HOLY. SMOKES. Pumpkin muffins are getting a lightly crunchy, sparkly cinnamon sugar topping, and then stuffed to the brim with maple cream cheese whipped cream. They are pure joy.

Part muffin, part cupcake, and part cream puff – in other words, a match made in heaven.

These pumpkin muffins are exactly what I’ve needed these last few weeks: fluffy, joyful, distracting, unnecessary (but necessary), and comforting. (see also: this monkey bread)

I ate a cream cheese-filled pumpkin muffin from Caribou Coffee a few weeks ago, and that was the beginning of the end of this pumpkin muffin journey. Game over. It was SO good, and I was especially in love with the cream cheese layer – it wasn’t baked in, it was fluffy and light like a cream puff. Just injected right in the middle of the muffin.

And here we are now, making these at home. It feels wrong to call it a muffin, but calling it a cupcake isn’t quite right, either. Thankfully, I have full confidence that you’ll find the right moment to eat one of these: Saturday morning at home, holiday gathering, birthday party, football game. Midnight snack is also highly approved.

These muffins have been a delight and a joy in my life during these last couple crazy weeks. My girls have enjoyed sampling about 15 varieties of these as I worked them into exactly what I wanted them to be: fluffy, sparkly, just a tiny bit of crunch from the cinnamon sugar, and loaded (really, truly, LOADED) with fluffy whipped maple cream cheese.

I hope they bring a little bit of lightness and fun into your life this week!

Standard pumpkin muffin material right here. I used these pumpkin muffins from Queen Sally of SBA – just changed the spices and the bake time instructions.

This topping is minimal effort but adds a but of sparkle and crunch. I borrowed this topping from our Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake, which is a good next stop once you’re done with these.

House smells amazing at this point.

This is a bit finnicky – don’t just throw it all in one bowl. Whip the cream cheese, whip the whipped cream, and then fold them together. Your efforts will be rewarded because THIS IS OTHERWORLDLY. This filling is borrowed from our Pumpkin Shortcakes with Cinnamon Apples, but just a bit more cream cheese forward.

You could also just skip this step and pipe your filling right in there, but this allows lots of room for lots of filling. Which is how I like it.

Plus, the extra little cone pieces are great for snacking and swiping into the extra cream cheese filling.

I use a little pastry bag, or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off also works. Fill ‘er up!

And… you’re a bakery owner now. They’re beautiful.

And super delicious.

Pumpkin muffins are getting a lightly crunchy, sparkly cinnamon sugar topping, and then stuffed to the brim with maple cream cheese whipped cream. YUM. 

Pumpkin Muffins:

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

Maple Cream Cheese Filling:

Hand Mixer

Muffin Pan

The little cone pieces make great little snackers! 

You’ll have extra filling – this is great for eating with the snack pieces, or dolloping on pancakes or waffles, or spooning over shortcakes, or topping a pie, just eating with a spoon out of the fridge. 

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cream cheese, whipped cheese, cream cheese whipped cream

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