When it comes to fall treats, one of the most well-known is the Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins. These sweet, pumpkin muffins are fluffy on the outside, creamy on the inside thanks to the cream cheese filling, and crunchy on top with a garnishing of pumpkin seeds. But, at nearly $4 per muffin, we can do a lot better. These are my Better Than Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, and they’re naturally gluten-free without sacrificing any of the flavor!
Friends, it’s officially my favorite time of year: the fall! If there’s one season that I love the most, it’s definitely the fall. I love the cooler weather, I love fall sports, and I especially love fall recipes. I’m talking all things pumpkin, and this year, I am so excited to share more pumpkin recipe, like these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. This recipe comes from one of my besties, Melissa (aka @melissas_healthykitchen) who shared her healthier take on these pumpkin cream cheese muffins a few weeks ago. Once she did, I knew I needed to run to my kitchen and make them too. If you’re looking for the most festive and healthy recipes, you have to check out her blog. She constantly inspires me with her creativity!
These muffins are a copycat of the famous Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins that make there way back onto their menu every year. These muffins are light and fluffy, with a spicy, cinnamon-y, pumpkin flavor, and have a big dollop of cream cheese icing in the center. What could be more delicious than that? But at nearly $4 per muffin, these treats aren’t cheap. Not to mention, they’re not the healthiest, either. A single muffin has over 34 grams of sugar. While I’m not one to necessarily consider or count macronutrients (I believe that there is room for ALL foods in a healthy, balanced diet!) the American Heart Association recommends having no more than 36 grams of sugar per day. Which means that these muffins have nearly your day’s-worth of sugar in a single muffin. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that… but we can do a lot better.
This version of these famous pumpkin muffins contains NO added refined sugars, but is still just as sweet. Instead, it gets its sweetness from maple syrup, which is a much healthier alternative. In addition to being lower in sugar, these muffins also happen to be gluten-free, making them gentler on your stomach!
This recipe yields 6 large (or 9 smaller) muffins, making it perfect for preparing at the beginning of your week to enjoy for breakfast, as a sweet treat, or as a delicious dessert in your kid’s lunch boxes!
Half the Ingredients of the Starbucks Version 👇🏼
Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients in the original Starbucks Cream Cheese Muffins? I’ll spare you the pain of reading out the entire ingredient list, but let’s just say… there are quite a few of them. From ingredients such as PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE, CARRAGEENAN, and SOY LECITHIN… we can definitely do better. My version of these muffins are not only gluten-free, but are made with real, whole foods ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce!
- Eggs: Yes, eggs are necessary in this recipe, and you’ll need 3 of them! You can replace the eggs with flax eggs, if desired, but just note that the recipe has not been tested with flax eggs.
- Pumpkin Puree: It wouldn’t be a pumpkin recipe without the pumpkin puree, which you can usually find in abundance, this time of year!
- Coconut Oil: You’ll need melted coconut oil for this recipe. You can use either refined or unrefined – both work here!
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup helps to add the natural sweetness that makes the muffins and cream cheese filling so yummy.
- Vanilla Extract: And, of course, you need vanilla extract for any good muffin recipe! Both the muffins and the filling require some vanilla extract for that perfect vanilla flavor.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is one of my favorite gluten-free flours, because it’s high in healthy fats and plant-based proteins, and is grain-free.
- Arrowroot Flour or Tapioca Flour or Cornstarch: A little starch makes the batter achieve the right consistency.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is a soft, fluffy flour that helps these muffins reach the perfect consistency and texture.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: It only takes a touch of pumpkin pie spice for these muffins to have the most delicious, warm, spicy fall flavor.
- Cinnamon: An extra pinch of cinnamon tastes delicious in these muffins. Don’t skip it!
- Baking Soda: Baking soda ensures that these muffins will get nice and fluffy.
- Sea Salt: A little bit of sea salt ensures that these muffins don’t turn out too sweet.
- Pumpkin Seeds: A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds adds the perfect finishing touch to these muffins!
- Cream Cheese: Of course, it wouldn’t be a cream cheese filling without the cream cheese! I like to buy cream cheese in the brick form, but spreadable cream cheese also works well.
- Milk of Choice: Pick your favorite milk and use it in this recipe! I like using almond milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk should work well, in this recipe.
How to Make These Light & Fluffy Cream Cheese Muffins
To make these muffins, start by preheating your oven to 350F. Next, add all of the went ingredients to a large bowl- the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract- and whisk them together. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until they’re fully combined and a batter has formed. Next, grease the muffin tin or fill the cavities with muffin liners. Then, transfer the batter into the muffin tins, diving it evenly amongst the categories.
Next, prepare the cream cheese filling. Transfer the cream cheese to a small bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds, until it’s soft and easy to stir. Add the maple syrup, milk of choice, flour and vanilla extract to the bowl with the cream cheese and stir until it’s fully combined.
Transfer the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can add it to a large ziplock bag and cut the tip off of it. Pipe the filling into the center of each muffin. Then, sprinkle pumpkin seeds around the top of each muffin.
Transfer the tray into the oven and allow the muffins to bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the muffin part (not the cream cheese part) comes out clean. Once the muffins are done, remove them from them from the oven and allow them to cool, in the muffin tin, for 5 minutes.
Then, transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack, and allow them to sit until fully cooled. Once they’re done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
- Large Muffin Tin This muffin tin has large cavities that are perfect for this recipe!
- Muffin Liners I love these liners!
Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- ¼ Cup Coconut Oil, melted
- ⅓ Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Almond Flour
- ½ Cup Arrowroot Flour or Tapioca Flour or Cornstarch
- ¼ Cup Coconut Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- Pumpkin Seeds, for topping
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 7 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened
- 2 ½ Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Gluten-Free Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Milk of Choice
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- To make these muffins, start by preheating your oven to 350F.
- Next, add all of the went ingredients to a large bowl- the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract- and whisk them together.
- Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, sea salt, and pumpkin seeds.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until they're fully combined and a batter has formed.
- Next, grease the muffin tin or fill the cavities with muffin liners.
- Then, transfer the batter into the muffin tins, diving it evenly amongst the categories.
- Next, prepare the cream cheese filling. Transfer the cream cheese to a small bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds, until it's soft and easy to stir.
- Add the maple syrup, milk of choice, flour and vanilla extract to the bowl with the cream cheese and stir until it's fully combined.
- Transfer the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag. If you don't have a piping bag, you can add it to a large ziplock bag and cut the tip off of it.
- Pipe the filling into the center of each muffin.
- Then, sprinkle pumpkin seeds around the top of each muffin.
- Transfer the tray into the oven and allow the muffins to bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the muffin part (not the cream cheese part) comes out clean.
- Once the muffins are done, remove them from them from the oven and allow them to cool, in the muffin tin, for 5 minutes.
- Then, transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack, and allow them to sit until fully cooled.
- Once they're done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to one week.
Rate & review
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What others are saying
just made these and you are right…. so much better than Starbucks!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi! Could I double the almond flour portion instead of using coconut flour? I’m not a fan of coconut flavors in non-tropical baked goods. Also, can the tapioca flour be replaced with regular gf flour? Thanks!
Just made this muffins. They are so so gooood! I will definitely be making these throughout the fall season. Thank you Nicole for such a tasty recipe.
I don’t have any of those flours listed, however, I do have whole wheat flour and all purpose white flour…could I just use those instead?
My 14 year old daughter is addicted to the Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins…or should I say was addicted! After making these, she was amazed how yummy and flavorful they were! Try them-you won’t regret it!