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Cozy Brown Butter Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Pecan Streusel

brown butter pumpkin cream cheese muffins - featured image
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These cozy muffins combine the nutty richness of brown butter, creamy swirls of cream cheese, and a crunchy pecan streusel topping for a comforting fall treat that’s quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed (100g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (245g) pure pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk (or whole milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice as substitute)
  • 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (60g) chopped pecans
  • ¼ cup packed (50g) brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Instructions

  1. Brown the Butter (10 minutes): In a light saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Keep whisking as it foams and bubbles; soon it will turn golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Prepare the Streusel (10 minutes): In a small bowl, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Chill in the fridge while you make the batter.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients (5 minutes): In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  4. Mix Wet Ingredients (5 minutes): In another bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cooled browned butter until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.
  5. Combine Batter (5 minutes): Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep muffins tender.
  6. Prepare Cream Cheese Swirl (5 minutes): Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.
  7. Assemble Muffins (10 minutes): Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease well. Spoon half the batter evenly into cups. Drop a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each, then cover with remaining batter. Swirl gently with a toothpick or skewer to marble. Sprinkle pecan streusel generously over each muffin.
  8. Bake (20-25 minutes): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are okay). Streusel should be golden and crunchy.
  9. Cool (15 minutes): Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to avoid soggy bottoms and keep streusel crisp.

Notes

Brown the butter carefully over medium heat and watch closely to avoid burning. Fold batter gently to prevent tough muffins. Chill cream cheese swirl if it softens too much while assembling. Let muffins cool completely to keep streusel crisp. For gluten-free, substitute flour with 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour. For dairy-free, use almond or oat milk and dairy-free cream cheese.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin muffins, brown butter, cream cheese swirl, pecan streusel, fall recipe, easy muffins, quick breakfast, holiday baking

Find it online: https://milacook.com/cozy-brown-butter-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-with-pecan-streusel-recipe-made-easy/