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Perfect Brown Butter Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe

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These brown butter pumpkin cream cheese muffins are tender, moist, and filled with a creamy tangy center, topped with a crunchy streusel. The browned butter adds a deep, nutty warmth that makes these muffins unforgettable.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240g) pumpkin purée
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for filling)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed (for streusel)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for streusel)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for streusel)
  • a pinch of salt (for streusel)
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (for streusel)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then cook, swirling occasionally, until it foams, the foam subsides, and brown specks form at the bottom (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Make the cream cheese filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized chunks. Refrigerate while making batter.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  5. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  6. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Slowly pour in cooled browned butter, whisking constantly.
  7. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are fine). Do not overmix.
  8. Fill muffin cups: Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into each liner (about ⅓ full). Drop a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center. Top with another scoop of batter, covering the cream cheese completely. Each cup should be about ¾ full.
  9. Add streusel: Sprinkle chilled streusel generously over each muffin, pressing down lightly.
  10. Bake: Place muffin tin in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the muffin part (not the cream cheese) comes out clean. Tops should be golden and streusel crunchy.
  11. Cool: Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely for the cream cheese filling to set.

Notes

Watch the butter closely when browning; it can go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Do not overmix the batter. Room temperature ingredients are important for even mixing. Chill the streusel to keep it crunchy. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the muffin part, not the cream cheese center. These muffins taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, pumpkin, cream cheese, muffins, streusel, fall baking, pumpkin muffins

Find it online: https://spoonmira.com/perfect-brown-butter-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-recipe/