Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Chocolate Chips

If you love the cozy taste of fall, these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Chocolate Chips will absolutely steal your heart, and your kitchen will smell like your favorite coffee shop!

They’re inspired by the beloved Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, but we add a little twist — chocolate chips for extra sweetness and texture.

Soft, moist, and filled with warm pumpkin spice, these muffins are everything you crave in a fall treat. The melty chocolate chips make them even more decadent, with a sweet surprise in every bite.

My daughter Anna and I love baking these together every autumn. She’s quite the baker, and it’s become our cozy weekend tradition — especially after watching a few British baking shows that give us the confidence to try new recipes beyond our comfort zone.

While she helps mix the batter and spoon in the cream cheese filling, my boys wait impatiently. These muffins disappear fast once they’re out, so I always have to add a few on the side so I have them with my morning coffee!

We’re definitely a pumpkin-and-chocolate kind of family, and these capture everything we love about fall — comforting, aromatic, and perfectly sweet.

They’re easy to make, too… perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon pick-me-up with your favorite latte. The secret is the luscious cream cheese filling that stays creamy after baking, the ideal contrast to the tender, pumpkin-spiced crumb.

Whether you’re a fan of Starbucks-style muffins or simply love baking cozy seasonal recipes at home, this one will make you skip the coffee shop line. Bake a batch, share with your family, and enjoy a taste of fall right from your oven.

Pro Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

• Don’t overmix the batter.
  Once you add the dry ingredients, gently stir just until combined. Overmixing makes muffins dense instead of light and fluffy.
• Use room temperature ingredients.
  Let the eggs and cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing — it helps everything blend smoothly and bake evenly.
• Chill the cream cheese filling slightly.
  Pop the filling mixture in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before using. It thickens up and is easier to spoon neatly into the batter.
• Don’t overfill muffin cups.
  Fill each cup about ¾ full. Too much batter causes the filling to sink or overflow.
• Bake until just set.
  Pumpkin muffins can go from perfect to dry quickly. Check at 18 minutes — the tops should spring back lightly when touched.
• Add chocolate chips smartly.
  Toss them in 1 tsp of flour before folding into the batter. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
• Cool before removing.
  Let muffins cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. The centers set better, and the texture stays moist.
• Store like a pro.
  Once completely cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm in the microwave for 10 seconds before serving — tastes like fresh-baked again!
• Optional: Freeze individually wrapped muffins for up to 2 months. Perfect for quick weekday breakfasts or a cozy fall treat anytime.

BAKING PAN I USED:

Silicone Muffin Pans for Baking with Metal Frame

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BANANA PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

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Yield: 12 muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

Inspired by the Starbucks Pumpkin Muffin, these easy pumpkin cream cheese muffins with chocolate chips are soft, moist, and perfect for fall.

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Ingredients

For the Muffins:

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 312 g
• 1 tsp baking powder, 5 g
• ½ tsp baking soda, 2 g
• ½ tsp salt, 3 g
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice ≈ 8 g If you want to make it with the individual spices instead: Cinnamon, ground 2 tsp ≈ 4.6 g, Nutmeg, ground ½ tsp ≈ 1 g, Ginger, ground ½ tsp ≈ 1 g
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée, 245 g
• ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 g
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed, 110 g
• ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter), 120 ml
• 2 large eggs, 100 g (about 50 g each)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 ml
• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips, 135 g

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 4 to 5 oz cream cheese, 115 g-142g
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 25 g
• ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2.5 ml

Topping, optional:

• Toasted pumpkin seeds with some brown sugar
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners unless you're using a silicone baking pan like I did..
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, then add in chocolate chips; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin puree, both sugars, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring gently until just combined; don’t overmix.
5. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with a splash of milk or whipped cream (but just 1 tablespoon) until creamy and smooth.
6. Fill muffin cups about ¾ full with batter, drop 1 heaping teaspoon (5–6 g) of cream cheese filling in the center of each muffin and press down, or use a piping bag and fill them in the center..
7. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. You can insert a toothpick, but on the cake side, avoiding the cheese filling.
8. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack, serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Notes

For extra moist muffins, replace ¼ cup of oil, ≈60 ml, with unsweetened applesauce or sour cream.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 410Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 74mgSodium 255mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 3gSugar 27gProtein 7g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate, but we try our best.

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