Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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These are spiced pumpkin muffins baked in a mini bundt pan, so each one comes out with those pretty ridged edges before it’s topped with a thick cream cheese glaze and a scatter of toasted pecans. The muffins themselves are soft, moist, and full of warm spice, while the glaze adds a tangy sweetness that sets them apart from a plain pumpkin muffin.

They’re an easy fall bake that doesn’t require any special skill, just a mini bundt pan and a bit of patience while they cool. Make a batch on a Sunday and you’ve got something to serve with coffee for the rest of the week, or a plate worth bringing to a gathering. The glaze sets into a smooth, matte finish once it firms up, so they hold up well for a few days on the counter.

Ingredients

For the muffins:

• 190 g / 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 200 g / 1 cup granulated sugar
• 100 g / ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 240 g / 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 120 ml / ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cream cheese glaze:

• 115 g / 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 60 g / ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

To garnish:

• 60 g / ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• Cinnamon sticks, for decoration (optional)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Step 1: Prepare the Pan and Oven

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C / 350°F.
2. Grease a mini bundt pan thoroughly, making sure to get into all the ridges so the muffins release cleanly.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. Set the bowl aside.

Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth.
2. Add the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully combined.

Step 4: Combine the Batter

1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, folding gently with a spatula after each addition.
2. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of flour remain; overmixing can make the muffins dense.

Step 5: Bake the Muffins

1. Divide the batter evenly among the mini bundt molds, filling each about two-thirds full.
2. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Cool Completely

1. Carefully invert the pan and release the muffins onto a wire rack.
2. Let them cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before glazing.

Step 7: Make the Cream Cheese Glaze

1. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
3. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, stirring until the glaze is thick but pourable.

Step 8: Glaze and Garnish

1. Spoon or drizzle the glaze generously over the top of each cooled muffin, letting it drip down the ridges.
2. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the glaze while it’s still wet so they stick.
3. Tuck a small piece of cinnamon stick into the center of each muffin for decoration, if desired.
4. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before serving.

Things to Remember

• Let the muffins cool completely before glazing. Warm muffins will melt the cream cheese glaze and it will slide right off instead of setting on top.
• Don’t overmix the batter once the dry and wet ingredients are combined; a few gentle folds are enough, and overmixing leads to tougher, denser muffins.
• Chop the pecans into small, even pieces so they scatter evenly over each muffin rather than clumping in one spot.
• Grease every ridge of the bundt pan well, since the detailed shape can trap batter and cause the muffins to stick if any spot is missed.
• Check for doneness a couple of minutes early, since mini bundt shapes bake faster than standard muffins due to their smaller size and thinner edges.
• Add the pecans right after glazing, while the glaze is still wet, so they stay in place instead of rolling off once it sets.