Festive Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

What better way to celebrate the arrival of Fall than Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting? These moist muffins are already out of this world, but when you add a heaping pile of creamy spiced goodness, you truly get the perfect bite.

In south Georgia, Fall is a fleeting (if even existent at all) season.

So those of us that live in the south rely heavily on pumpkin spice and the acceptance of boots with shorts as a fashion statement to make us feel like we are experiencing Fall with the rest of the country.

And eating these Pumpkin Muffins with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting (along with these Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies) is like sinking your teeth into Fall’s finest flavors!

Now, if you prefer a crumbly muffin top over frosting, check out these Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Crumble Top! But if you’re into a rich and tangy cream cheese frosting with a touch of spice that’s been whipped into a silky-smooth topping, you’re in the right place.

As a time-pressed mom who loves to bake, I appreciate a homemade muffin recipe that brings tons of flavor without all the fuss. This muffin recipe requires just one bowl, and about 30 minutes to make.

Plus, the optional spiced cream cheese frosting is the simplest way to elevate your muffins, with both a 5-ingredient and 7-ingredient option to make it accessible to all levels of home bakers.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins Ingredient Highlights

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting Tips and Tricks

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How I Make Super-Moist Pumpkin Muffins

Creaming your fat (in this case butter) and the sugar together doesn’t just combine these ingredients together; it actually aerates them.

Adding these air pockets is a super-effective way to get a lighter, fluffier muffin. Add the pumpkin puree, butter, and both sugars to a large mixing bowl first and use a hand mixer to aerate.

Arguably the best part of this muffin recipe is it only requires one bowl. Less cleanup is always music to my ears!

But one bowl baking means there’s a particular order in which things should be added to ensure everything is well combined.

After creaming your butter, sugars, and pumpkin puree, add your eggs and vanilla extract. Use your hand mixer to integrate.

Next comes your dry ingredients. Add the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.

Use your hand mixer to combine, ensuring that no clumps of flour or baking soda are left behind, and that the spices are evenly distributed.

And finally, add your milk. It’s easiest to add it 1/4 cup at a time, mixing in between. Or, you can simply add it while your hand mixer is on low.

To make sure it is completely integrated, use a spatula to push the batter down from the sides of the bowl and mix again.

The last thing you want is to make this tempting batter, pour them into the tin, smell their deliciousness wafting from the oven, wait anxiously for them to cool and then NOT be able to remove them!

Always grease your muffin tin completely with butter, oil, or nonstick spray. You could also opt for muffin tin liners!

These muffins do rise, so you fill them about 3/4 of the way, leaving space for the fluffy muffin top.

How to Make Cream Cheese Icing for Pumpkin Muffins

Once again, you’ll have the best success if your butter and cream cheese are softened.

Add them to a mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and whip until smooth. Then, you can add your spices and mix until evenly distributed.

Start with 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix it into your spiced cream cheese/butter mixture.

Then, continue to add, with the hand mixer on low until you get your desired consistency. I find mine is perfect after 2 full cups, but it may be a little more or a little less depending mostly on the temperature of your kitchen.

Pro tip: For an easier, 5-ingredient cream cheese recipe, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, cloves, and all-spice here. Just use ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of all three spices.

The hardest part of baking these bad boys is waiting to frost them once they come out of the oven.

I’ll admit it, nine times out of ten I’ll eat one warm before I get the chance to frost it. But, after your ONE, let the rest cool completely before frosting.

Because while a muffin swimming in a pool of melted cream cheese frosting will probably still taste good, our goal is to get a little pile of deliciousness on top.

Using a Piping Bag

The easiest way to add your spiced cream cheese frosting is with a piping bag. Once you’ve made your frosting, add it to a piping bag and store it in the refrigerator until your muffins are completely cooled.

Slowly squeeze the frosting out of the piping bag as you move in a circular motion around the top of the muffin. Reduce your plastic waste by using these Reusable Piping Bags!

If you don’t have piping bags, you can easily use a storage bag. Just seal it and use scissors to cut the very tip of one corner off. Voila! Makeshift piping bag!

Otherwise, you can just spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Whatever floats your boat!

Storing Your Pumpkin Muffins

In an airtight container, these babies will last about 3 days at room temperature or a week in the fridge.

It’s best not to freeze these frosted, but if you opted to leave off the spiced cream cheese frosting, you can! Store just the muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for about 3 months.

Just thaw before enjoying!