Description

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodle Muffins are a delightful fall treat combining moist pumpkin-spiced muffin batter with a luscious cream cheese filling and a sweet cinnamon-sugar coating. Perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack, these muffins feature warm spices, pumpkin puree, and a delectable snickerdoodle topping that adds a satisfying crunch and burst of cinnamon flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cream Cheese Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the Muffins

2 cups (9 ounces or 255 grams) white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
1/4 cup applesauce
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until very smooth and well combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the muffin batter.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line it with paper liners for easy removal.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, molasses, applesauce, and eggs until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, whisking until fully incorporated.
Combine Batter: Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in two batches, gently folding each addition. Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep muffins tender.
Fill Muffin Cups with Batter and Cream Cheese: Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the muffin batter into the bottom of each muffin cup, just enough to cover the bottom. Then add a heaping teaspoon of the chilled cream cheese filling on top of the batter. Cover the cream cheese with the remaining batter until each cup is filled.
Bake the Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the muffins have risen and a toothpick inserted in the batter (not the cream cheese filling) comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before carefully removing them to cool completely.
Prepare the Snickerdoodle Topping: In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Dip the top of each cooled muffin first in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat the tops evenly.
Serve and Enjoy: Enjoy these warm or at room temperature. The cream cheese center and cinnamon sugar topping make these muffins a perfect fall or holiday treat.

Notes

To keep the cream cheese filling from melting into the batter during baking, make sure the cream cheese mixture is well chilled before assembling the muffins.
Do not overmix the batter to ensure the muffins stay light and fluffy.
You can substitute white whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour if unavailable, but the texture may slightly differ.
For a dairy-free version, substitute buttermilk with a plant-based milk and acid (such as almond milk with lemon juice) and use vegan cream cheese and butter alternatives.
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze, wrap individually and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly before serving.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, cheesecake filled muffins, snickerdoodle muffins, fall recipes, pumpkin spice, breakfast muffins, cream cheese filling