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Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Lightly sweetened cream cheese fills the center of these copycat Starbucks pumpkin muffins, while pepitas add a great crunch factor. Whole-wheat flour amps up the fiber in these healthy breakfast muffins. Be sure not to overfill the muffin with the cream cheese filling or else it will overflow when baking.

Active Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Yield
Serves 12

How to Make It

1. Step
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Step
Whisk whole-wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour together in a medium bowl. Add baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
3. Step
Whisk cream cheese and the remaining 1 teaspoon each all-purpose flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl until well combined and smooth. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or a zip-top plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch off the tip of the bag. Set aside.
4. Step
Fill each liner about 3/4 full of pumpkin mixture. Dip the cut tip of the piping bag into the center of the batter and slowly add 2 teaspoons of cream cheese filling into each muffin, lifting the bag to the top of the muffin so some of the cream cheese mixture is poking through. Sprinkle pepitas on the edges of the batter, avoiding the cream cheese mixture.
5. Step
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the part without the filling comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 ounce) can unseasoned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar plus 1 teaspoon, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons pepitas, roughly chopped

Tags

Nut-FreeSoy-FreeVegetarian

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