Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins

RECIPE: Reprinted with permission from Sally’s Baking 101: Foolproof Recipes from Easy to Advanced by Sally McKenney. Copyright © 2025 by Sally McKenney. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Photo: Sally McKenney

September 10, 2025

An irresistible autumnal treat.

In Sally McKenney’s book, Sally’s Baking 101: Foolproof Recipes from Easy to Advanced, the baker and creator of Sally’s Baking Addiction site shares an array of baked goods recipes that any home baker can tackle, from an apple cider spice bread to these pumpkin spice latte muffins. For the PSL treats, McKenney combines the pumpkin muffin with everyone’s favorite autumnal coffee order. “The result is completely irresistible: a soft, spiced muffin with an espresso-hinted creamy center that pairs with it seamlessly, like a crisp fall morning and your favorite sweater,” she writes.

Ingredients

Yield:12

Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1 Tbsp. coarse sugar, for topping
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, homemade or store-bought
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
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Whipped Cream Filling
2/3 cup heavy cream, cold
4 oz. full-fat brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Pumpkin pie spice, for sprinkling

Tools:medium bowl, whisk, muffin pan with cupcake liners, handheld or stand mixer, knife

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Make the MuffinsIn a large bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and ginger.

In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and whisk just until combined. The batter should be thick. Heat the milk until warm to the touch and stir in the espresso powder. Pour the espresso milk into the batter and whisk just until combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of each.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 18 minutes more. Cool the muffins in the pan set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins from the pan to the rack to cool for at least 30 minutes more.
Make the Whipped Cream fillingIn a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the sides of
the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the cream, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute, or until the filling is light and creamy.

Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled muffins to create a little cone-shaped pocket about 1 inch deep. Spoon or pipe the cream filling inside each carved-out muffin, letting it mound slightly higher than the muffin top. Crumble some of the cone-shaped pieces you cut out of the muffins over top of the cream filling. Use a small sieve to dust the tops with pumpkin pie spice. Store covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.