…for instance, my oven takes exactly 17 minutes to cook these.

***Make your own buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk (google it – it’s very easy!)