These Starbucks copycat muffins are moist and full of pumpkin flavor. They have a sweet cream cheese filling and spiced pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top for the best homemade version around!
Preheat the oven to 375° and line a muffin pan with liners. Spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine vegetable oil and pumpkin puree.
Add both types of sugar and mix well. Then add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and combine.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Gently mix the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the liners, filling nearly full.
Using the back of a spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, push a hole into the top of each muffin.
Cream Cheese Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the filling mixture and beat with a hand mixer till well mixed.
Using a spatula, scrape the cream cheese filling into a large ziplock bag. Make sure to press into one corner. Seal the bag closed.
Snip a little bit of the corner off.
Press the snipped end into the hole and press cream cheese down into the bottom, lifting as it fills. Make sure the hole is entirely filled.
Topping:
Toss the pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie spice together.
Sprinkle each muffin with a few pumpkin seeds.
Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the pumpkin part of the muffin should come out clean.
Notes
Don’t overmix your muffin batter, otherwise it will get tough and dry.
You can use plain pumpkin seeds or spice them first.
Store leftover muffins in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 7 days. These muffins can also be frozen up to 3 months and thawed overnight in the fridge.