You will love this easy recipe for Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese. They are lightly spiced and have raisins studded throughout and they are great with a cup of coffee or tall glass of milk.
you'll love this recipe!
Warm fall flavours are the star in this easy recipe. You need this recipe on your fall baking list!
If you're a pumpkin lover, be sure to check out our pumpkin biscotti and pumpkin bar recipes!
copycat tim horton's pumpkin spice muffins
Tim Horton's (that's a coffee and donut shop with addictive coffee) bring's out their Pumpkin Spice Muffin sometime around August every year. It is a seasonal item only and highly coveted.
When we lived in Hamilton, Ontario, it was part of my daily routine to stop and get a coffee on my way into work in the morning. When that big glorious photo of their Pumpkin Spice Muffin was blown up for all to see on the reader board, I couldn't resist them.
Their muffins had more of an icing that was sweet and was not a cream-cheesy filling like these these muffins from what I recall.
Although the filling is a bit different, the spices and texture are very much the same and they are delicious!
variations for toppings and icing
For the tops, you can lightly brush with maple syrup on the tops to give them a little sweetness and shine. Alternatively, you could use honey with a pinch of cinnamon mixed in and brush that on top.
This Cream Cheese Icing from the Moist Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Icing would also be delicious on these muffins.
As you can see in the photos, I sprinkled the tops with pumpkin seeds. A mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds is equally tasty.
flavour variations
- Pumpkin and chocolate mix together deliciously! For this variation, you would omit the cream cheese filling and add in ½ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup of chopped pecans.
- substitute dried or fresh cranberries for the raisin for a different flavour combo.
step-by-step instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease six jumbo muffin cups.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger together. Stir well to combine. Stir in raisins and mix just until combined, then set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, beat egg until frothy.
Add in the granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin, stirring to combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just to moisten. (Batter will be lumpy). The secret to soft, fluffy muffins is to not over mix the batter.
In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix well to combine.
Fill large greased muffin cups with just enough muffin batter to cover the bottom.
Place 1 and ½ to 2 tsp. of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of each muffin cup.
You can use a spoon to scoop it into the muffin cup, or use a plastic ziplock bag with a small hole cut at the bottom and squeeze it out. The second option is a bit less messy and more precise.
Fill remaining muffin tins with batter for top of muffins. Drop the batter by filling the left side first, then the right. This will keep the cream cheese filling in the centre of the muffin and not spilling out of the edges.
Don't worry if there's a bit of cream cheese poking out the top of the muffin.
Bake in 425°F oven for five minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15-20 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness.
Cool in muffin tin for one minute, then transfer to wire rack and cool.
While still warm, brush tops of muffins with maple syrup and scatter a few pumpkin seeds on top.
you might also enjoy these pumpkin recipes
PrintJumbo Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
You will love these easy bakery-style muffins. They are lightly spiced and have raisins studded throughout and they are great with a cup of coffee or tall glass of milk.
Ingredients
Muffin Batter
1 and ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ginger
½ cup raisins
1 egg
¼ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup cooking oil
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (½ the package)
½ cup powdered sugar
Topping
1 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
Instructions
Muffin batter
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger together. Stir well.
2. Stir in raisins. Mix just to combine.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg until frothy.
4. Mix in sugar, oil and pumpkin.
5. Add to dry ingredients and stir just to moisten. (Batter will be lumpy)
6. Fill large greased muffin cups with just enough to cover the bottom.
7. Place 1 and ½ to 2 tsp. of cream cheese mixture in the middle of each muffin cup.
8. Fill remaining muffin tins with batter for top of muffins. Drop the batter by filling the left side first, then the right. This will keep the cream cheese filling in the centre of the muffin and not spilling out of the edges.
9. Bake in 425°F oven for five minutes. Leaving muffins in oven, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for another 20 minutes. Use a toothpick in the centre to test for doneness.
Cream Cheese Filling
10. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and icing sugar. Mix well to combine.
Topping
11. Brush tops of muffins with maple syrup
12. Scatter a few pumpkin seeds on top of syrup.
Notes
Variations
Substitute ½ cup of chocolate chips for the raisin for a tasty alternative.
For the topping, try 1 tbsp. of honey with a pinch of cinnamon. Brush on top of muffins.
Cream Cheese Icing
Omit the maple syrup glaze and substitute with Cream Cheese icing from this banana bread recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jumbo muffin
- Calories: 492
- Sugar: 33.5 g
- Sodium: 453.4 mg
- Fat: 23.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 67.1 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 52.9 mg
Keywords: dessert, fall