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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe

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4 from 48 reviews

These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins combine the warm flavors of pumpkin, spices, and a luscious cream cheese swirl. Moist and tender, they’re perfect for autumn breakfasts or snacks, with a delightful balance of sweet pumpkin batter and creamy filling, topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds for texture.

  • Total Time: 40-45 minutes (including 30 minutes batter rest)
  • Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffin Batter

  • 1 ½ cups (360ml) pure pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp (125g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 5 oz (142g) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 ½ tbsp (32g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp (3g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp (10ml) whole milk

Topping

  • Chopped pumpkin seeds (amount as desired)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners to prevent sticking.
  2. Make Pumpkin Muffin Batter: In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Add eggs, sunflower oil, and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and begin folding together. Before fully incorporating, add whole milk and fold gently until just combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy but free of flour pockets. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  5. Prepare Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar, flour, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer or wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in whole milk until fully blended. Transfer filling to a piping bag or zip-top bag.
  6. Assemble Muffins: Using a 2-ounce scoop, evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them to the rim. Snip the tip of the piping bag and insert it about ¼ inch into the center of each muffin batter. Squeeze out cream cheese filling to create a swirl about 1 inch in diameter on top. Use all of the cream cheese mixture, roughly ½ tablespoon per muffin. If extra batter remains, add it around the cream cheese filling. Sprinkle chopped pumpkin seeds around the cream cheese on the batter surface, pressing lightly to adhere.
  7. Bake Muffins: Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then immediately reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, or until muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the muffin (not in the cream cheese swirl) comes out clean.
  8. Cool Muffins: Remove muffin pan from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them fully to the wire rack to cool further.

Notes

  • Allowing the batter to rest for 30 minutes enhances the texture and flavor of the muffins.
  • Make sure cream cheese is softened to blend smoothly for the filling.
  • Do not overmix the batter; a few lumps are okay to keep muffins tender.
  • Placement of cream cheese filling should be near the top so it creates an attractive swirl on the muffin’s surface.
  • Use parchment paper liners to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
  • Sprinkling pumpkin seeds adds a lovely crunch and aesthetic touch but can be omitted if desired.
  • Author: Olivia
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://yourdailycook.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins-recipe/